Belle Plaine Cemetery

Residents of the short-lived community of Belle Plaine were burying their dead at this site as early as 1878. Although the presence of unmarked graves suggests earlier possible usage, the oldest marked grave, that of sixteen-year-old Virgil Hill, dates to that year. Belle Plaine residents informally established a community cemetery here on vacant land. The graveyard was located within a larger tract of land that was owned by the state until 1861 and later by several railroad companies. Its last private owner, the Texas & Pacific Railway Company, purchased the tract that included this graveyard in 1879 when it anticipated routing its railroad through Belle Plaine. However, in 1883 the route was changed to pass through nearby Baird. In response, the railway company deeded the cemetery property to Callahan County the following year. Though the community of Belle Plaine had declined by 1909, burials have continued to take place. Those interred here include area pioneers, their descendants, and veterans. The historic burial ground remains an important cultural resource in this area. (1992)

Belle Plaine Cemetery is a historical marker in Baird, Callahan County, dedicated in 1992. It is one of 28 historical markers documented in Callahan County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 46 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.3025, -99.3871 near Baird. The nearest cataloged historic site is Maltby, William Jeff (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Belle Plain, Belle Plain, and Belle Plain College.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5059000361. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.