Oak Hill Texas and Oak Hill Cemetery, Bastrop County, Texas. (original) (raw)

Bastrop County - Oak Hill TX

History in a Pecan Shell

Oak Hill is one of many Texas communities that were sacrificed for the war effort in the early 1940s. In this case it was Camp Swift, the largest Army training post in Texas and a German Prisoner of War Camp. Foundations of homes (or barracks) can be seen on the west side of FM 2336. The population of Oak Hill was displaced and the homes and businesses were sold for materials. The buildings that weren't sold ended up being used for target practice. After the war when Camp Swift was downsized - it's barracks and buildings were sold as scrap - for $5 a truckload. Part of the Camp became a Federal Prison and part became a Cancer Research Facility. Some of the land was returned to previous owners, but the town per se was never rebuilt.

Road to Oak Hill Texas The road to the Oak Hill Cemetery TE Photo, 2006

Oak Hill had its beginning in the late 1840s when Martin Walker started selling off part of his land grant. In 1879 a church was built that served three denominations and in 1882 four churches shared the single building. The town's economy was based on corn and cotton production and subsistence vegetable farming and livestock production. No population figures are available but the one-teacher school listed 39 students in 1905. Oak Hill School served as the lead school of its district in 1907.

The town has long disappeared from county maps but a sign on FM 2336 will direct you down an unpaved road where you will see the cemetery on the east side.

TX - Oak Hill Cemetery Gate

Oak Hill Cemetery
29.9832773 , -97.1649877
TE photo, 2006

All that remains today of Oak Hill is a scraped earth cemetery maintained by an active association made up of former residents. Some unmarked graves are said to predate the "official" earliest burial from 1868.

TX - Oak Hill Cemetery, Scrapped Earth cemetery

Oak Hill - a "scraped earth" cemetery.
TE photo, 2006

WWI marker, Oak Hill Cemetery, Texas

A WWI Marker
TE photo, 2006

Oak Hill Cemetery, Texas - Elkins, US Navy Tombstone,

Oak Hill Texas - OakHill Cemetery Tombstone

Markers outlining grave, Oak Hill Cemetery, Texas

Peculiar markers outline a grave
TE photo, 2006

Oak Hill Cemetery Texas white tombstone

Texas - Oak Hill Cemetery enclosure

The most notable enclosure at Oak Hill Cemetery
TE photo, 2006

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