This property was part of a Mexican land grant awarded to Ben Milam in 1826. James U. Barton (1814-1893) brought his family to Texas from alabama in the 1850s and established a farm at this site. The first burial in this cemetery is believed to be that of Barton's infant granddaughter, ella May Ligon, who died in 1873. Other relatives and neighbors in the Mountain City community also were buried here, and James barton officially deeded 3.25 acres of land for the graveyard in 1881. The Barton Cemetery continues to serve residents of this area.