Gower Cemetery Explained

Gower Cemetery
Coordinates:35.6814°N -97.3603°W
Built:1889
Added:December 27, 1991
Refnum:91001895

Gower Cemetery is a historic African American cemetery located in Edmond, Oklahoma. It was established in 1889 by a formerly enslaved couple named Ophelia and John Gower who allowed other families of color and indigent people to bury their dead on their land for free.

History

The burial ground was recognized by the State of Oklahoma in 1907. The Gower's granddaughter worked to have the site added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 as the sole surviving proof of a former black homesteading community in that location. It is estimated that 200 individuals are interred at the site which is located east of Interstate 35 on Covel Road between Douglas and Post Roads.

See also

External links