Glendale Cemetery
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Burial place, Texas heroes and pioneers. Began as private plot of family of John R. Harris, founder of Harrisburg (now part of Houston). First burial, on July 23, 1839, was of Mrs. Harris' cousin, Judge John Birdsall, an ex-attorney general of texas. A cemetery developed without management or legal status. In 1897, local ladies formed Glen Dale Cemetery Company and kept grounds in order for years. After a period of neglect, a group began restoration in 1952. Glendale Cemetery Association, Inc., now manages the property and provides perpetual care.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Glendale Cemetery began as a private family plot of John R. Harris, founder of Harrisburg (now part of Houston), with its first burial in 1839 — Judge John Birdsall, a former attorney general of the Republic of Texas. Growing without formal management, the grounds were tended for years by local women who formed the Glen Dale Cemetery Company in 1897, and after later neglect were restored beginning in 1952. Today it holds the graves of Texas heroes and pioneers of the Republic era.
Why it matters
As a resting place for early Republic of Texas figures, the cemetery links modern Houston to the founders and officials who built the young nation before it joined the United States.
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Related people
- · John R. Harris
- · John Birdsall
Themes & tags
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