The Bethel Cemetery has served the community of Appleby since the 1880s. The burial ground’s name comes from the Bethel community, which developed in the late 19th century as the focal point of what would become Appleby. By 1878, residents established a church and school in the area. Appleby experienced growth in the ensuing years as the railroad came through the town, and lumber and cotton industries developed. In 1903, John A. Hunt conveyed land for cemetery use to members of the community. The first known interment dates to 1887, and many early leaders of the Appleby community and other important individuals are among those buried here. Veterans from military conflicts dating to the Civil War are interred in the cemetery as well. A cemetery association formed early in the 1900s to care for the burial ground, which is expansive and contains obelisks, curbed plots and Woodmen of the World grave markers. Still serving Appleby residents today, Bethel Cemetery is a vital link to the past history of this rural community. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2000