“EAGLE FORD CEMETERY. C. 1870s to 1945, disappeared around the 1950s. This was also a mixed folk cemetery for Hispanics, Anglos and African-Americans and European immigrants, and is located on the north side of I-30 with over 200 folk grave sites from the town of Eagle Ford and Portland Cement.”
(“Beginnings and Evolution of the Mexican-American Hispanic Communities in Dallas County: People, Places and Folklore”, page 41, Alexander M. Troup & Associated, 1998)
More Information
- Births and Deaths in Eagle Ford, Texas by Barbara A. Ware
Where was this cemetery located?
While many death certificates identify “Eagle Ford” as the place of burial, the exact location of the cemetery has been obscured by the sands of time.
- In “Births and Deaths in Eagle Ford, Texas” (The Dallas Journal, Volume 57, October 2011 Page: 89), author Barbara Ware said: “Eagle Ford Cemetery is a lost cemetery”. [https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth743365/m1/91/]
- The Texas Historical Commission – Texas Historic Site Atlas does not have any information for a Eagle Ford Cemetery [https://atlas.thc.texas.gov/]
- RootsWeb has a page for the Eagle Ford Cemetery, but it does not provide a location (just a list of burials). [https://sites.rootsweb.com/~txdallas/cemeteries/eaglefordcem.html]
- The Dallas County Pioneer Association – Cemeteries of Dallas County page says: “Eagle Ford Cemetery – location is unknown” [https://dallaspioneer.org/cemeteries-of-dallas-county/]
- Find a Grave only identifies one cemetery in Eagle Ford, Texas (Portland Cemento de Grande). [https://www.findagrave.com]
- BillionGraves.com has no entries for this cemetery. [https://billiongraves.com/]
- The City of Dallas – Public Works Survey Division Cemetery Files, 1887-2005 webpage has only one reference to Eagle Ford: [https://dallascityhall.com/government/citysecretary/archives/Pages/Archives_2005-005.aspx]
- Cemetery: North Dallas Memorial Park
- Block or abstract #: 634-1/4 [ Note: This location cannot be correct: It shows the land for the colored cemetery near Greenwood Cemetery (i.e. Freedman’s Cemetery). ]
- Also known as: Mount Olive Baptist Church of Eagle Ford (Colored), Horton Family & Crestview Memorial Park, Inc.
- From “Beginnings and Evolution of the Mexican-American Hispanic Communities in Dallas County: People, Places and Folklore”, Alexander M. Troup & Associated, 1998:
- “3. EAGLE FORD CEMETERY. C. 1870s to 1945, disappeared around the 1950s. …located on the north side of 1-30…” (page 41)
- “Eagle Ford Cemetery dates back to the days of the Wild West in the 1870s, located on the H. Burnham survey. When the cemetery disappeared, one cannot be too sure to say-some have said around the late 1940s. Folklore has said around the time the freeway came into being as the Fort Worth Turnpike Authority in the late 1950s.” (page 143
- A Google search revealed one sentence in an impact statement document created in 2000 that may provide a clue: “Finally, the Eagle Ford Cemetery, located east of Loop 12, was reportedly destroyed during construction of IH 30, and a mammoth bone was found in the Loop 12/West Fork of the Trinity River vicinity many years ago (Bill Young, personal communication 2000)”.
- Refer to the bottom of the 2nd paragraph on image number 18 in the document submitted to the Department of Transportation. [https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/dal/new_lbj/approved/lp12_ih35e_dec2002/appendix_j_k_l.pdf]
- “The DFW Turnpike linking Fort Worth to Dallas was completed by 1957, becoming the first segment of Interstate 30.” – https://www.liquisearch.com/interstate_30/history
Update on the location of this cemetery.
The location of this cemetery may no longer a mystery thanks to research conducted by Patricia Erikson. What follows is from an email she sent on 10 March 2025.
“I have been working on the location of this cemetery, and would like to share some information with you. While it is not definitive, I am hopeful it might contribute to ultimately finding what happened to the Eagle Ford cemetery.
“First, a little background: I am a lifelong resident of Oak Cliff and have always heard stories from parents, grandparents, and extended family, regarding West Dallas, Cement City, and Eagle Ford. Over a year ago, my husband and I began working on the restoration of Western Heights Cemetery. In order to reconstruct lost history for Western Heights, we have spent considerable hours researching old obituaries, death certificates, city directories, old maps and any other documents we could find. The Eagle Ford cemetery has come up several times, so it became a bit of a curiosity for us, but it has always been on a side-burner since Western Heights has been our primary focus. My husband, Steve Erickson, is a member of the DGS, and last Saturday, he mentioned the DGS search for Eagle Ford and reminded me that we had run across references to it. We began to look back through different sources we had used, previously. He had been thinking the Eagle Ford cemetery might possibly have been on the north end of the Horton properties.
“I read, with interest, the statement regarding the cemetery disappearing in the 1950’s, and likely being demolished for the construction of the Dallas Fort Worth Turnpike.
“Considering the fate of the Freedman’s Cemetery to North Central Expressway, this made sense to me and we began going back through some old maps and documents, looking for any mention of the cemetery, but I also began to think back, to a conversation I had, almost 10 years ago, with Frances James.
“I contacted Frances regarding Camposanto de Cemento Grande. My son was interested in helping clean and restore the cemetery for his Eagle project. Frances gave me the contact information we needed, but then we had a lengthy conversation about other cemeteries, in great need of attention. She mentioned several, including the Horton Family cemetery, but she also mentioned another one – north of I-30 but west of Chalk Hill Road which she said had, sadly, already been lost. She did not specifically mention a name, but I am inclined to think she may have been talking about Eagle Ford.
“Today, I went back, and pulled up some excellent aerial photos of Dallas County, from 1930., to study the area around the town of Eagle Ford. The photos are from the SMU archives. I know that there has been speculation that the cemetery should be in the Burnham plat, east of town, but I believe I may have found the cemetery, on the west side of town. This location is just west of Chalk Hill Road, and north of I-30, much as Frances mentioned to me. There is something very visible just outside of town, on the 1930 aerial. When compared to another aerial, taken in 1945, there is still something there, but it appears to be in decline, as was the town itself.
“Newer, more recent photos show a neighborhood, built over the entire area.“
1930 map – wide view (Town of Eagle Ford at far right). Probable cemetery location is outlined by the red square.
- #1 is railroad track
- #2 is Chalk Hill Road
- #6 Diagonal road labeled Ledbetter Drive is now Bernal Drive
1940 map – Probable cemetery location is outlined by the red square.
- #1 Diagonal road is now Bernal Drive
- #3 is railroad track
Current Google Map of the area: Probable cemetery location is outlined by the red square.
