Texas Historical Commission Historic Cemeteries in Texas Cemeteries are like open history books whose pages are tablets of stone.
Historians consult cemetery records to confirm events that happened in the past.
Sometimes there is no other recorded information about an area except what can be found in cemeteries. Each one provides clues about the people who settled an area. Cemeteries tell us about the ethnic background of people, their occupations, how long they lived and, sometimes, what caused their deaths. They provide us with insights into cultural practices and beliefs. Others are elaborate sculptures.