San Marcos, Hays County
Close to the east bank of the Blanco River before its confluence with the San Marcos River, a solitary knoll protrudes from the Blackland Prairie. Its name, Indian Hill, is indicative of its historical significance going back thousands of years. The mound provided a perfect vantage point for native people to spot bison herds and potential danger. In 1848, Henry and Martha Cheatham purchased land which included Indian Hill. When Henry Jr. died in 1871, the couple decided to bury their son atop Indian Hill, thus establishing the Cheatham Cemetery. In 1897, Ernest Hohenberg, a Prussian-born farmer, and his wife, Antonia, purchased forty acres of the Cheathams' property. The following year, the Hohenberg's son Martin died. His parents buried him atop Indian Hill as well, creating a separate Hohenberg burial ground next to the Cheathams'. The adjoining plots, known collectively as the Cheatham-Hohenberg Cemetery, contain eleven extant headstones, four belonging to Henry and Martha Cheatham, Henry Jr. and his wife, Sallie Lena Davis. The remaining seven are the graves of Ernst and Antonia Hohenberg and their children, Martin, Frederick, Roland, and Gertrude with her husband, Harland Beidler. No headstone exists for an unknown child said to be buried here as the family passed through the area. Henry Cheatham, the first elected chief justice of Hays County, and Martha were noted for their hospitality. The same appears true of Ernst and Antonia. The Hohenbergs chose to lay out their burial plot right beside the Cheathams and, by doing so, two families from different times and backgrounds share a common final resting place. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2017