Volunteers Clean Historic Irving Slave Cemetery
IRVING (CBS 11 NEWS) - On a small plot of land in Irving, covered with overgrown grass and weeds, is a piece of forgotten history.
"It's one of the oldest slavery graveyards in the United States," said Jammi Simon, who lives nearby in the Bear Creek neighborhood.
About 200 freed slaves are buried in Shelton's Bear Creek Cemetery, at the corner of Highway 161 and Conflans Road. But, for decades nobody has taken care of the cemetery. The few headstones on the property are damaged or vandalized. The landscaping is not maintained. There is litter and trash.
"I think the people buried here deserve better than what you see," said Dennis Webb, an Irving city council member.
With help from the City of Irving Parks and Recreation Department, a group of volunteers spent Tuesday morning clearing debris.
"The grass and trees are growing up and we need to remove all of that," said Simon.
Simon's ancestors settled in the Bear Creek area after being freed from slavery. Many of them are buried in the cemetery, and Simon said they need a more dignified resting place.
The first marked burial in the cemetery took place in 1895; the last in 1934.
"We hope we can keep it clean and people can come and visit the cemetery year round," Simon said.
Volunteers have tried to clean up the area before, but it's never been maintained. This time, they want to find a group of people willing to take on the challenge for the long term.
"History is very important. If we don't preserve it, the history here will be lost," Webb said.
