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In 1857, Nathaniel Jackson came from Alabama and established a ranch in this area. A former slave owner, Jackson, who was white, came with his wife Matilda Hicks, who was black, their children and his freed slaves. On his 5,500-acre ranch, Jackson raised livestock and grew vegetables, cotton and sugarcane. He also established a chapel that served family and friends. He was known for his generosity and hospitality, and many, including runaway slaves, came to the ranch in need of lodging and other resources. Upon Jackson’s death in 1865, his heirs divided the property. The share to his son Eli included this site, the family cemetery. Eli and his wife, Elizabeth Kerr, and their children continued the family tradition of hospitality. Eli served a county official, as did his son Nathaniel “Polo” Jackson. Polo’s daughter Adela operated the ranch and cared for the cemetery until her death in 1992. Today, the Eli Jackson Cemetery represents the early area ranching communities. The burial ground is a tie to the Jackson family, and to their friends and neighbors from the past who share this as a final resting place.
Historic Texas Cemetery, Texas Historical Commission, 2005.
Doffin Rd. & Stewart Rd., 7½ miles S. of Pharr, Hidalgo County Texas
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Texas 
