It was racially segregated for its entire history as a burial place, starting with its origins in the 1870s.

Because of the poverty of many people buried there, some of the graves were marked with wood or random objects rather than stone, or are unmarked.

[3] The City of Waco removed the fence in June 2016, though by then the cemetery was no longer used for burials because of its unclear land ownership and many unmarked graves.

Because of a lack of funding and membership, both organizations voted to turn the ownership of the cemetery over to the city of Waco in 2014.

[2] Journalist Bill Minutaglio has written that the fence "served as a powerful, enduring symbol of racism" in Waco.