Smithville, Bastrop County
This site was first utilized as a burial ground after the 1831 arrival of the John C. and Susan (Prentice) Cunningham family and their enslaved persons. After Emancipation, African American residents purchased land previously belonging to Cunningham and two other settlers to form a freedom colony known as Center Union. The residents built a thriving and tight-knit community. The existing cemetery became the primary burial ground for Center Union. Leaders in the church, business, healthcare and education sectors are interred here. Although the community declined in the 1920s due to drought and new work opportunities in cities, the cemetery is active for descendants and their families. HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERY – 2022