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Blanchette Cemetery, Jefferson County
Grave Concerns in Texas, February 2025
A Publication of the Cemetery Preservation Program
The Cemetery Preservation Program of the THC supports cemetery preservation efforts in each of the 254 counties across the state. Cemetery Preservation Program staff provides consultation, educational materials, and training to concerned citizens and public officials. In addition, the program offers the Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) designation and maintains a statewide inventory of cemeteries to record and protect historic burial grounds. Click here to learn more about our work.
HTC Highlight: Blanchette Cemetery
 This quarter, we’re highlighting Blanchette Cemetery in Beaumont. We designated this cemetery as a Historic Texas Cemetery in December. Blanchette is in a complex of four cemeteries in the Pear Orchard neighborhood, one of Beaumont’s oldest African American communities. Formally platted and dedicated in 1935, the earliest marked grave dates from 1917, and the cemetery may have been used for burials as early as 1910. Prior to 1964, ownership of the cemetery changed several times; as a result, the cemetery is associated with a number of prominent Black businesses and individuals.
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The majority of graves in Blanchette date from the 1910s to the 1960s, and many of the individuals were born in Louisiana, migrating to Beaumont after the 1901 oil discovery at Spindletop. The cemetery features a variety of grave markers, including numerous examples of concrete ones made by hand. One notable marble gravestone bears the emblem of the Mosaic Templars of America, an African American fraternal organization that offered death and burial insurance to its members. Another prominent gravestone commemorates singer and guitarist Blind Willie Johnson.
Although Blanchette Cemetery receives basic periodic lawn maintenance, there is a new interest in better documenting and physically preserving the site. Sacred Historic Spaces and the Jefferson County Historical Commission are working to do just that. Read more about efforts to preserve the Pear Orchard cemeteries in this news article from the Beaumont Enterprise.
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HTC Honor Roll
We’re thrilled to announce that 17 cemeteries have received HTC designations since November 12! Congratulations to the following cemeteries:
 Atx-text: Gold colored certificate graphic listing the following historic Texas cemeteries: Hinojoza-Perez-Saucedo Cemetery, Bastrop Co.
Lewis Family Cemetery, Cherokee Co.
Hebron Cemetery, DeWitt Co.
Wilson-Douglas Cemetery, Grayson Co.
Stockard Cemetery, Henderson Co.
Blanchette Cemetery, Jefferson Co.
Foley Cemetery, Lavaca Co.
Owensville Cemetery, Robertson Co.
Center Union Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Travis Co.
Zion Hill Cemetery, Van Zandt Co.
Samuel Calhoun Cemetery, Walker Co.
Fore Cemetery, Williamson Co.
Patrick Cemetery, Williamson Co.
McNeil Cemetery, Williamson Co.
Salyer Cemetery at Strickland Grove, Williamson Co.
Picosa-Martinez Cemetery, Wilson Co.
Mt. Zion Cemetery, Wood Co.
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Want to designate a historic cemetery you care about? Visit our website to get more information, watch a how-to video, and download the application.
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How to Plan a Cemetery Tour (or take one!)
Cemetery tours are a popular way to showcase local history. More than just an educational event, a well-produced tour can help build public support, recruit new volunteers, and even generate much-needed revenue for cemetery maintenance and preservation.
Learn how to plan an engaging and impactful tour for your cemetery. Hosted by THC’s Museum Services Program, this recorded webinar walks you through the planning stages step-by-step. Get advice on choosing the right format and tone to carrying out the logistics and publicity.
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Then, find some inspiration by taking an upcoming tour of a historic cemetery near you:
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Famous Graves—Congressman Mickey Leland
 This Black History Month, we’re remembering the life of George Thomas “Mickey” Leland (1944-1989), one of Houston’s hometown heroes who served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Leland was known internationally for his commitment to solving human rights and world hunger issues.
He attended Texas Southern University’s School of Pharmacy in the 1960s, where he became an outspoken leader of the local Black Power movement in Houston. In 1972, Leland was elected to the Texas House of Representatives from the 88th District of Houston. He became known as a champion of healthcare rights for low-income Texans. Leland remained in the state legislature until 1978 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Barbara Jordan’s former congressional district.
Leland’s tenure in Congress is best remembered for his fight to solve the problems of domestic and international hunger and malnutrition. He helped create the House Select Committee on World Hunger and in 1985, urged Congress to send $800 million in famine relief funds to Africa. Tragically, on his sixth trip to Africa, a plane carrying Leland and fifteen others crashed en route to a refugee camp in Ethiopia.
Leland is buried in the Golden Gate Cemetery in Northeast Houston. His headstone is inscribed with the words:
“I Have Fought The Good Fight. I Have Finished The Race. I Have Kept The Faith.”
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