Campacuas Cemetery

Antonio Cano (1811-1877) established Rancho Guadalupe at Campacuas in 1836. That year, he wed Mauricia Fernandez (1814-1906) in Reynosa, Mexico. The couple had five children. The original Cano Ranch, enlarged through the years, was on part of the Llano Grande royal land grant, and it fronted the Rio Grande and extended north about 15 miles. Cano established ranch headquarters on the wooded shores of Campacuas Lake, a resaca originally known as Tampacuas Lake for the Tampacuaze Indians who frequented the area. He donated land along the lake for a schoolhouse and chapel, as well as a cemetery. Antonio Montelongo (d. 1836) was the first to be buried here, but the oldest marked grave is that of Antonio Cano. It features a bóveda, or above-ground crypt. Other gravestones range from handmade markers to tall monuments. Many wooden markers washed away in early 20th century floods. Much of the Cano land was sold for commercial farms and part of Mercedes, but the cemetery remains. Family and an association maintain the burial ground and conduct annual homecomings each November to clean and decorate the graves. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003

Campacuas Cemetery is a historical marker in Mercedes, Hidalgo County, dedicated in 2003. It is one of 138 historical markers documented in Hidalgo County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 221 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 26.1867, -97.9268 near Mercedes. The nearest cataloged historic site is Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery (historical marker), about 2.0 miles away. Others within a short drive include Bautista, Prince of Peace Presbyterian, and Our Lady of Mercy.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5215013002. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.