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Easley Cemetery, Manor, TX

The Easley Cemetery is one that I stumbled on while heading to another cemetery nearby. The cemetery is in a field, just off a country road and was granted historical status in 2007. It is not well maintained, and I would certainly wear long pants and tall socks if walking through. 

The Easley’s came from South Carolina. After marrying Elizabeth Sloan, Samuel settled in Texas in 1852. They were originally intending to live outside of Dallas, but got word of acreage near Austin that was going for a good price. They bought their first tract of land in Williamson county and eventually expanded to over 3,000 acres, several thousand head of livestock, and 50 slaves; family legend has it that the slaves are buried in this same property, though separated from the more Westernized stone markers of the whites buried here.

Sam Easley brought wealth with him to Texas, and continued to grow that wealth during his time here. He built the second cotton gin in Williamson County, in Taylorsville (later, simply Taylor). Possibly, it this same gin, which was photographed during a WPA project.

Here is a historic postcard of the Taylor cotton gin.

Eventually, the family would build a mansion in Taylor, known for its molded round bricks on its porches, and, the placement of "E Pluribus Unum" engraved into the house's stucco.

Sam Easley was in the state legislature, serving one term, from 1874-1876. He sat on agricultural committees as well as the fascinatingly-named committee for Lighting the State House with Gas. I would very much like to read the minutes from this committee.

During the Civil War, Easley volunteered for the Confederacy and was designated a colonel. Towards the end of his life, Easley shifted his party membership away from the Democratic party and to the Prohibition party.

While the families named their land Riverside Plantation, the broader area was known as Crosswell Community -- so named for the river being easily forded (or crossed) nearby.

Family legend has it that Elizabeth is the one who chose the location for the cemetery. Unfortunately, she needed to make this decision soon after the family’s arrival in Texas as her son, Robert Easley, died. And yet, Robert is not listed in the inventory of cemetery markers.

This cemetery seems to have a lot of opportunity for additional research. The family blog post I used for some references cite that the Sloan and Easley families bought land from an African-American landholder – which is possible. But legend also holds that that man was one of the original 300 families in Austin’s Colony – which is not possible. The first 300 families were very clearly selected for being land-owners, monied, and thus (for the time) white. The family legend also indicates that slaves were buried elsewhere in the cemetery and left unmarked, but some of the larger stones in the cemetery appear to belong to African-Americans, at least according to census data.

Up to 32 members of the Easley and Sloan families are buried in this plot – primarily Easleys. According to family legend, some Sloans have decided to not continue the family tradition after the grave of one of their kin was disturbed in the 1960s.

The stone for Essex Earl and wife Violet is one of the fancier old markers in the cemetery. Essex appears to have been one of a set of twins, with the twin named Essie

One of the more interesting markers in the cemetery is for Melvina Johnson. The mold on this stone is heavy and lovely, though also potentially damaging.

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Sources

http://www.williamson-county-historical-commission.org/Jonah_Texas/Easley-Sloan_Historic_Texas_Cemetery_Marker_Dedication.html

https://lrl.texas.gov/mobile/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=5321

 https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fea19http://www.texasagriculture.gov/NewsEvents/FamilyLandHeritage.aspx

http://files.usgwarchives.net/sc/pickens/cemeteries/p170.txt

https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/txglo/00053/glo-00053.htmlhttp://files.usgwarchives.net/sc/pickens/cemeteries/p170.txt

https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Texas/Myrtle-Lee-Williams_5h64kp

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/myrtle-williams-obituary?pid=16565055

https://taylorpress.net/news/article_c0f1f5aa-fcec-11df-acf7-001cc4c002e0.html

https://www.loc.gov/item/2017784825/http://www.texasescapes.com/Cotton/Cotton-Gins-In-Texas-3.htm

[remainstobeseencemeteries]

Salty Cemetery (TX): the place for people with attitude!

Salty, Texas (also known as Salty Creek, Texas) is now a ghost town about 10 miles from Rockdale, TX (Milam County).

Salty was founded in the 1860s and operated as a town with municipal services – a post office through 1909 and independent schools through 1949, when the three segregated schools were consolidated into the larger neighboring community of Thorndale.

Salty was so named because of saline deposits that formed after flooding on the banks of the nearby creek – Salty Creek.

That the community prospered at all was possible due to the railroad intersection nearby in Rockdale, circa 1873. The greater area developed around lignite coal deposits mined for nearly 100 years, from the late 19th century through the 1970s. The area also featured oil deposits, first found in the 1920s. During the Korean War, the area was again of industrial interest given its aluminum deposits, which were appealing for ongoing manufacturing of airplanes. Alcoa has dominated the area; it’s Rockdale smelter was Alcoa’s largest aluminum smelter in the world through its closure (first round of layoffs in 2008, with a full closure announced in 2017). While having been a reliable employer for decades, Alcoa is also known in the region for its long-term environmental impacts on the land and the water. The region is known for its unusually high concentration of water, including multiple lakes (nearly 2,000 acres in all) and its much coveted aquifer, spanning 44,000 acres.

The cemetery is adjacent to this classic country church structure, built in 1871.

A historical marker sits in front of the church. The extended Caffey family is interred at this cemetery. Of note from the Caffey family is Lee Roy Caffey aged 52 (d 1994). Lee Roy was an NFL linebacker who played for the Eagles, Bears, Cowboys, Chargers, and Packers. Also of note (to me) is Garland (d 1993), who ran the local domino hall.

There are not many markers of great interest. Some Woodsman stones, which are always interesting.

And only 3 homemade markers that I could find – including one sculpture made of horseshoes.

The historical marker at the cemetery indicates that “violence erupted in the area in 1880s over barbed wire fencing.” I couldn’t find historical records detailing the specific incidents in Salty, but, this timing does align with the installation of barbed wire across the prairie land of the nation as a whole. These Fence-Cutting Wars were particularly strong in Texas for two reasons:

Barbed wire indicated a cultural shift over property ownership; and,

Texas experienced a severe drought in 1883, which means that access to watering holes and to thriving grasslands became particularly important.

Barbed wire was created in the 1870s, just a few decades after Texas re-entered the Union. Before the Civil War, Texas (and other states largely founded on the premise of small private land ownership surrounded by vast areas of public lands), people were free to use large swaths of unsettled land for shared use; in the late 19th century, the largest need would have been running cattle. Many had assumed that this arrangement would continue after Texas rejoined the Union. However, barbed wire physically changed individual access to these unsettled lands – barbed water restricted access to water and grasses. And, barbed wire was used by the wealthy (who could afford barbed wire) to fence off land they did not own in a (successful) attempt to legally claim it essentially through squatting.

Those opposed to this new version of the have’s and have-not’s organized themselves into localized militias of “fence cutting” groups. These groups were protected by armed guards and by local support, but not by state or federal law. These “fence cutting” events were sources of shoot-outs, arrests, and trials.

Some interpret the Fence Cutting Wars as a last attempt to maintain open ranges in the nation – as a last attempt to sustain a dying way of life (running cattle). However, running cattle was really a relatively new, and relatively isolated, profession. It is more likely that the Fence Cutting Wars were an expression of anger towards organized and legislated support for the wealthy to expand their wealth at the expense of public good.

Salty celebrated its Centennial in 1971.

Sources:

http://www.texasescapes.com/CentralTexasTownsSouth/Rockdale-Texas.htm

https://bridgehunter.com/tx/williamson/bh75037/

http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/milam/history/pg016.htm

https://ccserving.com/www/mcinfo/history/markers/markerPage51.html

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2001-07-27/82490/

https://www.texasobserver.org/290-smoke-and-water-alcoa-has-fouled-the-skies-over-central-texas-for-nearly-fifty-years-now-it-wants-more-coal-more-water-and-more-air/

http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/milam/cemeteries/salty.txt

http://www.lksfriday.com/MILAM/milam-087.htm

http://www.lksfriday.com/MILAM/milam-975cab.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Roy_Caffey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fence_Cutting_Wars

[remainstobeseencemeteries]

The grave of Andreas von Zirngibl: smallest cemetery in Chicago

Nestled in an industrial scrapyard, beyond some unused train tracks, is the smallest cemetery in Chicago. At about 100 square feet, the cemetery is the final resting place for one individual – Andreas von Zirngibl – a former fisherman with a contested history.

Von Zirngibl was born in Bavaria in 1797. At the age of 18, he was in the Prussian army at Waterloo, where he helped contribute to the downfall of Napoleon.

Any bio of Von Zirngibl is quick to mention that von Zirngibl lost an arm at the battle. (In fact, his original grave marker -- the wooden cross -- included the inscription that von Zirngibl was a “one-armed veteran of the Battle of Waterloo”; later versions of the marker drop the reference to the lost arm.)

After Waterloo, von Zirngibl returned to Bavaria to work as a fisherman along the Danube. There, he also started his family by raising 5 children with his wife.

At the age of 57, von Zirngibl and family moved to Chicago. In 1854, the city had a population of 50,000. And this is where his story becomes a mixture of fact and legend. It is said that he bought a 40-acre plot of land on the south side of the city for $160, which he paid for in gold. The 40-acre plot is along the Calumet River and the land includes where his final resting place is today.

He continued fishing along the Calumet and was famed for landing sturgeon and other fish upwards of 100 pounds, despite having only one arm.

Within a year of arriving in Chicago, von Zirngibl caught a fever and died in late August, 1955.

Family legend indicates that his last wish was to be buried on his homestead. And so, he was laid to rest in a small plot enclosed by a white picket fence. (Some sources indicate that this area was already a burial ground, with dozens or hundreds of Native American remains found throughout.)

(Photo circa 1940)

The Zirngibls (dropping the “von”) moved to the north side of the city, but continued to visit the marker and maintain the grave. As they returned to the site over the years, they surely noticed the dramatic changes in the city itself, including the uptick in commercial activity in the area of the gravesite. In fact, by the 1890s, the 40-acre parcel of land, now owned by Calumet 7 Chicago Canal and Dock Company, was valued at about $1M.

In 1895, the Zirngibl family brought suit to reclaim the land. When asked to present records of their purchase of the land, the Zirngibls indicated that their deed and accompanying paperwork was lost in the Great Fire of 1871. Meanwhile, the canal company accused the family of having been squatters, and thus did not have legal title to the land.

The suit was settled in the same year, with the Illinois Supreme Court deciding that the canal company owned the land. The predominant factor in the ruling was that the family had exceeded any reasonable time frame in laying claim – in fact, filing suit only after the land became valuable. The judge awarded the land to the canal company, but ensured that von Zirngibl’s remains could stay where they were, and that the canal company would be required to grant access to the grave to family in perpetuity.

Before any reader gets too outraged at yet another story of the small man being ripped off by the big company, consider that large portions of this story are unable to be documented except by oral legend. In fact, every article about the gravesite contains recycled language from previous articles, with only  the 4 sources included below containing unique information. According to Red Sellers, a local historian, von Zirngibl was probably a squatter as that would have been appropriate and expected for the era, for that profession, and for that portion of the city.

The grave continues to live peacefully within the scrapyard, with the owners prepared to escort visitors safely to the site. One will notice that the grave looks considerably different from the 1940 photo, which included a white picket fence and a wooden marker.

In 1987, the Southeast Historical Society worked with the Zirngibl family to restore the gravesite, removing the white picket fence and installing some concrete blocks to serve as a barrier against heavy machinery. The original grave marker – the wooden cross – is in the hands of family; von Zirngibl’s great great grandson in Wisconsin is its current custodian.

(Photo from Flickr, no attribution; probably between 1987-1999, as this appears to be the first stone marker.)

In 1999, the gravestone was crushed by heavy machinery. The scrap metal company that caused the damaged replaced the marker and increased the number of giant blocks serving as a barricade around the tomb.

Photo from Flickr, without attribution on the site. Probably around early 2000s as it appears to be the post-1999 marker.

(Note that the battle of waterloo actually occurred in 1815.)

https://chicagohistorytoday.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/chicagos-smallest-cemetery-von-zirngibl-grave/

http://livinghistoryofillinois.com/pdf_files/Chicagos%20Smallest%20Cemetery,%20the%20Andreas%20Von%20Zirngibl%20Gravesite.pdf

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-05-31/features/9905310107_1_von-grave-site-lake-michigan

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160620/portage-park/great-great-grandson-still-has-piece-of-tiny-secret-chicago-gravesite/

[remainstobeseencemeteries]

Fiskville Cemetery (Austin, TX)

Historically, Fiskville was a small settlement just north of Austin. Named for Josiah Fiske, Fiskville began as a private farm awarded through a land grant for Fiske’s service in the Battle of San Jacinto. Eventually, the town of Fiskville, about 5 miles north of downtown Austin, would have as many as 150 people living along the Little Walnut Creek.

An urban cemetery in north Austin, this graveyard is full of a mix of historic family names and folk art markers, which suggests of mixing of economic classes over time. Meaning, it is located in what were once some of the founding properties of land-holding settlers; now, located off of Rundberg, it is in the middle of a low-income, high-crime neighborhood, but still accepts burials from people in the area. This combination of changed economic conditions results in an interesting mix of the records of Austin citizens, and also, an interesting compilation of different types of burial markers.

The cemetery is large enough that it includes some standard markers, including Tree of Life.

The cemetery is fenced in and surrounded by apartment buildings in Georgian Acres (Rundberg/I35). Despite this setting, it is restful and quiet, albeit slightly unnerving to be there alone – not because of its being a cemetery, but because of mortals transients, and the lack of multiple entrances/exits. It is one of the few cemeteries I have visited, anywhere, where I felt acutely aware of my surroundings at all times.

Fiskville Cemetery is now in a run-down neighborhood and has been the site of considerable vandalism. Often, this vandalism is reflected in stones being knocked over.

However, Fiskville is also the site of one theft of human remains.

In response to the vandalism, a neighborhood non-profit has been formed to maintain the cemetery. In fact, on my first visit here, a representative of the non-profit was on site and came over to greet me and answer any questions I might have. The group appears to have a very active presence in the cemetery, with clean-ups scheduled monthly.

This non-profit is also working to document each grave site on the property. Records are incomplete, and the work is slow. Until then, there are many graves marked as unknown.

Despite some of these sadder elements, Fiskville Cemetery has a particularly fine collection of folk art markers. In fact, I haven’t found a greater display of homemade markers inside the Austin city limits – particularly within a cemetery that also serves as the resting place for families of means.

Many of the stones are home-made, concrete-versions of granite markers. These low-cost headstones involve pouring concrete into a mold of choice, and then decorating the concrete while still wet.

On the below, note the edits made to the stone to the left of the birth and death dates.

Moving away from simple etched concrete, Fiskville Cemetery also has innovative folk art markers.

 Mollie Dunson, buried at the above marker, had married into the Blanton family in 1886. Just five months after the marriage, she committed suicide. A local paper (Austin Daily Statesman, 1887) covered the story:

ENDED HER OWN LIFE - Information was brought to the city last evening to the effect that a lady had shot and killed herself on Walnut Creek just beyond the Giles BURDETT farm nort-east of the city. Justice TEAGER was notified and summoned a jury of inquest to go out and investigate the case. The justice did not return that night until too late to obtain full details of the sad occurence. The meager statements at hand are to the effect that Mrs. DUNSTAN (sic) . . .was the unfortunate victim of self destruction. She stood, it is said, in the doorway of her residence, placed the muzzle of a pistol under her chin and fired the fatal shot, the ball crashing upward and into the brain. No cause is at this time known for the awful deed. The domestic relations are said by those who know to be pleasant, and it is surmised that the suicide was commited while Mrs.DUNSTON was laboring under a temporary attack of insanity.

Her grave is still buried facing East, which suggests that the church which buried her prioritized insanity over method (in other words, her suicide did not exclude her from a Christian burial, which was relatively common).

Side note: also buried in this cemetery is Melvin Alfred Tabers (1925-2005), who is apparently the grandfather of Anna Nicole Smith.

More on historic Fiskville:

Most of the residents were farmers, though Fiskvillewere also was home to a post office, general store, blacksmith, cotton gin, and stagecoach stop. Some family names from the town’s history include Fisk, Kramer, Neans, Zimmerman, Corzine (alternate spelling Cazine), and Payton -- all names that will be familiar to Austinites.

According to the North Austin Civic Association (NACA):

Fiskville was a popular destination in the later years of the nineteenth century for Austin residents wishing to spend a day or an evening in the country. . .[A] bicycle club made frequent excusrions to Fiskville by moonlight. E.W. Haller’s peach orchard, which occupied the area west of the Payton Gin and Lamar intersection until 1898, must have added considerable charm to Fiskville.

The neighborhood that has since been built on this historic settlement includes one of the three oldest buildings in all of Austin. According to the North Austin Civic Association:

The house at 9019 Parkfield was built by Edward Zimmerman in 1854, only the French Legation and a log house built in 1847 are older. . .[H]e sold the house in 1856 and built a larger stone home which now contains the offices of the Settlement Home at 1600 Payton Gin Rd. It is said that Zimmerman’s wife, Regina, had to fight off a marauding bear on the back porch of this house.

Fiskville was only annexed into the City of Austin in the 1960s and 1970s.

http://www.naca-austin.org/history/

http://www.historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HMH6R_fiskville_Austin-TX.html

https://www.glassdoor.com/Photos/Settlement-Home-for-Children-Office-Photos-IMG871678.htm

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Merrilltown Cemetery (Austin, TX)

About the Cemetery

This is a very unassuming cemetery, in an unattractive location. Next to a warehouse-construction church, and facing the access lanes to a toll road, the cemetery is not peaceful and has very little shade.

The oldest marked grave dates to 1852 and is the marker for Julia Merrell, the daughter of Nelson and Rachel.

Also buried here is Lemuel Summerwell Woodward, which makes this cemetery the resting place for two former Travis County Commissioners.

Notable in this cemetery are stylistic elements, like curbing. Also, several obelisks, and one Woodmen of the World marker, and one IOOF marker.

Merrilltown Cemetery is now under the care of the Calvary Worship Center, which is located adjacent to the grounds.

Signs of contemporary mourners, with their memories of those interred.

History of Merrilltown and Captain Nelson Merrell

Merrilltown Cemetery is in the Texas ghost town of Merrilltown, located near Brushy Creek, just over 10 miles north of downtown Austin, and shy of Highway 45 in Round Rock. Founded in 1837, the town was eventually named for Captain Nelson Merrell, who moved there with his wife, Rachael McKennan, in 1846.

The year Austin was named the capital of the Republic of Texas, 1839, Merrell was already a leader in the community -- training land-owning locals to serve in a militia, focused on defending private land, and the city at large, from surrounding Tonkawa and Comanche. He was named a Captain of the Republic of Texas and is recognized as an official Texas Ranger.

By 1859, Merrilltown was a significant town in central Texas. Despite having only 35 residents, it operated its own school and was warranted a post office (Merrell was postmaster). As Merrilltown became a stagecoach stop, the town opened a hotel, had its own cotton gin and gristmill (and a debating society!), and grew to have 100 residents by the 1890s. (By comparison, Travis County as a whole had about 8,000 residents.)

A fire in the early 20th century (no exact date found yet) destroyed most of the properties in Merrilltown. The fire started at the general store, and quickly spread to all of the houses in the town proper. Only five houses remained standing, and they were all on small farms, outside of the concentrated “downtown.” The railroad-owned buildings survived, and were eventually moved off-site, though I cannot yet find any records of where. The death of Merrilltown was finalized when the school merged with area districts (Round Rock and Pflugerville) in 1949.

Merrell left the community to serve in the Civil War. When he returned, he and his second wife built a stone house on a plantation east of Merrilltown. They contracted Antria Smith (a stonemason) to build him a two-story stone house, topped by a cupola. This Greek Revival home (1518 E Palm Valley Rd) is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. Merrell’s second wife, Martha, and/or her descendants lived in the house until 1966.

Merrilltown and Brooms

Merrilltown settlers were prepared to grow cotton in town, but the soil did not agree. So, they switched to broom corn. Bales of threshed broom corn were sold to the Round Rock Broom Factory, founded in 1876. The Round Rock Broom Factory was recognized for producing quality household brooms – even earning a Gold Medal at the 1904 St. Louis Fair. The broom factory, one of the largest employers in town, eventually relocated to the limestone building at 100 E Main (Round Rock) from 1900-1911. The company operated from 1876 until the early 1970s.

The structure at 100 E Main is considered the oldest of Round Rock’s large native stone structures. The limestone was quarried from the banks of Brushy Creek. In addition to the broom company, the building has also housed a general store, furniture store, school, skating rink, and an automotive repair shop. It is now a Texas Historic Landmark.

·        http://www.austintxgensoc.org/cemeteries/merrilltown-cemetery/

·        http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasHillCountryTowns/Merrilltown-Texas.htm

·        http://www.historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HMSS0_merrilltown-cemetery_Austin-TX.html

·        https://atlas.thc.texas.gov/Details/5491009035

·        https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofroundrock/8678034349

·        http://www.williamson-county-historical-commission.org/Brooms_and_White_Lime_round_rock_texas.htm

·        http://www.williamson-county-historical-commission.org/Round_rock/old_broom_factory_building_round_rock_texas.html

·        http://wellsbranchmud.com/homestead-timeline

·        https://www.facebook.com/wellsbranchhomestead/

·        http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Photograph:%20tx0355&fi=number&op=PHRASE&va=exact&co%20=hh&st=gallery&sg%20=%20true

·        https://books.google.com/books?id=u7Q1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA2060&dq=merrilltown+railroad+building&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_suGdmKnTAhVJ4IMKHVXjDx0Q6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=merrilltown%20railroad%20building&f=false

[remainstobeseencemeteries]

Bratton Cemetery (Austin, TX)

John Bratton (1812-1855) was born in Kentucky, with family roots dating back to the 1600s in Ireland. Bratton moved to central Texas in 1834. He purchased land in the Merrilltown community, in what is now NW Austin / SW Round Rock. Bratton’s property included one acre of which was designated as a family cemetery. In his will, Bratton indicated that this cemetery acre should never be sold. But, the request wasn’t recognized as legal until 1885, when the next property owners (Michael and Rachel Studer) deeded the cemetery to the Merrilltown community.

There are over 100 graves here -- of both family and friends. Half of the graves have markers, and the other half are noted simply by fieldstones – which makes this a fairly classic example of a Texas pioneer cemetery.

The earliest burial is 1847.

The cemetery is fenced in between an apartment complex (seen in the background) and a convenience store / gas station. It is alongside a busy toll road. One copse of trees serves as for people, whether transient or from the apartment complex.

http://www.williamson-county-historical-commission.org/Round_rock/Bratton_Cemetery_and_Historical_Marker_Round_Rock_Williamson_County_Texas.html

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Brown Cemetery (Austin, TX)

Brown Cemetery is a family plot in a lovely setting. Nestled between busy Bee Caves Road and some quiet apartment buildings, the plot is a slightly overgrown field of respite on the west side of the city, near Loop 360.

Parking at the apartment complex, a visitor is greeted by this well-maintained gate.

Behind the gate is a large plot of central Texas prairie – complete with gobs of wild onion.

The cemetery itself houses a mix of commercial stones and hand-made markers.

The simplicity of this personalizing touch took my breath away.

Some of the more interesting personalized memorials include this agave-decorated plot dedicated to a couple. Their marker appears to be made out of kitchen countertop surface.

This grave was bordered by cement stones, and when they were one short, they grabbed a block of glazed brick.

Henry

Wendy

Of course, some residents have only their funeral service markers, though they are often personalized, as well.

About 40 graves are included in the cemetery.

Brown Cemetery can be found at 708 Castle Ridge Road, 78746.

http://www.austintxgensoc.org/cemeteries/brown-cemetery/

https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/http%22//fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40104790

https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/http%22//fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=39970564

https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/http%22//fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=39970427

https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/http%22//fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=39970448

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Burdett’s Prairie Cemetery

(aka Burditt Prairie Cemetery, Montopolis Cemetery)

Visited today, this Austin (TX) cemetery is very underwhelming. It is overgrown and blighted by illegally dumped garbage. Also, because of the soil, many of the markers are tipped over, if not missing altogether. However, with just a little bit of historical background, this cemetery becomes one of the more interesting places within greater Austin

Burdett Prairie Cemetery is located in Montopolis. There were two parts of town settled and referred to as “Montopolis” – one north of the river, and one south. The settlement on the north side of the river is older; however, contemporary residents will today refer to the south-side settlement as “Montopolis.” Contemporary Montopolis is considered to be a part of Austin, but the original was once its own town, pre-dating the cities of Waterloo and of Austin, and, once seriously considered for the capital of the Republic of Texas.

Those buried in this cemetery were one-time slaves from the Burditt Plantation. After the Civil War, Jesse Burditt deeded this portion of land to be a freedman’s burial ground for his former slaves. In fact, the entire south-side-of-the-river “Montopolis” became a freedmen community – one of 15 such communities outside of Austin in the 1860s. These communities remained independent communities until 1928, when the City of Austin enacted a master plan that encouraged black citizens to move back into town, though in a single, segregated area.

The Burditt family are among the earliest Anglo settlers in Travis County. After having served in the Battle of San Jacinto, Jesse Burditt ran the cotton plantation; his son (Jesse Jr.) married Sarah Hornsby, the daughter of Reuben Hornsby, one of Stephen F. Austin’s earliest colonists; the Burditt’s settled just across the river from Hornsby’s land, known as Hornsby Bend.

Burdett Prairie Cemetery is the resting place for nearly 200 graves – most of which are post-1950s. In the 1950s, the Montopolis area was known as “poverty island.” Austin continued to grow segregated by geography – with most everything east of I-35 being dominated by people of color and/or the poor, as compared to the white-dominated downtown and western areas.

Among those buried here is Teodar Jackson, a blues recording artist (fiddle) who played with Mance Lipscomb and others. Teodar was an African-American blues musician in Texas during segregation and had never played for white audiences, until he was recorded by a UT folklorist named Tary Owens.

 Teodar has connections to other famous Austin musicians, largely through his collaborations with Tary Owens. In fact, when Jackson became sick, Owens organized a fund-raiser for his medical bills; the fundraiser featured Janis Joplin, 13th Floor Elevators, Mance Lipscomb, Ken Threadgill, and others.

 Austin began annexing Montopolis in the early 1950s – a trend that continues today, as evidenced by the glaring mix of gentrified condos (priced at over $250K) taking up the views of those long-term residents in shotgun houses who will likely be soon priced out of their homes due to increased property taxes.

 One sign of the battle around gentrification is the increased attention paid to a structure nearby the cemetery – the former “Montopolis Negro School.” Founded in 1891 in another location, the original structure was destroyed by a storm in 1935, leading to its relocation in Montopolis later that same year (1935). The building is a repurposed army barrack from the former Camp Swift. The building functioned as a school for African American students until 1962, when desegregation allowed the students to join other schools within the metropolitan area; it is one of 42 structures with such a designation in Travis Country, though I am unclear of how many still stand.

The structure stands today, though it was recently purchased by a developer who also holds a demolition permit for the property. Development plans indicate that the current owner had planned to raze the building in order to add 15 single-family homes on the lot; community activists have slowed this effort while also raising awareness of the significance of the structure. Its fate remains uncertain; the lot is staked as if for development, but the owner has stated publicly that his plans for build the houses are on hold now that he is aware of the significance of the structure.

Primary:

http://www.austintxgensoc.org/cemeteries/burdett-prairie-cemetery/

https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fow14

http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.special.southern-20--20-plantations/322.1/mb.ashx

http://patch.com/texas/southaustin/community-activists-demand-preservation-structure-once-housing-montopolis-negro

http://abc27.com/2016/12/03/historic-montopolis-negro-school-faces-demolition/

http://www.mystatesman.com/lifestyles/montopolis-tale-two-towns/3VjlILpuKXrdUGTDBb09VJ/

http://www.mystatesman.com/entertainment/studying-rural-african-american-schools-travis-county/i8mFhFWCdSae07HUAkFstM/

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2016-01-08/we-re-still-here/

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254216/m1/19/

http://www.austintxgensoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/2004.3.pdf

 Other:

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2WYRQ_texas-spirit-quest-47-burdett-prairie-cemetery?guid=855ae89c-cd96-4f6f-b24b-43fd96ef8ee1

https://books.google.com/books/about/And_Grace_Will_Lead_Me_Home.html?id=1cNfyy2btpQC

http://kut.org/post/some-fight-preserve-east-austin-history-extends-underground

Teodar Jackson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCOwoz91FBM

https://soundcloud.com/mark-rubin/blues-come-to-texas

http://www.texaspsychedelicrock.com/2012/08/13thFloorElevators.html

[remainstobeseencemeteries]

Preece Cemetery (Austin, TX)

This peaceful cemetery is nestled along historic Bull Creek, in west Austin (Texas). The cemetery itself is not large, with only a few dozen markers. But the markers display an interesting range of styles – pioneer-era stones, early military graves, contemporary markers, and some of the most beautiful folk art stones I have yet to encounter.

Beyond being aesthetically charming, this cemetery is also historically significant. It is the family resting place for one of the earliest Anglo families in central Texas.

The Preece family were among the first Anglo settlers of western Austin – what would have been considered riskier, less-settled territory at the time. They came to the area in 1838, when it was still dominated by Comanche; the Preeces claimed about 3,000 acres of proto-Hill Country as their own.

The area known as “Bull Creek” is so named, according to family lore, because it is where one of the Preece men killed a male bison; some versions of the story indicate that it was the last male bison in central Texas.

The earliest marker in the cemetery I could find was dated 1885. The Preece in the above marker was born in 1875 (d 1944). This marker commemorates his service in the Spanish American War. Because he was in the first Texas Cavalry, he would have been one of Teddy Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders.” This Richard Preece would have been the son the first Preece couple to move to Central Texas. In additional to federal military service, the Preece men also have a history of serving as Texas Rangers, largely warring against Comanche.

The Preeces were Unionists, and, some caves running along Bull Creek on their property were used by Union loyalists for hiding during the Civil War.

A brief series of headstones in Preece Cemetery feature lovely folk art decoration of broken class embedded into concrete. Unfortunately, all of the markers with this decoration style had lost their nameplates, so it was not clear which family members they were marking. The glass, particularly at sunset, was eye-catching.

In addition to valuing cemeteries for their historical significance, I also enjoy the personal expression available through tombstones. This can be through the tastes of the decedent (like with the folk art variants above), or, through the tastes of the ones left behind.

Here, someone is clearly continuing to celebrate Christmas with their loved one, which may or may not have been the choice of the deceased. In this way, cemeteries are places to commemorate a person, based on their own view of themselves. And also, a place to commemorate the survivor’s memory of the deceased.

The cemetery has only a small number of contemporary, laser-etched markers, as represented by the below, making this cemetery -- though small -- a good record of a wide array of markers.

The gates to Preece Cemetery - decorated for Christmas.

https://billiongraves.com/cemetery/Preece-Cemetery/103538#/

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/42360120

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=44693115

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/02338/cah-02338.html

http://www.hillcountryexplorer.com/Locations/ShowLocation.aspx?LocationID=2021

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22My+grandfather%2C+dick+preece%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Creek_(Texas)

http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=2184&p=localities.northam.usa.states.kentucky.counties.pike

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?n=donnie-ray-cowan&pid=1592112