According to oral history, John Wright, who stopped for a time in Erath County on his way west, died nearby in about 1857 or 1858. Landowner Clayborn Oxford donated the land for Wright to be buried on this site. The earliest marked grave is that of Oxford's infant grandson William, who was buried in 1859. The graveyard, then known as Oxford Cemetery, was deeded to Erath County by the Oxford family in 1888 for use by area settlers. Over time the cemetery took on the name of the surrounding community, Acrea. Descendants of the Oxfords and other pioneer families continue to maintain and use the cemetery. (1999)