FRANKLIN, Texas (KRHD) — Owensville Cemetery is now designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery. It honors the legacy of our neighbors resting here and the rich history of our community.
- The Owensville Cemetery is more than 200 years old, dating back to the Civil War era.
- This cemetery was originally segregated, with a fence once separating sections for black and white residents.
- The Owensville Cemetery Association is working to ensure the legacy of this cemetery and the people who rest here are remembered.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Owensville Cemetery has played a significant role in Robertson County's history for more than 200 years.
"A lot of black people have brought culture here that a lot of people don't know about," West Owensville Cemetery Association President Mary Stevens said.
This cemetery was originally segregated, with a fence once separating sections for black and white residents.
"There's a lot of slaves buried on this side, and then you have the predominantly white side, which was a lot of prominent white people at the time before the Civil War," Stevens said.
While time took its toll, some neighbors feared the cemetery would be neglected.
Thankfully, the Owensville Cemetery Association stepped in to preserve it.
15ABC asked Mary Stevens why this cemetery means so much to her.
"I have grandparents that are buried out here, and this cemetery was actually like a forgotten cemetery, I guess you could say."
The Owensville Cemetery Association is working to ensure the legacy of this cemetery and the people who rest here are remembered.
"We're all going to go that way. We all got to be buried. We don't want to be forgotten," Cemetery Coordinator, Robert Cross said.
"If you do away with your history, you don't know what there is to look after," East Owensville Cemetery Association President Jessie Grace said.
Mary Stevens told 5ABC that this cemetery -- containing the graves of veterans and city officials -- deserves to be preserved.
"There's a lot of history here. People should know. I would like for it to be maintained the way it should be better built up."
And Robert Cross told 5ABC that preserving history, even the difficult parts, is vital for understanding who we are and where we came from.
"We're all going to pass away, and history is throughout the country and throughout the world. We reserve the right to protect our history as we live and as we pass away, but history is everything."
