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As the oldest public cemetery in Waco, First Street Cemetery is the resting place for members of Waco's early and diverse community. Burials include veterans, Masons, Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the World, Knights and Daughters of Tabor and Court of Calanthe. On April 16, 1852, George W. Edwards conveyed five acres of a tract acquired from Jacob de Cordova to the citizens of Waco for a graveyard. Additional acreage was conveyed to the city from the Fraternity of Bosque Lodge No. 92 and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Fences were never erected to establish a set boundary and accurate burials records were not kept. In the 1890s, burials were dug in tiers which resulted in the disturbance of previous burials. In 1968, after years of neglect, the Waco city council voted to relocate graves and/or markers in the lower terrace of the cemetery to the upper terrace. The lower terrace became a recreational campground known as Fort Fisher Park. In 2000, the campground was closed. In 2007, construction on the Texas Ranger Company "F" Headquarters and Education Center began in the lower terrace. During the construction, remains were discovered indicating that only headstones were relocated in 1968. Remains excavated between 2007 and 2010 were reinterred at Rosemound Cemetery. To eliminate future disturbances of remains at First Street Cemetery, the city council rededicated the cemetery on December 7, 2010. The cemetery is designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery and as a State Antiquities Landmark. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2011 |
