San Saba County Historical Commission

Union Band Cemetery
A Texas Historic Cemetery

Location:        The Union Band Cemetery is located on State Highway 71 in southwest San Saba County about four miles west of Pontotoc.  The current property owner of the land out of which the land for this cemetery was set aside and dedicated for cemetery purposes is Andy McBee.

G.P.S. Latitude: 30.9255oN      Longitude: 99.0466oW

Directions:      From Pontotoc on State Highway 71:  

  • Go west 4.2 miles to the Union Band Cemetery sign at the junction with County Road 381.
  • Turn left off State Highway 71 into the cemetery parking area.  The cemetery is visible from the highway.

Condition:   
  
This old cemetery was established in 1891 and is still in use as a burial ground in 2010.  The land for the cemetery was given by Rev. T. H. Thomas and his wife Priscilla on March 31, 1891, when they deeded one and one-half acres of land to the trustees of the Union Band Missionary Baptist Church.  Later, in 1898, G. W. and N. J. Barton and W. H. Holloway gave more land to be added to the cemetery site.

The oldest extant gravestone with a readable year date inscription is that of the infant son of Steve and Helen Jennings who died April 3, 1891.

 The cemetery is an area of about one and one third acres with additional acreage for parking.  The cemetery is enclosed by a wire fence with metal posts that is five feet high.  The main entrance is a ten feet wide gate at near mid-point in the north fence line adjacent to the parking area.  The cemetery is well maintained by an active cemetery association.