Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery -- Washington Cemetery, Houston TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Benchmark Blasterz
N 29° 45.767 W 095° 22.783
15R E 269903 N 3294872
A small plot purchased by the local Grand Army of the Republic chapter contains the remains of Union veterans who were members of the the GAR in Washington Cemetery in Houston.
Waymark Code: WMQENG
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/17/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member bluesnote
Views: 4

Although Texas seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the Confederate states of America, the German immigrant community in Texas always remained loyal to the United States. Some majority German Texas counties even read seceded from the Confederacy back to the Union in 1861 and sent men to fight in the Union Army.

Houston had very large and active German immigrant community. In fact Houston is the only Texas City we know of that actually had a chapter of the grand Army of the Republic, the union counterpart to the Confederate veterans organization. This is why it is not surprising to find a small dedicated Union Veterans Cemetery purchased by the local grand Army of the Republic chapter inside what is now known as Washington cemetery.

This cemetery was established in 1877 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft von Houston (German Society of Houston) as a cemetery for their members and others. It was known as the German Society Cemetery for 40 years, until members, facing strong anti-German bias in the United States during World War I, voted in 1918 to change the name to Washington Cemetery. It has been known as Washington cemetery ever since.

This small plot of Union Army veteran graves lies within the neat confines of the old German Society Cemetery. On the date the Blasterz visited (29 Nov 2015), these graves were still marked with small American flags in honor of Veterans Day. (visit link)
Date cemetery was established: 1877

Visiting hours:
Dawn to dusk daily


Website pertaining to the cemetery: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
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Benchmark Blasterz visited Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery -- Washington Cemetery, Houston TX 11/29/2015 Benchmark Blasterz visited it