A Walk Through Time

Do you love history? Mark your calendars! It’s Save Austin’s Cemeteries’ 11th annual Murder, Mayhem & Misadventure Walking Tour! October 28th, 10am-4pm, at Historic Oakwood Cemetery. The free tours cover the chilling, untimely deaths of “residents” of Oakwood portrayed by actors at their grave sites in Section 2, the southeast section. This event is family friendly and is sure to be a spooktacular good time!  The 45 minute tours highlight historical – not scary – events from the 1870s-1930s and showcase a wealth of information from the Austin History Center and local Austin sites. Tours start every 15-20 minutes between 10 am-3:15pm at the blue tents erected for the tour. Kids under adult supervision are welcome, but please leave your pets at home and wear closed-toed shoes.

Oakwood Cemetery isocated at 1601 Navasota Street and was originally established in 1839 as the “City Cemetery” at the then northeast corner of the original town plat. In 1856, the Texas legislature granted the property to the City of Austin. The earliest grave marker shown in historical records was 1840, although there is speculation that the earliest burial was in 1839. The cemetery has over 22,000 burials of people of many races. Historic Designations include: Texas Historic Landmark (1972), National Register of Historic Sites as “City Cemetery” (1985), Historic Texas Cemetery (2010), and Austin Historic Landmark (1976).

Hicks & Company’s Senior Architectural Historian, Elizabeth Porterfield, will be portraying Rebecca Gilleland Fisher, a preservationist who was laid to rest in Oakwood Cemetery in 1926. Fisher survived a Comanche attack that took the lives of her parents, was the only woman elected to the Texas Veterans Association, was a charter member and State President of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and went on to assist Clara Driscoll in saving the Alamo from destruction. Her portrait was the first of a woman to be hung in the Austin Capitol. Hear the stories of other famous characters from history at this wonderful walking tour.

Interested in volunteering (in this event or others)? You do not need to be a member to volunteer. You are more than welcome to sign up for multiple tasks and time slots. Bring a friend, and volunteer together! Please email them if you would like to help and/or if you have any questions.

Donate to this wonderful organization. Save Austin’s Cemeteries is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving historic cemeteries in Austin through documentation, preservation, and education and promoting them as local and state cultural resources.