Voices of South Texas - Old Bayview Cemetery Comes Alive 2023

Storytellers  •  Re-enactors  •  History Experts

Saturday, November 4, 2023, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at Old Bayview Cemetery, 1150 Ramirez Street

► Flyer    ► FREE admission! 

Immerse yourself in Corpus Christi’s earliest history! 

Storytellers, dressed in period clothing to illustrate the lives of those who once lived and have been laid to rest at the city’s first cemetery, will take pages of our history and make them come to life. Come and watch as re-enactors recount the events and times of our colorful history which showcases the diversity of our community: military soldiers, early pioneer settlers, founders, leaders, and more. This engaging event will appeal to everyone from the history buff to young children eager to learn history. There is no better place to learn than in the place that holds so much significant history about Corpus Christi and our nation. Come, see, and learn about their fascinating lives and times.

This will be the 14th year to host this history event. The event will feature self-guided tours, live folk music, and a demonstration of a frontier battalion. In addition to the storytelling and re-enactments, visitors can also learn more information about the people buried at the cemetery by scanning the QR codes on placards staked by tombstones as they walk through the cemetery.

Old Bayview Cemetery was founded in 1845 by Colonel E.U. Hitchcock during General Zachary Taylor’s military encampment in Corpus Christi. The cemetery overlooks stunning views of Nueces and Corpus Christi Bay.
 

HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT OLD BAYVIEW CEMETERY:

• First U.S. military cemetery in Texas
• It was founded in 1845 on the eve of the U.S.-Mexican War after seven soldiers serving under General Zachary Taylor were killed when a boiler burst on the Dayton steamship
• Over 600 individuals are buried at the Old Bayview Cemetery
• Adjacent to the campsite of General Zachary Taylor’s Army of Occupation in 1845
• Veterans from the War of 1812 through the Spanish-American War were laid to rest here
• Inducted on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on October 21, 2020

Learn more about this significant and fascinating cemetery from information compiled by the Corpus Christi Public Libraries. 

The “Voices of South Texas” is hosted this year by the Friends of Old Bayview Cemetery, the Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation Department, the Corpus Christi Public Libraries, and Humanities Texas. This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Admission is FREE and everyone is invited! 

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SCHEDULE OF PRESENTATIONS:

10:00 a.m.                          Opening Ceremony at entrance

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.       Storytelling/Re-enacting at various locations

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.       Music from David and Barbara Brown

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.       Laying of Wreaths by 

                                           Daughters of the American Revolution

                                           Daughters of the Republic of Texas

                                           Daughters of the American Revolution

                                           United Daughters of the Confederacy

                                           U.S. Daughters of 1812 Old Bayview Chapter

10:30 a.m.                          Daughters of the American Revolution

12:00 p.m.                          Cannon Firing Demonstration

1:00 p.m.                            Daughters of the Republic of Texas