| Freedman's Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1861 |
| Location | Dallas, Texas |
| Coordinates | 32°48′12″N96°47′38″W / 32.803207°N 96.793853°W |
| Find a Grave | Freedman's Cemetery |
The Freedman's Cemetery, or Freemen's Cemetery, was established in 1861 as a burial ground for the early African American population in Dallas, Texas. [1] [2] It was an active burial site from 1869 until 1907, supported by the historic Black settlement of Freeman's town founded by formerly enslaved people (the town was located roughly 1 mile (1.6 km) from Deep Ellum, Dallas). [3]
The cemetery was lost sometime after the building of the North Central Expressway in the mid-1940s, which cut through the space. [2] Local authorities had removed the grave stones and covered the cemetery with a lawn to form a city park. [2] In the summer of 1990, the Freedman's Cemetery burial ground was rediscovered when the park was renovated; some 800 marked graves were found and an estimated 1,200 unmarked graves. [2]
The Freedman's Cemetery Memorial was created in 1990, to honor those that were buried and provide community healing. [4] The memorial is part of a cemetery tour in Uptown, Dallas, and sits near the Emanu-El Cemetery, the Calvary Cemetery, and the Greenwood Cemetery. [5] It has designation as a Dallas Landmark since 1992, and is part of the State Historic Marker program in Texas since 1993. [5]