HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Old Salado Graveyard

Salado, Bell County, Texas

Marker Inscription

This burial ground was likely in use about the time a U.S. Post Office was established in Salado Springs in 1852. In 1854 Col. Elijah Sterling C. Robertson purchased a large tract of land north and south o the springs that included the cemetery. It is generally accepted that the original 2.5 acre graveyard was part of 100 acres that he donated in 1850 for the creation of Salado College and the town of Salado. Additional land was acquired through purchase and donation over the years and a permanent endowment fund exists for the care and maintenance of this resting place for generations of Salado's citizens.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

This burial ground came into use around 1852, about the time a post office opened at Salado Springs. In 1854 Col. Elijah Sterling C. Robertson bought a large tract that included the graveyard, part of the 100 acres he had donated to create Salado College and the town of Salado itself. Enlarged over the years through purchase and gift, and now supported by a permanent endowment, it has served generations of Salado's citizens.

Why it matters

Tied to the land grant that founded both a college and a town, the graveyard anchors the story of how a single benefactor's donation seeded a Texas community.

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Related people

  • · Elijah Sterling C. Robertson

Themes & tags

Westward ExpansionEducationFrontier HistoryLandmark

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