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A forgotten corner of Elgin’s history was recently named one of the country’s most endangered Latinx landmarks.
The Elgin Mexican Cemetery was included this month in Latinos in Heritage Conservation’s inaugural list of Endangered Latinx Landmarks. The national nonprofit works to preserve historic sites tied to Latinx communities and will advocate for Elgin’s grounds as one of 13 sites across the country under threat from neglect and development, officials said.
“Nominating the Elgin Mexican Cemetery is recognizing the cultural and historical significance of an important place that helps define a community’s identity,” said Juan Gonzalez, president of the Elgin Mexican Cemetery Association. “We retain a connection to the individuals that played an important place in the history of the Mexican American community in Elgin.”
Tucked away on Second Street behind the manicured rows of Elgin Cemetery, the Mexican cemetery is easy to miss. A crumpled chain-link fence marks the small lot, where patchy grass and overgrowth surround lopsided — but well-crafted — headstones.
Despite its weathered appearance, the cemetery tells the story of more than a century of Elgin’s Mexican American community, officials said. Burials date to 1904, and nearly 115 graves include veterans of World War I and possibly the Spanish- American War.
Formally established in 1915, the cemetery was abandoned until the Texas Historical Commission designated it a Historic Texas Cemetery in 2023.
Handmade markers, often appearing more cinder block than tombstone, reflect Mexican folk traditions and stand in stark contrast to the polished monuments next door.
National preservation advocates said sites like Elgin’s are often overlooked. Fewer than 1% of properties on the National Register of Historic Places reflect Latinx history, according to LHC.
“Sites like Elgin Mexican Cemetery hold the everyday stories that built this country, and naming them is the first step toward protecting them,” said Sehila Mota Casper, LHC executive director.
The Elgin cemetery joins two other Texas sites on the endangered list — El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus in Ruidosa and Barrio Chihuahuita in El Paso — along with landmarks in Chicago, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Oakland, Tucson and more.
