Twenty-three known graves lie within the fence of the present 1.7-acre peal-Pleasant Valley cemetery. The burials along with the foundations of the Pleasant Valley Baptist church and Valley Ford school are the only remnants of an early Hays county community. Settlement began with John Bennett Peal (1834-1888), a North Carolina native who arrived in Texas before 1885. In 1858, Peal married Mary Webb and in 1872, the Peals settled in Hays county, where they purchased 1,920 acres from T.N. Waul. Built on a hill, the Peal House would be known as missionary ridge because of the family’s strong Baptist faith. The Peals helped to establish Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in 1875. The church building also house the Valley Ford School when it was created two years later. In 1883, peal donated five acres of land for a one-room schoolhouse. The community remained rural serving the local needs of the few area families. The school became the center of activity for this section of the Blanco Valley. Children attending the school came from the Burchett, Edwards, George, Haster, Pape, Pearl, Sachtleben, Schubert, and Shook families. These families, many from different backgrounds, forged bonds through lifelong friendships, partnerships and marriages. Several of these names are represented through the graves at Peal-Pleasant Valley Cemetery. The earliest grave is that of Marthe A.E George (1849-1881). The cemetery has been known variously as Valley Ford Pleasant Valley and Burchett/Peal. This rural cemetery provides a final resting place for several pioneering families who forged a life for themselves and their descendants in Texas. Historic cemetery -2019 / Name and Date Plaque Circa 1881