Three in Rosston LbNA #63568
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Nov 18, 2012 |
| Location: | Rosston Cemetery |
| City: | Rosston |
| County: | Cooke |
| State: | Texas |
| Boxes: | 3 |
| Planted by: | Viewfinder  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | a knight's tale (3) |
| Last found: | Jul 2, 2014 |
| Status: | FFa |
| Last edited: | Oct 11, 2015 |
Three in Rosston
Rosston Cemetery, Rosston, TX
Rosston is a small farming and ranching community in southwestern Cooke County, Texas, on FM 922 along Clear Creek, west of Valley View mid-way between Forestburg in Montague County and Era in Cooke County. In 2000, Rosston reported a population of 110. The community boasts a general store on Buffalo St. -- where several dogs may or may not be lying in the road as you pass by, a volunteer fire department, two church buildings, and several residences, as well as a wealth of agricultural enterprises. Noticeable just to the east of the town is the Liberman Broadcasting Tower Era, one of earth's tallest structures, which, as of May 2007, was the tallest structure in Texas. The tower is named for its proximity to Era, though it is much closer to Rosston.
History: Anglo settlement began as early as the Texas Revolution in Cooke County, drawing many to establish homesteads and ranches in the Rosston vicinity. In 1865, the area of present-day Rosston was settled. The scattered community was promptly raided by tribes from Indian Territory in what would become the last raid of Indians on white settlers in Cooke County. Settlers from Grayson County later established Rosstown in 1870. The namesake Ross family owned a general store, cotton gin, and mill to serve the farmers of the area. A post office opened in 1872 and the town officially became Rosston. The Butterfield Overland Mail route passed near Rosston, operating between Gainesville in Cooke County and Jacksboro in Jack County, Texas. Rosston, like many other small Texas towns, was bypassed by railway lines and slipped into relative obscurity in the 20th Century. But one local claim to fame is that notorious outlaw Sam Bass used Rosston as a hideout, and the town celebrates Sam Bass Day every year on the third Saturday in July.
The Rosston Cemetery is easy to find -- just watch for the cemetery sign and follow the main street to Cemetery Road. All three letterboxes are resting in this old cemetery, along with many Texas pioneers and more recently deceased members of the general community. Please observe the dignity of these old graves as you explore the cemetery.
Box #1: UN-KNOWN
This is a "mystery" letterbox; the mystery is not in clues but in the reason for this letterbox being placed here in this early Texas cemetery. Just who are the "UN-KNOWN" in the many graves with only this ambiguous marker throughout this old cemetery? Were these very early graves whose original sandstone or wooden markers have long since disappeared, the unidentified remains now marked only by this mysterious UN-KNOWN concrete slab? Were they unidentified victims of early Comanche raids or fires or disease, bodies too numerous to be properly buried with permanent identifying markers? The anonymity of these simple markers inspired the first letterbox: UN-KNOWN.
To find the box: Enter the Rosston Cemetery and follow the drive straight ahead (one way only). After the drive curves to the right, about midway along the south side of the cemetery, stop near the barrel. Look to the east for a marker for Gilliland, Richardson, and then Settle nestled between two large nandinas. In the bush on the left as you face the marker, look for the camo-covered letterbox. Please be careful to rehide this one carefully so it isn't seen through the bush (I dropped it in from the top).
Box #2: Hands
A very common carving on old tombstone is the joined hands, which I've always liked as a symbol.
To find the Hands letterbox, starting from the barrel, look to the north straight across toward the center of the cemetery to an old sandstone rock wall enclosing 2 very old tombstones. Approximately 2' from left (sw) corner of the old sandstone rock wall, about 6"-8" down from top, in a small crevice hidden behind several small rocks you will find a camo pouch containing the Hands. Please rehide this one carefully, placing the small stones to obscure it from accidental view.
Box #3: Rosston General Store.
This letterbox was inspired by the old Rosston General Store, which is located on Buffalo St. about a block east of the cemetery (if you came from the east, you already saw it. If not, be sure to take a look. The store is still open for business.)
To find the letterbox: In Rosston Cemetery, continue along the one-way drive around to the north side (or just walk from where you parked for the previous two boxes straight across the cemetery). About midway along the north circular drive, look for the very large Harper tombstone facing the road. Slightly to the left and about 20 steps behind this marker, find the very old grave of Larken Nivens, covered with a concrete slab. A small white marble piece with the letters M.F.D. may or may not still be on top of the concrete slab -- it was there when I placed this box. The finger on the tombstone points to hidden letterbox. Reach under the slab behind the tombstone to find the camo pouch. As before, please rehide this carefully, tucked out of sight so it won't be accidentally discovered.
Rosston Cemetery, Rosston, TX
Rosston is a small farming and ranching community in southwestern Cooke County, Texas, on FM 922 along Clear Creek, west of Valley View mid-way between Forestburg in Montague County and Era in Cooke County. In 2000, Rosston reported a population of 110. The community boasts a general store on Buffalo St. -- where several dogs may or may not be lying in the road as you pass by, a volunteer fire department, two church buildings, and several residences, as well as a wealth of agricultural enterprises. Noticeable just to the east of the town is the Liberman Broadcasting Tower Era, one of earth's tallest structures, which, as of May 2007, was the tallest structure in Texas. The tower is named for its proximity to Era, though it is much closer to Rosston.
History: Anglo settlement began as early as the Texas Revolution in Cooke County, drawing many to establish homesteads and ranches in the Rosston vicinity. In 1865, the area of present-day Rosston was settled. The scattered community was promptly raided by tribes from Indian Territory in what would become the last raid of Indians on white settlers in Cooke County. Settlers from Grayson County later established Rosstown in 1870. The namesake Ross family owned a general store, cotton gin, and mill to serve the farmers of the area. A post office opened in 1872 and the town officially became Rosston. The Butterfield Overland Mail route passed near Rosston, operating between Gainesville in Cooke County and Jacksboro in Jack County, Texas. Rosston, like many other small Texas towns, was bypassed by railway lines and slipped into relative obscurity in the 20th Century. But one local claim to fame is that notorious outlaw Sam Bass used Rosston as a hideout, and the town celebrates Sam Bass Day every year on the third Saturday in July.
The Rosston Cemetery is easy to find -- just watch for the cemetery sign and follow the main street to Cemetery Road. All three letterboxes are resting in this old cemetery, along with many Texas pioneers and more recently deceased members of the general community. Please observe the dignity of these old graves as you explore the cemetery.
Box #1: UN-KNOWN
This is a "mystery" letterbox; the mystery is not in clues but in the reason for this letterbox being placed here in this early Texas cemetery. Just who are the "UN-KNOWN" in the many graves with only this ambiguous marker throughout this old cemetery? Were these very early graves whose original sandstone or wooden markers have long since disappeared, the unidentified remains now marked only by this mysterious UN-KNOWN concrete slab? Were they unidentified victims of early Comanche raids or fires or disease, bodies too numerous to be properly buried with permanent identifying markers? The anonymity of these simple markers inspired the first letterbox: UN-KNOWN.
To find the box: Enter the Rosston Cemetery and follow the drive straight ahead (one way only). After the drive curves to the right, about midway along the south side of the cemetery, stop near the barrel. Look to the east for a marker for Gilliland, Richardson, and then Settle nestled between two large nandinas. In the bush on the left as you face the marker, look for the camo-covered letterbox. Please be careful to rehide this one carefully so it isn't seen through the bush (I dropped it in from the top).
Box #2: Hands
A very common carving on old tombstone is the joined hands, which I've always liked as a symbol.
To find the Hands letterbox, starting from the barrel, look to the north straight across toward the center of the cemetery to an old sandstone rock wall enclosing 2 very old tombstones. Approximately 2' from left (sw) corner of the old sandstone rock wall, about 6"-8" down from top, in a small crevice hidden behind several small rocks you will find a camo pouch containing the Hands. Please rehide this one carefully, placing the small stones to obscure it from accidental view.
Box #3: Rosston General Store.
This letterbox was inspired by the old Rosston General Store, which is located on Buffalo St. about a block east of the cemetery (if you came from the east, you already saw it. If not, be sure to take a look. The store is still open for business.)
To find the letterbox: In Rosston Cemetery, continue along the one-way drive around to the north side (or just walk from where you parked for the previous two boxes straight across the cemetery). About midway along the north circular drive, look for the very large Harper tombstone facing the road. Slightly to the left and about 20 steps behind this marker, find the very old grave of Larken Nivens, covered with a concrete slab. A small white marble piece with the letters M.F.D. may or may not still be on top of the concrete slab -- it was there when I placed this box. The finger on the tombstone points to hidden letterbox. Reach under the slab behind the tombstone to find the camo pouch. As before, please rehide this carefully, tucked out of sight so it won't be accidentally discovered.