The International Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Georgetown holds some of the state's first settlers. Sam Houston's eldest daughter is buried at the 30-acre site located at 701 Smith Creek Road, along with thousands of former Georgetown residents.
The cemetery was established in 1878 by the IOOF and transferred to the city in 1968 with an understanding that the city would continue to care for the site. Funding for maintenance of the cemetery, however, is set to dry up when all of the plot sites are sold.
At an Oct. 9 workshop, City Council instructed the city's Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees the cemetery, to find ways to bring in more money and keep the cemetery "self-sustaining," Parks and Recreation Director Kimberly Garrett said.
"We're looking for a way ... to make sure the revenue covers the cost," Garrett said. "Right now we have revenue coming in from the selling of the lots, but when the lots are gone, there's no revenue coming in to help offset that cost. We're looking at a way to take some of the funds we're getting now and put it in a trust."
The department expects to have a proposal to City Council early next year.