This African-American cemetery was established near the end of the Civil War in the mid to late 1860s. It is presently maintained by the Liberty Baptist Church located on Route 50 at the edge of Independence, Texas. In 1907, the property was sold by J. C. McCrocklin to the Colored People’s Cemetery Association. “The deed referred to a burial ground long-used by local African-American residents. Six marked graves are of men and women born into slavery.” (Information taken from the Liberty Community Cemetery, Historic Texas Cemetery marker, 2004)

Items in this collection document the history of Liberty Community Cemetery in Independence, Texas. Each object presents an image of the marker, monument or headstone, relevant biographical information (date of birth, death, inscriptions) and a link to the marker's precise location on a Google map.

All objects include all available information as documented by staff at the cemetery and The Texas Collection at Baylor University. However, if you do not find the name/s of a friend or family member whom you know is buried in the Liberty Community Cemetery, please provide us or Pastor Briscoe with his/her name and their burial location and they will be added to this listing.

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Rights Notice

While we are reasonably certain that our images do not infringe on copyright, we are interested in protecting the rights of creators and rights holders. If you have specific information regarding the copyright of images posted from materials held by The Texas Collection, please contact them at txcoll@baylor.edu.