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Local historian Ron Melugin has roamed this frontier Texas cemetery for over a decade, collecting fascinating stories about the "residents" laid to rest here. Spanning the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these tales of extraordinary people with ordinary causes of death and ordinary people who died in extraordinary ways illustrate the uncertainties of life on the edge of the Confederacy and next door to Oklahoma Indian Territory. From the former slave who died of old age to the chemistry student who accidentally poisoned his own apple, each account provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of Gainesville. A full map and legend is included to guide readers to each of the sites.
About the author
Ron Melugin has taught government and history at North Central Texas College in Gainesville for forty-five years. He has BA and MA degrees in history from Texas A&M-Commerce and has done graduate work at the University of North Texas. He is the historian for NCTC and is chair of the Cooke County Historical Commission, a local unit of the Texas Historical Commission. Melugin has done research for fourteen official Texas Historical Markers, six of which are in Fairview Cemetery in Gainesville. Heroes, Scoundrels and Angels: Fairview Cemetery of Gainesville, Texas is the culmination of approximately fifteen years of research. Melugin conducts historic tours of Fairview Cemetery regularly. This work allows the reader to conduct his own self-guided tour of this historic cemetery.
