From the pamphlet that I got from the Visitor's Center:

First Street Cemetery, the oldest public cemetery in Waco, is located beneath the stately oak trees at Fort Fisher Park. The cemetery consists of three separately purchased tracts of land. On April 16th, 1852, two acres were purchased by the Fraternal Bosque Lodge No. 92 (Masonic Lodge). On the same date the Town of Waco purchased five acrres for public burial. Fifteen years later the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) Lodge of Waco purchased 2 acres adjacent to the First Street Cemetery. Together these three tracts of land made up what was commonly referred to as the City Cemetery. As Waco's population grew and the city developed into an agricultural and manufacturing center, the need for cemetery space increased. by 1876 civic leaders were searching for new burial grounds, and in 1897, the City Council closed the First Street Cemetery, except for public burials.

Capt. Thomas H. Barron 91796-1874), came to Texas during earliest immigration period, was leader of the group of Texas Rangers that established Fort Fisher, and served as clerk in first district court. Grave reinterred from Bruceville.

Major Charles B. Pearre (1834-1908), arrived in Waco in 1854. He served as city attorney in 1856, was elected District Attorney for the 19th Judicial District in 1866 then appointed US District Attorney for northern district of Texas in 1884 by Grover Cleveland. (Gravestone Missing)

Unusual Markers:

* Gravestones with epitaph in Chinese characters

* Oldest grave in cemetery, 1852

* Gravestone with German epitaph

* Gravestone with Norwegian epitaph

* Woodmen of the World gravestones

Hebrew Rest Cemetery

The earliest Jewish community dates from 1847 (sojourners) and permanently from 1853. In 1873, sixteen Jewish families and twenty young men lived there. The 1876 Jewish population was 150 out of 8,000 inhabitants.

Located next to First Street Cemetery, the inactive cemetery was established in 1869 with only five burials in the 1870s. The oldest gravestone dates from 1869. The cemetery was enlarged by land purchased in 1893 and 1922. There are 100-500 granite flat stones with English, Hebrew and Sephardic inscriptions exist. The present owner is the local Jewish community.

This place is a beautiful cemetery located next door to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. We've done minor investigations at the cemetery for about a year now, mainly it's a place to test new equipment out. I've caught two different EVPs here and had a personal experience there. The only downside is it's next to I-35 so there is plenty of noise contamination.