Nila Kartika Wati
When Pat Cunningham moved to Cedar Creek, an unincorporated community in Bastrop County, Texas, in 2020, her primary goals were proximity to family and relief from the harsh winters of St. Louis, Missouri. The retired nurse and her husband settled into their new home just southeast of Austin, unaware that their property line bordered a forgotten chapter of American history. In March 2021, while performing routine yard work, Cunningham noticed a "sea of white" blooming beyond her fence. Upon closer inspection, she discovered hundreds of white irises surrounding wrought-iron decorations and more than a dozen grave markers on a one-acre plot. The stones, inscribed in Spanish with names and dates stretching back to the mid-19th century, signaled the existence of a historic Mexican cemetery that had been reclaimed by the brush over decades of neglect.
This discovery is not an isolated incident but a focal point in a larger, state-wide effort to identify and safeguard more than 200 Mexican cemeteries scattered throughout Texas. According to an analysis of the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Historic Sites Atlas conducted by the nonprofit organization Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC), these sites represent critical but frequently overlooked cultural heritage. As Texas undergoes a period of unprecedented urban development and industrial expansion, preservationists warn that the window to document and protect these sacred grounds is rapidly closing.
The Historical Context of the Texas Borderlands
The existence of cemeteries like the one found by Cunningham is a direct reflection of the complex geopolitical history of the region. Cedar Creek was once a part of Spanish Texas and subsequently Mexican Texas until the conclusion of the Texas Revolution in 1836. Between 1821 and 1836, the Mexican government actively encouraged the colonization of its northern borderlands by granting land to emigrants, a policy designed to create a buffer against indigenous incursions and foreign encroachment.
Historians reviewing archived deeds suggest that the land now owned by the Cunninghams may have been among the final plots granted by the Mexican government before the revolution. The grave markers—now identified as belonging to the Hinojosa, Perez, and Saucedo families—serve as primary source documents. In many borderland communities, where official written archives are often incomplete or where Mexican families were historically excluded from municipal records, these cemeteries function as "stone archives." They preserve essential data regarding migration patterns, religious traditions, family lineages, and even military service that would otherwise be lost to time.
Institutional Disparity in Heritage Preservation
The struggle to preserve these sites is compounded by a historical lack of representation in national preservation frameworks. Currently, less than one percent of the sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places are associated with Latinx communities. Federal preservation institutions were historically designed to prioritize an Anglo-American narrative of the nation’s founding and expansion, often categorizing minority heritage sites as "locally significant" rather than "nationally significant," which limits their access to federal funding and protection.
Sehila Mota Casper, the executive director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation, emphasizes that these cemeteries are more than just archaeological sites; they are living cultural landmarks. "For many Mexican and Indigenous traditions, death is not viewed only through the lens of loss; grief and celebration exist side by side," Casper noted. These sites become focal points during traditions such as Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), where families gather to build ofrendas (offerings) and share stories, ensuring that the influence of ancestors continues to shape contemporary community identity.
Modern Threats: Urbanization and the AI Boom
The urgency of the preservation movement is driven by the "breakneck pace" of development in Central Texas. The region, particularly the corridor between Austin, Round Rock, and Georgetown, is home to some of the fastest-growing urban zones in the United States. This population surge has triggered a massive building boom in suburban and unincorporated areas, often placing historic sites directly in the path of new residential subdivisions and infrastructure projects.
Furthermore, the rise of the "Silicon Hills" has introduced a new threat: data center development. To support the global surge in artificial intelligence (AI) processing, massive data centers are being constructed across Texas, consuming thousands of acres of land. Unlike residential developments, which might incorporate a small historic site into a park, data centers require high-security, large-scale industrial footprints that can lead to the total erasure of unmarked or "abandoned" burial grounds.
Case Study: The Hinojosa-Perez-Saucedo Cemetery
Following her discovery in 2021, Pat Cunningham spent three years navigating the bureaucratic and logistical requirements for official recognition. Working in coordination with Latinos in Heritage Conservation, the Bastrop County Historical Commission, and the Bastrop Museum, she applied for the "Historic Texas Cemetery" (HTC) designation. This state-level designation provides a layer of legal protection and recognizes the site’s historical significance.
In 2024, the site was officially designated as the Hinojosa-Perez-Saucedo Cemetery. It is now one of over 2,400 designated historic cemeteries in Texas. However, the designation is only the first step. Because the cemetery is currently landlocked and only accessible through the Cunninghams’ private property, it remains closed to the general public, though the couple allows access to researchers and descendants by appointment. There is an ongoing hope that as the municipality develops, a public access road will eventually be connected to the site to allow for broader community engagement.
Case Study: The Elgin Mexican Cemetery and the Legacy of Segregation
Thirty miles north of Cedar Creek, the Elgin Mexican Cemetery offers a different perspective on the challenges of preservation. Established in 1915, this cemetery was born out of the era of segregation, situated adjacent to an "Anglo-only" cemetery. Many of those interred in its 115 plots were laborers in a nearby brick mine. The graves reflect the economic realities of the time, featuring handmade crosses decorated with mosaics of ceramic pieces from old dishes—a unique folk-art tradition that distinguishes the site from more affluent burial grounds.
Unlike the Cedar Creek site, the Elgin Mexican Cemetery faces environmental and criminal threats. Built in the footprint of an old brick mine, the site is prone to recurrent flooding. Furthermore, without clear signage and fencing, it has been a target for vandalism and theft. "The first step to preserve the cemetery is to identify it," explained Debbie Wahrmund, treasurer of the Elgin Mexican Cemetery organization. "When people knock over markers or take things, the only way to report it to local police is if there’s a sign that says, ‘This is a cemetery.’"
In 2025, the site was named one of the most endangered Latinx landmarks by the LHC. This recognition helped the organization secure funding through the "Nuestra Herencia" (Our Heritage) grant program, which supports preservation planning and long-term stewardship.
Chronology of Preservation Efforts
- 1821–1836: Mexican government issues land grants in what is now Bastrop County to encourage colonization.
- 1836–1900: The Hinojosa, Perez, and Saucedo families utilize the Cedar Creek plot for burials.
- 1915: Elgin Mexican Cemetery is established during the height of regional segregation.
- 2020: Pat Cunningham moves to Cedar Creek.
- March 2021: Discovery of the forgotten Cedar Creek cemetery after iris blooms reveal the site.
- 2023: Elgin Mexican Cemetery receives "Historic Texas Cemetery" designation.
- 2024: Cedar Creek site is officially designated as the Hinojosa-Perez-Saucedo Cemetery.
- 2025: Elgin Mexican Cemetery is listed as an "Endangered Latinx Landmark" and receives Nuestra Herencia grant funding.
Broader Impact and the Future of Stewardship
The movement to restore these cemeteries is part of a broader cultural shift toward an inclusive American history. Preservationists argue that the "abandonment" of these sites was often not a choice made by the families, but a result of economic displacement, migration, and systemic exclusion from land ownership records.
The success of these projects is being measured not just by the number of headstones repaired, but by the re-establishment of community links. By securing legal designations and funding, organizations like Latinos in Heritage Conservation are ensuring that the stories of the people who built the Texas borderlands are not erased by the encroaching urban sprawl.
As Sehila Mota Casper concludes, the ultimate goal is to ensure that Latino history is recognized as an essential, inseparable part of the American narrative. For volunteers like Debbie Wahrmund, the work is deeply personal. "It’s the names; it’s the people who matter here," she said. "We can lose that history so quickly." Through the efforts of private citizens, nonprofits, and historical commissions, these "seas of white irises" are finally being recognized for what they are: vital landmarks of a shared heritage.
