Historical Marker

Old Saint Mary's Cemetery

Historical marker location:
ST. Mary's Cemetery Rd., Off FM 136, Bayside, Texas
( From Bayside, take FM 136 north about 1 mi,then take Cemetery drive east about .5 mi.)
Marker installed: 1983

Joseph F. Smith, Nephew of Texas provisional governor Henry Smith, founded the town of St. Mary's in 1857. Ten acres were set aside for this burial ground, in which the earliest marked grave is dated 1860. The cemetery served the thriving community until an 1886 storm destroyed business and homes, causing residents to move away. IN 1909, with the return of land development to the area, the cemetery was again used. The burial site of war veterans and pioneer area settlers, the cemetery serves as a reminder of the important early coastal town of St. Mary's.