“A cemetery in the heart of the city?”, you might ask, surprised. And you’d be right to wonder. This, my friends, is the Austin State Hospital Cemetery Plaque, marking a place both poignant and surprisingly peaceful. The plaque itself, erected by the Texas Historical Commission in 2002, tells a story of a time gone by, a time when the Austin State Hospital was known as the State Lunatic Asylum. The cemetery, established in 1882, holds the remains of nearly 3,000 souls. It’s a somber reminder of the hospital’s long history, a history that began in 1861 with the mission to care for those with mental illnesses. Now, here’s a curious tidbit: John Neely Bryan, the founder of Dallas, rests beneath this very ground. Remembered for his ambition and perhaps infamous for his struggles, Bryan found himself a patient at the asylum in his later years. He died here in 1877. Though some believe his remains were moved to Dallas, a grave marker bearing his name still stands in this cemetery. The Austin State Hospital Cemetery Plaque doesn’t just mark a graveyard. It marks a piece of Austin’s story, a testament to the lives lived, both ordinary and extraordinary, within the walls of the state hospital.
Longhorn Point
The shoreline whispers stories of erosion. Longhorn Point stands firm a testament to resilience. It’s a place where the Colorado