A median strip's been called a "dead zone"
But this spot takes an extreme
Homestead cemetery holds its ground
Against the modern day scene!
Blink and you'll miss it. Between the zipping lanes of Hwys 71 & 183 just off Austin Bergstrom Int'l Airport, those are, indeed, gravestones you see in the median under an ancient tree's sheltering boughs. Don't join the dead making your approach!
TINY (6 graves, only 5 of which are marked) fenced cemetery (with historical marker!) sheltered by a sprawling mesquite tree in, yes the median of a busy multilaned highway!
The area is quite unique as it's practically inside a 4 leaf clover of Hwy 183 South and Hwy 71 East. Best approach is from Del Valle going west on 71, then exiting north on 183 and parking on the right-hand side of road. Pull off area will be obvious.
!!!PLEASE BE CAREFUL CROSSING 183!!!
Information from Texas Historic Sites Atlas
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visit link)
Cemetery Number: TV-C011
Cemetery Name (or nearest feature): Davidson-Littlepage
Feature Type: cemetery
USGS Quad Number: 3097-213
City: Del Valle
County: TRAVIS
Directions: South of the Colorado River near Onion Creek near the town of Del Valle. Between northbound travel lane and northbound access road from SH 71 and US 183`
Date Designated: 2002-03-13 00:00:00
Recording Information: document number 2002047771
Size: 40 feet square
Number of Graves: 6
Dates of Burials: 1856 to late 19th century
INFORMATION ON THE CEMETERY:
Austin Geneological Society ( (
visit link) )
Davidson-Littlepage Cemetery
CARETAKER: Texas Department of Transportation
LOCATION OF CEMETERY: 1200 Bastrop Hwy (westbound off ramp to north), Austin.
Located at Hwy 71 and 183.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From Austin-Bergstrom International Airport head west (toward Austin) on 71. Take 183N exit and go .3 miles and cemetery will be on left under two mesquite trees in right-of-way.
COMMENTS: Traffic is fast moving as you exit and enter highway.
APPEARANCE: There is a Texas Historical Commission marker dated 2002 on site.
According to USGEN (http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/travis/cemeteries/davidson.txt)
And they have actual information, claiming as source: Austin American, 14 Aug 1967(p14): "Unclaimed - Highway Planners Preserve Graveyard, Travis County 19th Century Pioneers," & documented research/site visit by Nancy Beam Pexa, great-great granddaughter of Martha Elizabeth A. (Burditt) Davidson.
Martha E. A., wife of A.M. Davidson, Born May 3, 1816, Died Apr. 12, 1864
Martha Elizabeth A. Burditt was born 3 May 1816, TN. The marriage announcement of Martha Elizabeth Burditt, daughter of Jesse Burditt, Esq. To Andrew M. Davidson was noted in the 6 May 1833 Nashville Banner. Andrew M. Davidson, was born 22 Oct 1811, Buncombe Co., NC. Martha Elizabeth and Andrew M. Davidson, and their first two children, James and Lavina came to Texas in 1839.
James A., Eldest Son of A.M. and M.E.A. Davidson, Born Aug. 8, 1836 , Died Dec. 8, 1856
James Davidson was the oldest son of Andrew M. and Martha Elizabeth (Burditt) Davidson. He was born in TN, 8 Aug 1836, and died in Travis Co., Tx, 8 Dec 1856.
L.O. Davidson Campbell, wife of J. E. Campbell: Died Nov. 1857
Lavina C. (Davidson) Campbell was born 3 May 1834. TN and died 7 Nov 1857, Travis Co., TX. She was probably named for her aunt, Lavina (Burditt) Rowe, wife of Joseph Rowe. Lavina C. Davidson came to Texas with her parents, Andrew M. Davidson and Martha Elizabeth A. (Burditt) Davidson. She was married to John Eaton Campbell on 28 Apr 1853, Austin, TX, at the Presbyterian Church. They had one daughter, Maggie, born 25 Aug 1854. Maggie was married 18 Nov 1874 to Robert Emmett White, b. 11 Jan 1852. Robert Emmett White was the Sheriff of Travis County, Mayor of Austin, and a Judge. They had six children. Maggie Campbell White died 15 Mar 1887. Robert Emmett White died in August, 1931.
Martha Littlepage, 1837-1868
Martha E. (Knight) Littlepage, was born 30 Oct 1837, TN and died 10 Mar 1868, Lampasas Co., TX. She was a daughter of Lewis and Emily (Crain) Knight. Emily Crain was the daughter of Mary (Polly) (Burditt) and Ambrose Crain. Martha E. Knight was married (date unknown) to James Arbuckle Littlepage, born 1829, Allegany Co., VA, and died in Lampasas Co., TX.
Susan V. Littlepage, born April 23, 1804, died Jan 21, 1870
Susanna (Shanklin Van Arsdale) Littlepage was the mother of James Arbuckle Littlepage. She was married to James Beverly Littlepage, born 1798, Greenbrier Co., VA/WVA. He died about 1857, San Marcos, Travis Co., TX.
Unmarked Grave: Source: STIRPES, June 1996 - Caperton Findings by M.C. Forister, p. 48, “Milton Thompson Caperton (4/24/1811 - 4/7/1907)…believed he died in Travis Co., TX but there is no death record, will obituary or anything on file concerning his death. He was the first pastor (preached from 1857-1872) at the Onion Creek Baptist Church in Austin, Travis Co., Texas. He also preached in Caldwell and Hays counties…In 1984, Milton’s great-grandson, the late William Estel Perry, said there was a story about an old drunk man who disliked Rev. Milton Caperton. So the drunk man went to Milton’s grave, which could be the oldest, smallest cemetery with a 6 foot chain-link fence built by the Highway Dept., on the corner next to Lockhart Hiway 183 that goes to Bergstrom AFB. It is on the left side going north into Austin downtown. There are five tombstones with six graves with the names Littlepage and Davidson, around two miles from the Caperton cemetery. He dug up Milton’s grave, and took Milton’s skull and threw it into his wagon and drove off with it.”
MORE READING!**************
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visit link)
Best Dead Zone in a Fly Zone: Davidson-Littlepage Cemetery
Blink, and you might miss this curious plot of Texas history, located just a whisker north of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. This small cemetery, host to dears departed circa mid-19th century, finds itself at the crossroads of progress. The Texas Highway Department respected the peace of her inhabitants when it carved out the current traffic configuration during last century. Three roadways converge at this final resting place, but for the past 50 years or so, the preserved landmark has been holding true in the swale.
1200 Bastrop Hwy., at Highway 71 & 183 www.austintxgensoc.org/cemeteries/davidson.html
And another blogger:
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visit link)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 The Davidson - Littlepage Cemetery
quoting:
Thanks to the reporting by Tom Barry of the Austin American Statesman, here is the findings (not exactly so exciting, but I can at least check this question off my list). The most exciting discovery was this piece of real estate could still be claimed by a relative….
“…This little graveyard hosts 5 markers with potentially 6 gravesites. When the highway department’s survey crew were surveying the mesquite pasture to make a place for the improved Bastrop Highway (completed in 1959), they came upon this little graveyard, its headstones tumbled to earth by time and neglect, completely obscured by grass and weeds. It was on the right-of-way, but it was not in the way of progress so saving it they did. All efforts to locate relatives of the long forgotten dead were in vain, so Texas Highway Department made an ‘’exception’’ in its right-of-way purchase, put up the current chain link fence, righted the headstones and cleared away the weeds. The dead of the little graveyard have been there, some of them, for more than a century. They may have been forgotten for almost that long. They are names like any other names, but pronouncing them means nothing, for who the people were, how they lived and died – all are as obscure as if the dead had never lived. A widely known historian of Travis County, Mrs Fred C. Barkley, knows quite a bit about the history of this county and tried for years to find out something about the little cemetery. Mrs Barkley could only report on rumor and speculation, but little else, the graveyard was originally Spanish land, part of the Del Valle grant. Some of the land was possibly deeded to people named Caldwell by a Spaniard, who deeded over the land in lieu of a law fee which resulted from the legal defense of his son in New Orleans by a lawyer name Caldwell…”
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So as you speed on your busy day, you may want to pause for a short stray!
Note: there was also a geocache here:
GCJ31J Home From Huntsville # 9- Marthas Graveyard Texas