Larissa Home place
 

Kershaw County, S.C. Muscogee County, Georgia Russell County, Alabama Cherokee County, Texas J. D. Smyrl Home Place, Larissa Salem Baptist Church, Larissa Larissa Masonic Lodge James Dunlap Smyrl Bible Ernest Linwood Smyrl Bible Lizzie Bell Rogers' Book E. L. Smyrl & Lizzie Rogers Family E. L. Smyrl & Ruby Pearl Roark Family Smyrl Family History, A Tapestry

Probably the J. D, Smyrl Place, Larissa, Texas *

J. D.'s mother, Rebecca Kirtley Smryl, and children: Nevie Lou, and James Emmett and possibly a third child  are buried in the Baptist Cemetery in Larissa, Texas.

Some Smyrl graves are located on the old Dr, Robert R. Smyrl place now the Ted Pearsaul farm.  Since these graves are marked only with brick and since marker in the Baptist Cemetery at Larissa was probably added by Herbert Bone Smyrl after he reached adulthood, I am not sure where Hettie Rebecca is buried.  Timing makes it possible she was buried in either place.  More research needs to be done regarding at what time J. D. moved to Larissa.  Miss Jane Kirtly is buried on the Robert R. Smyrl place.  The first two of J. D,'s children were buried in Alabama.  John Tate died in route in Elysian Fields and was buried there.

The picture shown above is in the possession of the Cherokee County Historical Commission.  The picture and papers of J. L. Brown were donated to the commission by Mr. Brown's daughter for preservation.  On the back of the picture is the notation property of J. D. Smyrl.  The picture appears in the book Larissa by J. L. Brown and is labeled home of W, F. Thompson, manager of general store of Clapp and Brown.   Since J. D, Smyrl owned or operated a mercantile business in Larissa I suspect he may have bought  the property from Mr. Thompson and either purchased the store or managed it for Clapp and Brown.  Research into the deed records of Cherokee County, Texas is needed.

By 1900 J. D, Smyrl was living in Jacksonville in a Victorian two story house on Hickory Street just west of West side School.  Sometime after his death  his son, E. L, Smyrl and family moved into the home.  The E. L. Smyrl family lived on Baptist Hill before making the move.  My father Herbert Bell Smyrl was born in the Baptist Hill home.  The Baptist Hill home site was later owned by E. L. Smyrl's daughter Mattie Minerva Smyrl MUllins.