Cemeteries are like open history books whose pages are tablets of stone. Historians consult cemetery records to confirm past events. Sometimes there is no other recorded information about an area except what can be found in cemeteries. Each one provides clues about the people who settled an area.

Cemeteries tell us about the ethnic background of people, their occupations, how long they lived and, sometimes, what caused their deaths. They provide us with insights into cultural practices and beliefs. Some monuments are simple — a slab of wood or a carved piece of concrete with a name and dates scratched in. Others are elaborate sculptures.

Cemeteries are a nonrenewable resource. Their survival is constantly threatened by expanding urban areas, vandalism, removal of headstones, theft of objects such as benches, gates and statuary, neglect and lack of fences to keep cattle from toppling headstones. If not cared for, these reminders of early settlements could be lost forever.

Of the approximately 50,000 historic cemeteries in Texas, the precise location of only a small portion has been recorded. This information is scattered in various sources and is not complete. In some cases only a verbal description gathered by volunteer preservationists exists. Determining the exact location of a cemetery is critical to preservation efforts.

For more information about the Texas Historical Commission's (THC) cemetery program, contact the THC's Cemetery Coordinator.

Read about the cemetery survey program: Record, Investigate, Protect (pdf).

See the cemeteries listed in the National Register of Historic Places.