The Caney - Matthews Cemetery  is located on FM 2540 just north of the intersection of FM 457 and FM 2540 in Matagorda County, Texas.
It is just across the fence from the airport at the end of the runway and can be seen from the highway. It has a few trees in the corner and there
is a grass-covered road from the highway.

The cemetery is still in use and the survey was updated as of February, 2004.

Presley C. Evans was from Virginia and had come to Texas to establish a store at Caney in 1853. This store was situated toward upper Caney at the crossroads of the routes leading from Matagorda to San Felipe and Columbus and from Brazoria to Texana and Victoria. This new site, approximately two miles from the original Caney Crossing, became known as Caney and survived until 1918.

 

P C. Evans was postmaster until 1861, when the store passed into the possession of John Matthews. Mr. Matthews, a ordained Methodist minister, moved from Virginia to Matagorda County. He felt that the community should have a place of worship and in 1863, built a church adjacent to the cemetery. It is believed that the cemetery had already been established. Construction began in January of that year, and the first service was held June 1^st. Travelers passing through the Caney area were invited to worship at the church which was Baptist. Mr. Matthews kept a horse and buggy at the church building for circuit-riding preachers to use to visit the families in the area. In the community, the church building was known as the "Dirty House" because it was never kept clean inside. Mr. Matthews' brother lived in the building after he moved to Caney since the church was used infrequently.

 

Land for the historic cemetery was given to the community by the Hawkins family.
 

UNMARKED GRAVES

Andrews, Absalem Mitchell after 1908 Company F, 9th Alabama Infantry

Andrews, Grace 05 Jun 1918
    
Hamilton, Florence Adel  30 Dec 1917    

Hamilton, James 14 Sep 1918

Hamilton, Thomas James  13 Nov 1923 

MARY LOVE JONES List.
Mrs. Jones compiled a list of all of the burials with unknown locations
in the cemetery that she could recall. The additional notes are hers.

[information in brackets from death certificates]

Adams, Mr. (Mrs. Dick Hunt's husband)

Alexander, Mrs. (died with flu in 1918) 

Avery, Dudley  (infant)

Bevens, Mrs. 

Bradshaw, Mrs. 

Coulter, Unknown  (several family members buried here) [all unmarked]

Dedrick, Jack (Uncle) 

Ellison, Young Boy 

Green, Roland

Green, Mrs. Roland  

Green, Child of Roland 

Green, Child of Roland  

Green, Child of Roland

Halk, Mrs. Claud 'Pregnant and died while cutting stovewood' 

Hamilton, Robert Arden  1902 - April 30, 1919 - son  of Thomas James Hamilton and Thursey Ann Holder Hamilton
Robert Arden Hamilton
Robert Arden Hamilton, 17 years of age, died at the home of his parents in the Liveoak neighborhood Monday and was
buried in the cemetery there yesterday, Rev. Storey, of the Bay City Presbyterian Church, officiating.
The cause of young Hamilton’s death was pneumonia. --The Daily Tribune, April 23, 1919

Hamilton, Infant daughter 

Hamilton, Jim  

Hamilton, Mrs. Jim 

Hamilton, Tom  [unmarked - may be Thomas James Hamilton
listed earlier as unmarked]

Jamison, Mr.  'Old couple lived on Liveoak Road' 

Jamison, Mrs. 'Old couple lived on Liveoak Road' 

Joice, 'Child' 

Kilbride, George Floyd 

McCrosky, Tena Glatz 

Miller, Mr. 

Miller, Mrs. 

Moore, Mollie [could this be Catherine or Mary Moore?]

Phillips, Harry  'baby'

Plant, Infant  [John Leroy Plant b and d 11 July 1940, son of Joseph and Marie Plant, 
was once marked with a wooden cross, information supplied by Oma Stevens - dc # 31388]

Roberts, Mrs. 'elderly when died'

Sadberry, Ned [African-American]

Thompson, Scott  

Underwood, Mrs. Bill [probably Emma Glenn Underwood wife of
William Percell Underwood]