This burial ground was in use well before the Texas and Pacific railroad established the city of Mesquite in 1873. The earliest marked grave is that of Britanna Santifee Chapman (1856-1859), who shares a plot with pioneer residents Davis G. Chapman (1824-1881) and wife, Nancy C. (1828-1912). In 1890, local builder and civic leader Louis C. Ebrite (1852-1943) plotted a tract of several acres in a grid pattern with driveways that define the layout of the cemetery to this day. The site was formally deeded for cemetery use in 1892 and continues to honor area veterans and to chronicle the generations that belong to Mesquite's proud heritage. Historic Texas Cemetery – 2001