Old Bayview Cemetery is located in downtown Corpus Christi under mesquite trees. It was established in 1845 and is the oldest federal military cemetery in Texas. The cemetery is the burial site for soldiers, settlers, community leaders, and residents from early Texas history.
The cemetery began with a land donation from Col. H.L. Kinney, who founded Corpus Christi. The site was chosen for its hilltop location, which overlooks Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay. U.S. Army Engineers designed the layout while Brigadier General Zachary Taylor’s troops were in the area before the Mexican War. This gave the cemetery early military importance.
The first burial took place on September 14, 1845, after a boiler explosion on the steamship Dayton near Ingleside-on-the-Bay. Seven soldiers died in the accident, and Kinney provided the land for their burial. This happened before Corpus Christi became an official city, making the cemetery an early part of the community…