Place

Teel Cemetery

a cemetery with tall, prominent gravestones, in a grassy area surrounded by trees
Teel Cemetery

NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga

Quick Facts
Location:
Saratoga, TX
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Privately Owned

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto

The small and secluded Teel Cemetery, first used in 1893, is hidden in the woods of the Big Thicket.

Richard and Nancy Teel were the second European American family to settle in the Saratoga area, after the Cottens. Richard was born in Alabama and moved to Texas with his parents at the age of 18. In 1858, when he was 24, he married Nancy Hart, 16, and the young couple settled in the Big Thicket.

The Teels lived in a log cabin, just west of what is now the cemetery, where they raised a sizable family of 11 children. Nearby, they had an orchard and grew crops including cotton, corn, oats, and sugarcane.

One of their sons, D. J., was the first to be buried here, in 1893. Both Richard and Nancy are buried in this cemetery, along with many of their children and descendants.

The home site remained in the Teel family until 1978, when it was transferred to the National Park Service for inclusion in Big Thicket National Preserve. Sadly, the cabin burned in the 1970s.

Private Property

Note: Though the surrounding land is public land, Teel Cemetery remains privately-owned and is not open to the public. You can read about the history of the cemetery on the Texas Historical Commission sign near its entrance.

Roads in the Lance Rosier Unit are unpaved and often muddy after it rains. Once you're on Rosier Park Road, signage may be missing or not visible. Hunting is allowed in the Lance Rosier Unit from October 1 to February 28; wear orange if you plan to explore the nearby woods during hunting season.

Big Thicket National Preserve

Last updated: October 10, 2024