Brownsville in Cameron County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Campo Santo Viejo

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2018

1. Campo Santo Viejo Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Planned as all of block 144 of the original townsite in 1848 and active by 1852, Campo Santo Viejo was the first official cemetery in Brownsville. The city abandoned the site in 1864, but burials continued into the 1870s. The property was redeveloped for residential and commercial uses, and in time, Campo Santo Viejo faded from memory, with no visible headstones or graves. Cameron County acquired portions of the site, and in 2004, human remains were discovered. Archeologists documented organized rows of interments in formal 19th century fashion, with dozens of undisturbed graves and evidence of moved burials. Now dedicated as a memorial park, this State Archeological Landmark remains a significant chronicle of Brownsville’s beginnings.

Historic Texas Cemetery - 2010
Marker is property of the state of Texas

Erected 2010 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 16755.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.

Location. 25°

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54.27′ N, 97° 29.695′ W. Marker is in Brownsville, Texas, in Cameron County. Marker is on East Monroe Street south of East 11th Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1150 E Monroe St, Brownsville TX 78520, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 1912 Cameron County Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Field-Pacheco Complex (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Field/Pacheco Complex (within shouting distance of this marker); Cameron County Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Cameron County (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old Cameron County Courthouse/Dancy Building (about 300 feet away); Old County Jail / Fernandez Building (about 400 feet away); Old Jail (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brownsville.

Also see . . .
1. Campo Santo Viejo Cemetery. Campo Santo Viejo Cemetery is now a memorial park and State Archeological Landmark on the north side of East Munroe Street across from the County Courthouse in Brownsville. There are no visible graves here but there are dozens of undisturbed graves and evidence of moved burials. (Submitted on May 28, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Campo Santo Viejo Cemetery Site (pdf file). This report presents the final results from an

Campo Santo Viejo Marker (<i>wide view; memorial park is behind marker and fence</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2018

2. Campo Santo Viejo Marker (wide view; memorial park is behind marker and fence)

archeological field assessment in downtown Brownsville, Texas, that identified 88 undisturbed and unmarked grave shafts, 20 disturbed graves, and 102 early- to mid-century historic features at the forgotten and built-over Old Brownsville City Cemetery, commonly called Campo Santo Viejo. (Submitted on May 28, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Campo Santo Viejo Memorial Park / Cemetery (<i>view east from marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2018

3. Campo Santo Viejo Memorial Park / Cemetery (view east from marker)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 29, 2018. It was originally submitted on May 28, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 239 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 28, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.