Kilough monument-mt selmon(near jacksonville)

[JacknTexas]

When I was a kid there was a big pyramid in the woods down the road from Bullard, my home town. It is just out side of Mt Selmon(N of Jacksonville on 69). It was to remember a group of men who were killed in the 1800s by the biggest Indian raid in east Texas history. Many people from east Texas have never even heard of it

It took some looking but we finally found the old monument
Some of the signs showing how to get to it have been stolen.

Here are some internet directions.
1. From the intersection of Highway 69 & Farm/Market (FM) Road 855 go west on FM 855 until you reach FM 3405. There is a sign there (or was at one time) that reads “Kilough Monument” and points to the left.
2. Turn left on FM 3405 and go just about .4 miles to FM 3411.
3. Turn right on FM 3411 and go .6 miles until you reach a road with a green gate with a huge boulder on either side. That is actually FM 3431, but there is no sign there.
4. Turn left and proceed through the gate – the monument and cemetery are at the end of the road.

Here's a link and pics.
http://www.tomatocapital.com/publications/centennial/killoughmassacre.asp

 

[txbanditrydr]

Thanks, Jack.... I go by there frequently and never could find it. I'll have to make a run down there today - 'preciate the directions. Just to clarify... those are COUNTY roads off of FM855 and not FM roads - is that right??

 

[txbanditrydr]

Yeah!!!!..... Finally found it. Turning on the aforementioned County Road, my odo clocks it at .5 miles south of FM 855 - turn right and go exactly 1 mile to the boulders & green gate. FWIW... after the right turn there is a fork in the road at about .2 miles - bear left.

Your pictures did it a lot of justice.... it's currently in real bad shape. Lots of trash, high weeds, broken beer bottles and tore down (up?) fencing. There was another visitor who seemed to know a lot of the history and mentioned that vandals had hit the place a few years ago.

For those who decide to visit be sure to run FM 855 from Mt. Selman to Cuney - sweet little road with decent curve and lots of elevation changes.

 

[JacknTexas]

Glad you found it. And yes those are county roads off 855.

I had to ask some locals how to find it or I never would have. I have lived in Huntsville for past 17 yrs.

It is in pretty bad shape compared to what it used to be. It became a hang out for college kids and high schoolers looking for a remote cool place to drink and hang out. I saw the trash piled up and the high grass. Kinda disheartening.

Anyway. If you live up that way it is a pretty cool thing to see in person.

 

[jrock]

I went there a couple of years ago when some of my Harley buddies took me out there to show me and tell me about it. It was suprisingly ran down and they were visibily upset about that. It's a shame that it is not kept up. There were 2 other guys out there looking at it when we got there.

 

[Back Road Ronnie]

It is a real problem with people tearing that place up. The law trys to check on the place but they cant be there all the time. I think it is one of the best Historical markers around here. Last year I rode my new at that time KLR to all the Historical markers that I could find in Cherokee Co. I need to find out the names of the ones that were not on my list and find them. I like to take pictures of them and my grandson went with me looking for a lot of them. He run off copies of a bunch that had to do with Indians and took them to school for a class project along with some peices of broken pottery that I have found around my place. I live on part of the land that Chief Boles tribe lived on north of Alto.

 

[Hillflea]

I have not been there in a while but it does seem to get a little more trashed as the years go by. When I was in school @ Bullard that was the place to go around halloween All sorts of story went around about what went on down there at night. SPOOKY!! Thanks for reminding me about that place, going to have to make trip over there with my son soon.

 

[JacknTexas]

When I was in school @ Bullard

I went k-12 in bullard, class of '82(man i'm old). My trip to kilough monument was after a short ride over to the flint cemetery where my parents and grandparents are buried.

 

[2Dogs]

It's good to see the home team finally win one.