History of Waters Cemetery aka Boggy Creek Cemetery. Another long forgotten cemetery of Austin, Texas.

Not too much history is known or can be discovered about this long forgotten Austin cemetery. Only a few people know about Waters Cemetery. Waters Cemetery is regarded as a historic cemetery by many archeologists, researchers, and historians.

Around 45 burials are said to exist at this cemetery. However only 24 headstones are extant as there are many unmarked burials and missing markers. Several markers are cracked from weathering.


Waters Cemetery was established as a cemetery in 1890 on a D-shaped plot of land near Onion Creek in Austin, Texas. The cemetery is located in the Onion Creek floodplain.

According to an environmental impact statement provided by the US Military, Waters Cemetery is a small cemetery dating from 1891 to 1922 and contains at least 45 headstones with Anglo-Saxon (White), African American, and Hispanic surnames. (Ref: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a290411.pdf)



In 1994, an intensive archeological survey of the 1032-acre area of what was then Bergstrom Air Force Base was conducted by archeologists. Waters Cemetery was rediscovered during this archeological survey. (Ref: https://core.tdar.org/document/296213/cultural-resources-survey-and-assessment-for-the-new-austin-airport-travis-county-texas, Cultural Resources Survey and Assessment for the New Austin Airport, Travis County, Texas, 1994)

In 1997, Save Austin’s Cemeteries founder Dale Flatt discovered Waters Cemetery during his firefighter job at the new Austin-Bergstrom International Airport station. Two old cemeteries were discovered — the Martin Family Cemetery and the Waters Cemetery. The city conducted clean-up of Waters Cemetery in 1997 as a part of the Bergstrom Air Force Base closing arrangements. Poison oak was removed after growing on site for several years. (Ref: https://www.statesman.com/article/20120901/NEWS/309000601, Firefighter moonlights as city government watchdog)

Close proximity to creek so best to visit in winter due to poison oak and snakes. City conducts clean-up only if there is a visit scheduled. Several toppled headstones and deep grave sinks. There were 24 headstones (in a earlier survey there were 43). Random check of death certificates for those missing markers show they were interred at Waters.

Waters Cemetery is one of the 3 historic cemeteries located on ABIA property. Both Martin Family Cemetery and Waters Cemetery were recommended not eligible for NRHP but eligible as SALs. Texas Historical Commission (THC) concurred with recommendation and requested pursuing SAL designation, but neither cemetery appears in THC’s Atlas as a designated SAL. (Ref: Hicks and Company, Archeology Series 53, Cultural Resources Investigations at the Historic Cemeteries for the Austin Bergstrom International Airport, January 1997)

Today Waters Cemetery is located within the confines of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and is secured with a chainlink fence. Because of Homeland Security restrictions and liability concerns, visitors must obtain permission with Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to access this cemetery. Visitors are escorted by airport police. The best time to visit would be winter due to snakes and wildlife. Waters Cemetery is maintained by City of Austin, ABIA, and Austin Genealogical Society. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2314990/waters-cemetery)



Waters Cemetery has also been known as under the names that follow: Watters Cemetery, Boggy Creek Cemetery, Smith Family Cemetery, 41TV413, and Smith Cemetery.