THIS BURIAL GROUND SERVED THE ORIGINAL RESIDENTS OF THE NUECESTOWN COMMUNITY. THE SETTLEMENT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1852 BY COL. HENRY LAWRENCE KINNEY (b. 1814) WHO OWNED A TRADING POST AT CORPUS CHRISTI, 13.5 MILES SOUTHEAST. ORIGINALLY CALLED "THE MOTTS" BECAUSE OF A GROVE OF LARGE TREES, IT WAS LATER NAMED FOR THE NEARBY NUECES RIVER.

LAND WAS DEEDED TO THE SETTLERS BY THE H. L. KINNEY ESTATE FOR USE AS A PUBLIC CEMETERY. THE EARLIEST KNOWN GRAVE IS THAT OF ELIZABETH BEYNON WHO DIED IN NUECESTOWN ON DECEMBER 4, 1854, AT THE AGE OF FOUR. HER PARENTS BENJAMIN AND ELIZABETH B. BEYNON DIED THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND ARE ALSO BURIED HERE.

TWO CITIZENS INTERRED AT THIS SITE, WILLIAM BALL (1831- 1897) AND GEORGE FRANK (1834-1904), WERE KIDNAPPED BY BANDITS ON AN 1875 RAID ON THE COMMUNITY. BOTH MEN MANAGED TO ESCAPE THEIR CAPTORS AND RETURNED TO NUECESTOWN. OTHER GRAVES INCLUDE THOSE OF SIX CONFEDERATE VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR, ONE WORLD WAR I VETERAN, AND ONE VICTIM OF THE 1919 HURRICANE.

NUECESTOWN WAS ONCE THE SITE OF A STAGECOACH INN, PUBLIC FERRY, MEAT PACKING PLANT, COTTON GIN, POST OFFICE, SCHOOL, GENERAL STORE, CHURCHES, AND BLACKSMTTH SHOP, BUT ONLY THE CEMETERY REMAINS.

(1980)