Lost African-American Cemeteries Located In San Antonio
Style Magazine Newswire | 2/24/2017, 9:45 a.m.
Holy Cross Cemetery/credit KSAT
Two lost local cemeteries are no longer missing, thanks to Everett Fly, a nationally renowned expert on African-American landmarks. Based on oral interviews with descendants and extensive archival research from Bexar County to Austin, Fly was able to locate the cemeteries in Northeast San Antonio.
The African-American settlements dated back to the post-Civil War era, when freed slaves were able to buy land from their masters. The property was going to be developed, so the graves were disinterred and placed in a mass grave at Holy Cross Cemetery. The land was never developed and is now prime real estate. Fly also said after checking state records; he determined that there was no required permit allowing the remains to be moved. Further, the ancestors of the deceased were never notified about the cemetery being moved, he said. Fly believes a forensic archaeological investigation is needed to determine if any remains were left behind.
For more information go to http://www. KSAT.com
