In 1946, more than 30 acres were purchased from a local farmer to establish a municipal cemetery for the City of College Station. The property surrounded two previously established cemeteries, Shiloh Cemetery, also known as Rector Chapel Cemetery, and Salem Cemetery, also known as Washington Chapel Cemetery. In 1975, the cemetery was decreased in size to create a nature preserve later named the Anderson Arboretum. Before the new cemetery opened, the first burial was for a two-month-old baby, Linda Francis Varvel, on May 1, 1946. Shortly thereafter, on June 15, 1946, Luke Patranella, a well-loved resident and owner of Luke's Grocery, was buried there. Other burials include five of the six original city council members, all Texas A&M faculty members, four presidents of the university, World War II hero General James Earl Rudder, twenty-four-year mayor of College Station Ernest K. Lankford, local surveyor Joseph A. "Joe" Orr, Texas A&M Athletic Department staff member and National Square and Round Dance Hall of Famer Manning F. Smith, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Doctor Eli Whiteley, and Gussie Wilborn, a humanitarian and descendant of early African American pioneers who won the Outstanding Woman of Brazos County award in 1985. Tombstones reflect fraternal organizations including Woodman of the World, Eastern Star, and Masons, and many cultures through languages such as Chinese, Spanish, Czech, and Arabic; lined with trees and maintained by the city and loved ones, the cemetery reflects the community's rich heritage.