Oakwood Cemetery Chapel Research and Education
Detail of 1873 Bird's Eye View map of Austin with cemetery
National Endowment for the Humanities Grant
Within the cemetery, a 3+ acre section was segregated by race and class in the 1800s. Substantial work is underway to learn about the individuals buried in this area. Many are buried in unmarked graves and are listed without full names in the records. The Oakwood Cemetery Chapel staff seeks descendants of African American, Mexican American, and European American heritage who are buried here to participate in oral histories and genealogy research.
Between 2021 and 2023, the Parks and Recreation Department completed a Digital Humanities Advancement Grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Subject matter experts Dr. Maria Franklin, Dr. Tara Dudley, and Diana M. Hernández participated in community engagement meetings with descendants. In 2024, the City of Austin released a website to share the project.
The website includes a digital 3D model, a geospatial database of records, digitized burial ledgers, and links to history exhibits that contextualize the burials in the Historic Colored Grounds.
Less than 300 monuments exist in this three-acre area that holds thousands of burials. Therefore, it is difficult for the public to imagine that this grassy area is full of the unmarked graves of people who were marginalized in both life and death.
Travis County Historical Association
Tejano Genealogical Society of Austin
Oakwood Cemetery Flyover [Video]
Section 1: The Southwest Quadrant [Video]
Section 2: The Southeast Quadrant [Video]
Section 3: The Northeast Quadrant [Video]