Henry Wells (1850-1923), one of the earliest settlers of this area, first came to the Nueces Canyon in 1866 and founded the town of Bullhead in 1873; its name was changed to Vance in the mid-1880s. In 1875, C.J. Fowler, a guest in the Wells family home, died and was buried on the family's farm, and the land surrounding his grave became known as Vance Cemetery. Wells often worked as a coffin builder for members of the community. Rancher Z. H. Pannell (1862-1925) donated additional land in 1909 for the cemetery and a church, and the Vance Baptist Church was built in 1917, the same year Wells gave more land to enlarge the cemetery. Along with the graves of Fowler and Wells, the cemetery holds many early pioneers of this area, including six Civil War veterans and veterans of World War I and World War II. Diphtheria and influenza epidemics in the early 20th century claimed many area citizens buried there. The Vance Cemetery Association was organized in 1952 and maintains the graveyard, which remains in use by descendants of the pioneer settlers.