The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. today announced the release of the book "Plano's Historic Cemeteries."

"This book gives us the opportunity to tell the story of many of the beautiful and fascinating cemeteries in this area, all of which are rich in history and have many intriguing stories associated with them," said The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. Co-Director Russell C. Kissick.  "Through this book, our team was able to capture and record many little-known and well-known details about some of our area's cemeteries and to provide additional insightful information about the history of Plano and the surrounding areas."

The book was authored by Jeffrey Campbell of McKinney, Candace Fountoulakis of Plano and Kirby Stokes of Allen for The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. The book was published by Arcadia Publishing.

"Plano's Historic Cemeteries" is available via www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and at select area retailers.

 Books will be available for purchase at a special book signing event on October 25 at 2 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble located at 2201 Preston Road in Plano.  (northwest corner of Park & Preston)

From the publisher:

The cemeteries of Plano are celebrated in a stunning pictorial book commemorating the unique history. "Plano’s Historic Cemeteries" is the newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series by the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. The book showcases more than 200 images of the town’s cemeteries. 

Highlights from "Plano’s Historic Cemeteries" include:

• Touching stories of the area's first pioneer settlers.
• The Majority of the images have been donated by private collections housed in Plano’s Public Libraries.
• Showcases how cemeteries are affected and can benefit from urbanization.

• Connections to current families and family farms and businesses.

• Highlights community efforts of coming together to achieve goals.

The Plano of today would not be recognizable to the pioneers who settled this section of the blackland prairie. Arriving in the early 1840s, these colonists from Tennessee and Kentucky were captivated by Sam Houston’s stump speeches about the rich, fertile farmland of North Texas. All of their frontier cemeteries, large and small, are now surrounded by golf courses, subdivisions, and commercial development. The final resting places of Plano’s pioneers still exist because of the hard work of cemetery associations, civic groups, concerned citizens, the City of Plano Parks Department, and the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation. These silent spaces hold a wealth of history that helps tell the story of Plano’s beginnings as a rural farming community.

The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation has been zealous in its years of service, preserving the history and heritage of Plano, Texas. The conservancy has made cemetery preservation a cornerstone of its work. Images of America: Plano’s Historic Cemeteries features images from the conservancy’s expansive archives, along with the City of Plano’s Haggard Library and other local collections.

Jeffrey C. Campbell is the co-director for the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. He has a degree in heritage resources with a concentration in historic preservation from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He has worked on historic preservation projects in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. He is also a published folk poet and writes a column for Stephen F. Austin State University's Center for Regional Heritage Research. He lives in McKinney, Texas, with his wife.

Candace Fountoulakis is a long-time volunteer within Plano with a focus on historic cemeteries. A native of Nebraska, Candace “came to Texas as fast as she could” and lives in Plano with her husband Mike and Cairn terrier Koa. A member of the Plano Garden Club, Candace collects old varieties of iris and enjoys antique roses and native plants of Texas. She serves on the board of The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. as well as the Young Family Cemetery Association and Plano Old City Cemetery Association.

Kirby Stokes is a student at the University of Texas at Dallas pursuing her graduate degree in history. She was raised in north Dallas and currently resides in Allen, Texas. She lives with her wonderful husband Alex Lindsey and their rambunctious dog Marley.

About the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc.:
The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc., a Texas corporation 501 (c)(3) non-profit, is an organization dedicated to promote civic pride in the past, to increase preservation awareness through education and public outreach, and to provide financial assistance to protect and preserve our heritage resources for this and future generations. For more information, please visit www.planoconservancy.org or call 972-941-2117.