Historic Cemetery

Baxter-Rixse Cemetery

a.k.a. unknown in Buena Vista

Imperial, Texas
Location: FM 11 SE from Imperial 5 miles to Old Girvin Hwy. Continue SE on Old Girvin Hwy (becomes gravel) .5 miles to Buena Vista Cemetery. Continue past Buena Vista Cemetery to next gravel road on Left (south) just past cemetery. Go south on unnamed gravel road following fenceline to cemetery on east side at end of road. Only three stones visible;Andrew Baxter CSA Jan. 31, 1868Walter Rixse July 18, 1896 April 12, 1922Paulena RixseJan. 2, 18641916There appear to be many other graves at the site and fenced plots without markers. Most of the wooden fenced plots have fallen. There are many grave depressions at the site but it also appears that some of the graves may have been moved. The bounds of this cemetery were estimated. There are no existing fencelines and the brush made it impossible to determine the true size of the site.A replacement marker has been added to the site (circa 1970s) for Andrew Baxter, CSA veteran, by an unknown individual. No evidence of recent visitation to the site.

Source: RIP Fields Table

To address the problem of cemetery destruction and to record as many cemeteries as possible, the Texas Historical Commission offers the Historic Texas Cemetery designation.

The Historic Texas Cemetery designation was developed in 1998 to help protect historic cemeteries by recording cemetery boundaries in county deed records to alert present and future owners of land adjacent to the cemetery of its existence. Every county in Texas has at least one cemetery designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery through this program. The HTC designation is the first step toward preservation of a historic cemetery.

A cemetery is eligible for designation if it is at least 50 years old and is deemed worthy of recognition for its historical associations. The very nature of a cemetery being a landmark of a family’s or community’s presence is considered to validate the criteria of historical associations. Any individual, organization, or agency may submit a request for designation.

gravesites