3 replies to this topic

[djold1]

This post was triggered by Saturday's article in the StartleGram concerning a grave that has apparently turned up by a developer in the in the Mosier Valley area east of Fort Worth. The grave was outside the Mosier Valley cemetery area a little ways. There seems to be the possibility of more of these burials being found in the same area.

ST article

And it relates to something I had heard while I was working as a volunteer on Oct 14th at the Oakwood Cemetery Tour. As most of you know Oakwood is one of othe oldest and most historic places in Tarrant County and actually combines Oakwood with Calvary Cemetery which is Catholic and Trinity Cemetery which has been historically a Black cemetery.

Oakwood Tour Link

During the Tour a number of people were discussing the changes that are eventually coming with the Trinity River Vision project. Oakwood Cemetery will not be in the TRV but is right at the top of the district line and will overlook the entire area. The views from the area, some of which are already stunning, will probably be terrific once the TRV is developed.

As most of you know, property is already changing hands in the TRV area with some cleanup and some apparently unavoidable demolition going on.

During the Tour I heard some discussion about the possibility of some very old burials existing outside the Oakwood property in the same way that there may be some at Mosier Valley. The area in question is just north of the Oakwood enclosure. There may be some commercial structures there.

Oakwood Map

If the legend of those burials north of Oakwood is true, then they are right in the path of TRV development. If they exist, then obviously they should at least be idenitified and re-interred elsewhere.

My question is: Are there state or local laws concerning the way that suspect historic burial areas like this are protected from random destruction are are their existing regulation as to how developers must proceed? Is an archeological survey required?

On a related subject, I guess my awareness has been very low, but I cannot understand why investigative surveys have not been required during the development and redevelopment of the oldest parts of Fort Worth downtown and along Samuels and Bluff and in that area. From hints that have been dropped in this forum, lots of stuff has been turned up, but not really looked at in a professional way.

I am wondering why our city/county govenment does not have guidelines and regulations about this kind of thing..

Pete Charlton

[RogerH]

I don't have specific information regarding state law about burials. However, it is my understanding that many old cemeteries have graves outside the marked boundaries. In some areas, where they did not have a cemetery of their own, African-Americans were buried outside the "white" cemetery. Also, since most old cemeteries were either adjacent to, or connected with, a church, it was sometimes the custom to bury people of less than admirable character outside the church's cemetery.

[dannygirl]

This post was triggered by Saturday's article in the StartleGram concerning a grave that has apparently turned up by a developer in the in the Mosier Valley area east of Fort Worth. The grave was outside the Mosier Valley cemetery area a little ways. There seems to be the possibility of more of these burials being found in the same area.

ST article

And it relates to something I had heard while I was working as a volunteer on Oct 14th at the Oakwood Cemetery Tour. As most of you know Oakwood is one of othe oldest and most historic places in Tarrant County and actually combines Oakwood with Calvary Cemetery which is Catholic and Trinity Cemetery which has been historically a Black cemetery.

Oakwood Tour Link

During the Tour a number of people were discussing the changes that are eventually coming with the Trinity River Vision project. Oakwood Cemetery will not be in the TRV but is right at the top of the district line and will overlook the entire area. The views from the area, some of which are already stunning, will probably be terrific once the TRV is developed.

As most of you know, property is already changing hands in the TRV area with some cleanup and some apparently unavoidable demolition going on.

During the Tour I heard some discussion about the possibility of some very old burials existing outside the Oakwood property in the same way that there may be some at Mosier Valley. The area in question is just north of the Oakwood enclosure. There may be some commercial structures there.

Oakwood Map

If the legend of those burials north of Oakwood is true, then they are right in the path of TRV development. If they exist, then obviously they should at least be idenitified and re-interred elsewhere.

My question is: Are there state or local laws concerning the way that suspect historic burial areas like this are protected from random destruction are are their existing regulation as to how developers must proceed? Is an archeological survey required?

On a related subject, I guess my awareness has been very low, but I cannot understand why investigative surveys have not been required during the development and redevelopment of the oldest parts of Fort Worth downtown and along Samuels and Bluff and in that area. From hints that have been dropped in this forum, lots of stuff has been turned up, but not really looked at in a professional way.

I am wondering why our city/county govenment does not have guidelines and regulations about this kind of thing..

Pete Charlton

For information on state regulations regarding cemeteries, I would suggest going to the Texas Historical Commission's web site at www.thc.state.tx.us, then click on cemeteries. State laws having to do with cemeteries are mostly in Chapters 694-715 of the Health and Safety Code.

Edited by John T Roberts, 04 December 2006 - 09:09 PM.

[ramjet]

Wasn't sure where to put this, but I found an interesting website that lists where famous and semi-famous folks are buried. The link below includes Fort Worth listings. I didn't recognize most of the names, but it was a really fascinating historical read anyway...

http://www.findagrav...p;fameLevel=all