HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Bratton Cemetery

Round Rock, Travis County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Kentucky native John Bratton (1812-1855) came to Texas with his family in 1837. Ten years later, Bratton purchased land in this area and set aside one acre for use as a burial ground for family members and friends. The earliest known burial, that of Mary J. Robey, took place in 1847. There are more than 100 known gravesites in the Bratton Cemetery, and about 50 of the burials are marked only with fieldstones. A good example of a pioneer graveyard, in which many of the graves date from the 1800s, the Bratton Cemetery is a reminder of the area's early history. (1985)

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

John Bratton brought his family from Kentucky to Texas in the late 1830s and later set aside an acre of his land as a burying ground for kin and neighbors. Many of the more than one hundred graves are marked only with rough fieldstones, and most date to the 1800s. As one of the area's oldest cemeteries, it records the short lives and hardships of a frontier community.

Why it matters

Pioneer family cemeteries like this one are among the most tangible records of the ordinary settlers who built early Texas.

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Related people

  • · John Bratton
  • · Mary J. Robey

Themes & tags

Westward ExpansionFrontier HistoryLandmark

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