Cunningham Cemetery – Bastrop County – United States

Cunningham Cemetery is located at 4145 Unger Road near Smithville in Bastrop County, Texas. The burial ground was first used after John C. and Susan (Prentice) Cunningham arrived in the area in 1831, with the earliest burials including members of their family and enslaved people. After Emancipation, African American residents acquired land associated with the Cunningham and other settlers and established the Center Union freedom colony. The cemetery became Center Union’s primary burial ground, serving a community whose institutions included churches, businesses, health care and schools. Although Center Union declined during the 1920s because of drought and employment opportunities in cities, the cemetery remains active for descendants and their families. A Texas Historical Commission marker recognizes Cunningham Cemetery as a Historic Texas Cemetery; cemetery records and transcriptions are available through Bastrop County historical and genealogical collections. ([thc.texas.gov](https://thc.texas.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/THC_Quarterly_HPD_April2024.pdf?utm_source=openai))