Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
Westbrooks & Walkers of Milam County
by Joy Graham
Rockdale Reporter - September 26,2005
Ervin Westbrook, his wife Rachel Walker Westbrook and their four children left
Mississippi in 1858 and set out for the Texas frontier. Traveling with them was
Rachel’s brother John Walker, his wife, Mary and their family. In December 1859 after
settling in Milam County, Ervin Westbrook and his brother-in-law John Walker pooled
their assets and borrowed money to purchase a section of land (640 acres) from R. S.
Wiley along Cannon Snap Creek about 4 miles north of present Milano.
Ervin and Rachel built a log house and spent the next few years working their land
turning it into a productive farm with cattle. It wasn’t long until Ervin established
a cemetery on the land. The first burial occurred in 1864 a Marg Walker even thought
her initial monument is no longer there. Then in 1867 “Margaret” daughter of P.M. & M.
Sampler was buried in the cemetery. The cemetery continued to be used for family and
neighbors until after the turn of the century. The last known burial was Edward Hensley
in 1904. The cemetery contains between 20 and 25 graves, most of them unmarked.
Private cemeteries were a way of life in the 1800’s. Travel was difficult and slow and
roads often became impassable due to weather conditions.
Ervin Westbrook was not an idle man. He had been a Mason in Mississippi and he along
with others organized a Masonic Lodge in Milano, sometime around 1865 or 1866. In 1862
he joined S.M.J. Benson’s Company of the Confederate Army. He was assigned the duty of
buying and delivering beef cattle to feed the troops. He served for 3 years. Helping
him in this work and under his command were John P. Thompson and Thomas A. Kirk.
He and Rachel had six more children after they settled in Texas making a total of 10.
One of their daughters Lucy Edna born in 1867 became the first County Home
Demonstration Agent in Milam County. Her “Tomato Club for Girls” later evolved into
what is known today as the 4-H Club. Edna Westbrook Trigg is recognized as having
started this organization and a Texas Historical Marker honoring her work is on the
lawn of the Milam County Courthouse.
In addition to their 10 children, Ervin and Rachel raised or help to raise 7 orphan
children. Some of the children belonged to other extended family members who died in
childbirth or were left due to other destitute conditions.
Ervin Westbrook died November 4, 1874 and was buried in the little cemetery on his
land. Three Civil War soldiers: Ervin Westbrook, William Walker and John Walker are
buried in the Westbrook-Walker Cemetery. Rachel Walker Westbrook continued to live on
the home place until shortly before her death, May 24, 1924. She was buried in the
I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Denton, Texas. After her death a portion of the family farm,
including the cemetery came into the possession of Edna Trigg their daughter. She died
in 1946 and in 1953 the land was sold to J. O. Stewart. History of the cemetery was
compiled by Janet Westbrook Johnson in 1993. Westbrook Walker Cemetery has been
recognized as a Texas Historic Cemetery. Visitation to the cemetery must be obtained
from the land owner where the cemetery is located.
Researched from Milam County’s Historical Marker application: Westbrook-Walker
Cemetery.
All credit for this article goes to
Joy Graham
and the
Rockdale Reporter
Joy Graham
and the
Rockdale Reporter