Bowman Cemetery LbNA #45106 (ARCHIVED)

The Bowman Cemetery was started in 1868 when John D. Bowman buried his daughter. The cemetery and park cover 3.6 acres of land. The deed is listed in Vol 3094, p 549. It says this is a masonic cemetery. There are 2 fenced areas in this cemetery. The Bowman section is the one with the tall spires and the wrought-iron fence. The other section is for the Browns and has a wire fence. There are several stones outside the fences. The overall cemetery is not fenced, just the family plots. The local Masonic lodge deeded the cemetery to the city of Plano in 1989. The cemetery has a City of Plano Historical Marker. The city of Plano maintains the cemetery and park. The Rand McNally Maps list this as the Oak Cemetery. When obituaries refer to the Masonic Cemetery in Plano, this is the cemetery they are referring to.

Starting from Park Boulevard and 75 in Plano, go east on Park. Turn left (north) on Jupiter Road. Turn right (east) on Royal Oaks. Turn left (north) on Oak Grove Drive. (The street is named Majestic if you are turning right.) Follow the winding street. Pass a children's playground on the left. On the right you will see a sign that says "Sante Fe Park - Bowman Cemetery - Plano, Texas." Park and walk up the hill. The box is located between the headstone and the tree located in the northeast corner of the area with a fence about three feet high.