Masonic Cemetery

Staked Plains Lodge No. 598, A.F. & A.M., was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Texas on December 12, 1884. The members soon recognized a need for a Masonic cemetery in Big Spring. In May 1885 George Bauer (1836-1898), a member of the Lodge, donated land at this site for that purpose. Adjacent land was given later for other community graveyards, which have become known collectively as Mount Olive Cemetery. The earliest documented grave in the Masonic Cemetery is that of William Howerton (1846-1886). At least one gravestone bears an earlier date, but it is for a grave which was reinterred here from another location. Among those buried here are many Masons and their families, including a number of community leaders; Texas and Pacific Railway Company employees; George Bauer, original donor of the property; and veterans of World War I, World War II, and Vietnam. Over the years, additional land acquisitions have enlarged the size of the cemetery to sixteen acres. A variety of sizes and styles of grave markers can be seen in the historic graveyard. (1990)

Masonic Cemetery is a historical marker in Big Spring, Howard County, dedicated in 1990. It is one of 10 historical markers documented in Howard County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 17 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.2731, -101.4760 near Big Spring. The nearest cataloged historic site is Mount Olive (cemetery), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include St. Thomas Catholic Church, Fisher, J. & W. Company, The, and First Permanent Building in Big Spring.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5227003241. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.