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"In 1893, William M. Tears, Austin's first Black mortician, joined J.M. Holland, Henderson Rollins, Allen Bradley and W.H. Holland, then superintendent of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind Institute for Colored Youths of Texas, to buy East Austin acreage for a Black cemetery. The land, located on Springdale Road across from Sims Elementary School, was named Bethany Cemetery." (Simond, A. (1983). "Family Burial Site Holds Special Meaning for Blacks," in "Looking Back" column, Austin American-Statesman, November 10, 1983.) Because Bethany was a private cemetery, each family was responsible for the upkeep of its own plot. However, as families moved away or died out, many of the graves fell into disrepair. This cemetery comprises approximately six acres, and includes the graves of former slaves, and two Black Civil War veterans. Historically, family members of the deceased provided maintenance of graves in the cemetery. In 1914, the association hired a caretaker who worked there until 1930. Over time, maintenance of the cemetery became sporadic as family members themselves died, leaving few behind to care for the plots. To further exacerbate the situation, the city of Austin opened Evergreen Cemetery that provided perpetual care in 1928. Many graves in Bethany were exhumed and the remains transferred over to nearby Evergreen, leaving even fewer relatives to provide care at Bethany. By 1933, the Bethany Cemetery Company ceased to function, as the founding members had all died."
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