In 1882, W.S. Deats purchased land along Dickinson Bayou and helped fund construction of the Dickinson Methodist Church, which also served as the first school. In the mid 1880's, the Dickinson City Cemetery was established after the circuit pastor died suddenly and was buried behind the church. Other church members were also buried there, forming the cemetery. After the 1900 Storm destroyed the church, it was rebuilt two blocks away. The land remained in W.S. Deats' name, and the Deats family became the cemetery's caretakers through the years. The cemetery is still active and contains over 800 gravesites, many of them unmarked.