Make plans to attend the dedication of the State of Texas Historical Cemetery Marker for the Mills Family Cemetery Saturday, April 7, at 11 a.m. The Mills Cemetery is located in what was once known as the Peters Colony. It was the first cemetery to be established in what was to later become Garland and was established long before Garland was incorporated as a town in 1891. It is located on Commerce Street, near the corner of Centerville Road and Highway 66.
The cemetery was established by Edward C. Mills, one of the earliest settlers in what is now the Garland area. Mills received a headright of 640 acres in Dallas County as a Peters Colonist in 1847. His wife, Elizabeth Collins Mills, died in 1854 and was the first person to be buried in the family cemetery. At first the cemetery was intended to be only for the Mills family but soon neighbors were allowed to bury loved ones there and Mills Cemetery became a neighborhood burial ground.
In 1925 a new cemetery was developed adjoining the west side of Mills Cemetery and was given the name Garland Cemetery. This name was a poor choice since there were already two cemeteries, Masonic and Knights of Pythias, which local people thought of as “Garland cemeteries.” It didn’t take long for the 1925 Garland Cemetery to be viewed by area residents as part of Mills Cemetery and the name stuck. It is now maintained and administered by the Garland-Mills Cemetery Foundation.
Besides Edward C. Mills and his wife, two of their sons, James and John, who were also Peters Colonists, are buried in Mills Cemetery, as are several Civil War veterans, including another Mills son, Robert. A fourth son, Hope, also a Peters Colonist, died at the Battle of Vicksburg.
Additionally, victims of the devastating tornado that hit Garland in 1927 are buried at the Mills Cemetery.
At the dedication, Charles Mills, descendant of Edward C. Mills, will share a short story about his family history. The application for the designation of the cemetery was sponsored by Charles Mills and an application for a Texas Historical Marker will be made at a later date.