Bethlehem Cemetery. Located on land granted to Josiah Lester by the Mexican government prior to Texas independence, this cemetery began in the 1850s after subsequent land-owner Erwin Brown set aside land for a school and church. The site also served as a community burial ground, and the earliest documented grave is that of Susan J. Burdett, who died in 1854 at age 39. Also located here are a number of children's graves, attesting to the often harsh conditions of frontier life. The cemetery remains as a visible reminder of Washington County's pioneer heritage. #8302