DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about College Memorial Park Cemetery, out in Harris County. Now settle in, because this one's about more than a patch of ground — it's about who a community chose to remember, and how hard it's been to keep that memory alive. The cemetery was founded in 1896, making it one of Houston's three oldest African-American graveyards — the other two being Olivewood and Evergreen.
The earliest legible grave marker dates to 1900, but with so many stones unreadable and so many graves unmarked, the ground almost certainly holds stories older than that. The cemetery takes its name from its location opposite the Houston College. And its position near the Fourth Ward — a neighborhood that saw a wave of African-American migration and the establishment of a freedmen's town after the Civil War — made this the primary burial ground for religious leaders, civic figures, educators, and business builders of that community.
Among those laid to rest here is John Henry Yates — known to most as Jack — first pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, founder of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, and a man who made it his work to encourage property ownership among Black Houstonians. Jack Yates, who died in 1897, was originally buried at Olivewood Cemetery, but was reinterred here once College Memorial Park Cemetery became operable. Also buried here is J.
M. Terrell — educator in both Fort Worth and Houston — who rose to become principal of Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College, president of Houston College, and administrator of the Houston Negro Hospital. And the ground holds veterans of both world wars, alongside participants in what history now calls the Houston riot of 1917.
Over the years, the cemetery suffered from neglect and vandalism. By the late twentieth century, revitalization efforts were underway — trying to offset that earlier damage and bring awareness to a place that stands as an important part of Houston's culture and heritage. Some stones you can read.
Some you can't. Some names are gone entirely. But the ground remembers who's there, even when the markers don't.
What the marker says
Founded in 1896, College Memorial Park Cemetery is one of Houston's three oldest African-American graveyards, along with Olivewood and Evergreen. The earliest legible grave marker dates to 1900, but with many unmarked graves and unreadable stones, it is likely that earlier burials exist. College Memorial Park Cemetery takes its name from its location opposite the Houston College. Its proximity to the Fourth Ward neighborhood, which saw an influx of African-American migration and the establishment of a freedmen's town after the Civil War, made this the primary burial ground for many religious, civic, education and business leaders of that community. Among those buried here are: John Henry (Jack) Yates, a vital community leader, first pastor of Antioch Baptist Church and founder of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, who encouraged property ownership among black Houstonians; Fort Worth and Houston educator J. M. Terrell, who became principal of Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College, president of Houston College and administrator of the Houston Negro Hospital; veterans of both world wars; and participants in the racial conflict now known as the Houston riot of 1917. Jack Yates (d. 1897) originally was buried in Olivewood cemetery, but was reinterred here after College Memorial Park Cemetery became operable. Over the years, the burial ground has suffered from neglect and vandalism. Late 20th-century revitalization efforts sought to offset the earlier damage and to bring awareness to the cemetery as an important part of Houston's culture and heritage. (2002)