In 2011 we applied for and received a substantial grant from the Collin County Historical Commission for the purpose of erecting additional fencing along the south and east sides of the cemetery.

We believed, and the Commission agreed, that the fence would greatly help toward the preservation of the cemetery, the memory of the people buried there, and the history of the Empire Community in Collin County. Bear Creek Cemetery is the only physical representation of the original Empire Community that was located west of Nevada.

With this grant and additional donations from families with an interest in this cemetery, we were able to add a 70-foot section along the east side, and a 150-foot section along the south side.

A group of volunteers including nearby land-owners cleared the fence-line prior to the installation.

We hosted a reception at the cemetery on Sunday, April 15, 2012, to celebrate the work on extending the fence and repairing the markers. Read or download the full invitation.

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Collin County Historical Commission signs	New 70-foot Fence Section on East Side
New 150-foot Fence Section on South Side