History of the Spillman Ranch Cemetery in Austin, Texas explained.

This news article will explain the history behind one of the lesser known cemeteries of Austin and Travis County known as Spillman Ranch Cemetery. Spillman Ranch Cemetery is also known as Spillman Cemetery and Joseph Beck Cemetery.  This cemetery is visible despite being located behind a stone wall.


Edvard Spillman (Edward Spillman) established the Spillman Ranch Cemetery as a family cemetery on his ranch land in 1870. He was buried in this cemetery in 1871. His interment was the first burial of Spillman Ranch Cemetery.  (Ref: A Hill Country Paradise? Travis County and Its Early Settlers, Elaine Perkins)

A German epitaph can be found on Edward Spillmann’s headstone. Edward Spillmann has a headstone with an epitaph in German that translates into English as:

And now at last the hour came
And took away all his pain

(Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180825715/edvard-spillmann)

Austin American-Statesman, the earliest recorded interments at Spillman Ranch Cemetery occurred in 1871 and 1893. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/435114203/)


Spillman Family Cemetery has six burials. Most of them dating back to the 20th century. Although the earliest burial of this cemetery is the grave of Edvard Spillman (Edward Spillman) which dates back to 1871. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2274251/memorial-search#srp-top)

Many of Spillman's descendants still live in the area, and many have been buried in the Spillman Ranch Cemetery, also known as the Joseph Beck Cemetery. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=fFq2CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=%22Spillman+Ranch+Cemetery%22&source=bl)


According to a 2010 news article from Austin American-Statesman, some family members of the Spillman family protested the city’s approval of site and nonpoint source plans for Ash Creek Homes that will allow the developer to build four parking spaces inside the boundary of Spillman Ranch Cemetery, also known as the Joseph Beck Cemetery, in 2010. So the City of Bee Caves and City of Austin prevented any development from occurring inside of the Spillman Ranch Cemetery boundary. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/435114115/)

No remains would be disturbed or need to be moved based on the location of the parking spaces. Gravesites that are known to exist in the cemetery occupy roughly 10 percent of the marked cemetery land. City ordinances prohibit building and paving within 20 feet of cemeteries, but Frank Spillman, who represented himself as the owner of the property, granted Ash Creek Homes an easement to build the spaces by dedicating the land and in return the developer granted the family an easement to maintain visitation. The land is part of a 465- acre tract conveyed to Frank Spillman, his brother Henry Spillman Jr. and sister Golda Lynn Garnett out of the Spillman Ranch area settled in the late 1800s. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/435114203/)

The most recent recorded interments in this cemetery are the burials of Golda Lynn Spillman Garnett from 2019 and John Franklin Spillman from 2021. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2274251/memorial-search#srp-top)


Spillman Ranch Cemetery is located at 12535 Highway 71, Austin, Texas, US 78738. Which is specifically located at located at Shops Parkway and Chinese Holly, Austin, Texas, US 78738. (Ref: https://historic.one/tx/travis-county/historic-cemetery/joseph-beck)