Bethany Cemetery, established in 1887, has changed greatly over the years. The church and school that once stood on the land south of the graves were begun by the families buried there, including early settlers who came to North Texas before the Civil War. The Mathews, Carpenter, and Haggard families from Kentucky became neighbors, friends, and spouses. As the railroad spurred commerce and trade in the area that became downtown Plano, early rural churches and schools consolidated and moved to town. The First Christian Church, begun by members of Plano's founding families, remained along 15th Street, formerly known as Mechanic. In 1955, W. O. Haggard and his wife Rosa donated the rent for land and the Missions gatekeeper, which stood on land north of present-day Vines High School at 15th Street and Stratford, where missionary work and revivals were to be held by the church. Later the land was sold for home development, and the gatekeeper was removed and stored. In 2014, The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. took delivery of the relic, and two Eagle Scout candidates restored it and erected it within Bethany Cemetery. Plano Garden Club, founded in 1947 with civic beautification as a major goal, partnered with The Conservancy to establish hardy plantings at the site of the former church and school, continuing its work enhancing Plano's public spaces with iris, daffodils, wildflowers, and roses.