Walking through the Bear Creek Cemetery gate is like opening a window of history. The cemetery is the final resting place for many early Tarrant County pioneers. Many of them were Peters Colonists, as were Isham Crowley and his sons, Benjamin and Richard. The Crowleys obtained patents to adjoining properties and the area became known as the "Crowley Prairie." In 1853, as Major Ripley Arnold was vacating the camp known as Fort Worth, a small group of Baptists formed a church located near Bear Creek, the present location of the cemetery. Isham Crowley donated some of his land for this church and cemetery. George T. Crowley, Jr. transcribed the Bear Creek Missionary Baptist Church minutes dated from 1853 to 1875. He also compiled a database which includes over 400 names of members and other persons who had a connection to the church. The database and excerpts from the minutes are available online. Please click here to access the information. A small number of copies of George's manuscript were printed and distributed to family members. Copies were also presented to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth Public Library Genealogy Department, and the Heritage Room of Tarrant County College Northeast. Evelyn D'Arcy Cushman's book Cemeteries of Northeast Tarrant County Texas, contains a record of all known grave sites in Bear Creek Cemetery from 1853-1981. This is an invaluable resource for individuals seeking information about their ancestors buried in Bear Creek Cemetery.
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