Roots of long-lost African American cemetery spread from Northeast Side subdivision across history and Texas.
Growing up, Traci Clay ’s father always said he was on his way to “moving home.” Each time Velmil Clay uttered the phrase, she gave him a puzzled look. She knew he grew up on the West Side and couldn’t figure out why he’d talk of returning to his old neighborhood.
Retired major helps uncover long-lost African American cemetery in San Antonio neighborhood Years later, she unknowingly found the place her dad had spoken of with reverence. It was on the Northeast Side, near Northern Hills Elementary School, where she’d wait in the car for her daughter Ella, who twirled a baton in a dance class. Just beyond the school's playground was the Hockley-Clay Cemetery, a long-forgotten family property and the final resting place for many of her ancestors.
Historian leads project to reclaim acreage of rediscovered San Antonio African American cemetery Historical significance San Antonio City Council Member Marc Whyte said he was proud the cemeteries were in his district. In February 2022, the Historic and Design Review Commission named the cemetery a local, cultural heritage district. The designation honors corridors, neighborhoods, individual buildings, objects and sites that have cultural or historic value. “That was a big moment,” Whyte said.
San Antonio archivist helps residents discover community, family history After the event, Fly walked with the group outside, down a grassy easement to the locked gates of the cemetery property. Fly said it took three years to clear the area, which had become so overgrown that sunlight couldn’t penetrate decades-old foliage. A wooden sign above the cemetery fence read, “Hockley Clay Cemetery: Land Donated By Jane Warren-Hockley. Est. Late 1800s.
Historian Cemetery Historical Texas Historical Commission Karnes Historical Commission Historic And Design Review Commission San Antonio City Council San Antonio African American Air Force Velmil Clay Everett Fly Traci Clay Toni Satterwhite African American Jane Clay Ella Iris Grant Marc Whyte Maj. J. Michael Wright Velmil Clay Kelly Roberts Charles Gentry Nettie Cunningham Matthew Elverson David Carlson Easter Hockley Clay Black National Humanities Grant European American Jane Warren-Hockley Gloria Colom Braña Stephen F. Austin Castro Latino Whyte Hockley-Clay Cemetery Northern Hills Elementary School San Antonio Texas West Side Bexar County Winters Family Cemetery Griffin Cemetery Lone Star Community Cemetery Historic Texas Cemetery Karnes County Southwest San Antonio East Side Dewitt Dreamweek Scoutsa Hockley Clay Cemetery: Land Donated There's A Story Here Office Of Historical Preservation Cultural
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