Serving the Houston area for 130+ years.
Stories of
Hollywood
Discover a few of the people whose lives, work and stories became part of the city we know today.
Julia Bedford Ideson
1880 - 1945
Houston’s first professional librarian, Julia Bedford Ideson led the city’s public library for more than four decades and helped develop it into an important cultural and educational institution as Houston rapidly grew.
Her influence remains visible in downtown Houston, where the historic Julia Ideson Building of the Houston Public Library bears her name.
Hortense Sparks Malsch Ward
1872 - 1944
A pioneering Texas attorney and advocate for women’s rights, Hortense Ward was among the first women admitted to practice law in Texas and became the first woman registered to vote in Harris County.
Ward used her legal career to advocate for greater rights for women in Texas. Her legacy is recognized with a Texas Historical Marker located at Historic Hollywood Cemetery.
Japanese immigrant Shinpei Mykawa helped introduce rice cultivation to the Houston area after recognizing that the region’s landscape could support the crop. His work contributed to the growth of the rice industry along the Texas Gulf Coast.
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His legacy remains on the Houston map today through Mykawa Road and the community that came to bear his name.
Shinpei Mykawa
1874 - 1906
Henry Philemon Attwater
1854 - 1931
Naturalist and conservationist Henry Philemon Attwater dedicated much of his life to studying the wildlife and natural history of Texas. His research helped document the state’s native species and encouraged their conservation.
His contributions to natural science are reflected in several animals named in his honor, most famously the endangered Attwater’s prairie chicken.
Mollie Arline Kirkland Bailey
1844 - 1918
Known as the “Circus Queen of the Southwest,” Mollie Bailey became one of Texas’s best-known traveling circus owners, bringing her show to towns and communities throughout the state during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Her remarkable life also included experiences during the Civil War era, and her traveling circus became part of Texas entertainment history before her death in Houston in 1918.
Lawrence Shipley Sr.
1896 - 1967
Lawrence Shipley Sr. founded Shipley Do-Nuts in Houston in 1936, beginning with a family recipe for hot, fresh doughnuts made by hand and sold throughout the city.
What began as a small Houston family business grew into a recognizable Southern brand, making the Shipley name part of Houston’s food culture for generations.
A skilled blacksmith and Houston industrialist, Fritz Hahn co-founded Hahn & Clay, a company that became part of Houston’s growing metalworking and industrial landscape during the early 20th century.
His life’s work is reflected in one of Historic Hollywood Cemetery’s most distinctive memorials—an anvil adorned with miniature tools representing the blacksmithing trade.
Fritz Hahn
1875 - 1935
Franklin Oliver Fuller
1873 - 1934
Attorney Franklin Oliver Fuller represented Southeast Texas in the Texas House of Representatives and rose to serve as Speaker of the House in 1917. His years in state government placed him at the center of an important period in early 20th-century Texas politics.
Fuller later served in the United States Army during World War I before moving to Houston, where he continued his legal career until his death in 1934.
Our History
6 Generations of Houston History
For more than 130 years, Historic Hollywood Cemetery has grown alongside the city it calls home. From its beginnings in 1895 to the generations of Houston families we continue to serve today, every corner of our grounds holds a piece of the city's story.
1895
Hollywood Cemetery Begins
Brothers William James Moore and Samuel B. Moore purchased approximately 55 acres of land in the spring of 1895, establishing what would become Historic Hollywood Cemetery.
Despite what its name might suggest today, “Hollywood” has no connection to California. The cemetery was named for the Hollywood family, who were admired by its founders and would later be laid to rest here.
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1895
Our First Burial
Ten-month-old Buck Henry Warner became the first known person laid to rest at Hollywood Cemetery in July 1895.
His burial marked the beginning of a story that would grow to include generations of Houstonians from all walks of life.
1902
The Hollywood Cemetery Association
On December 23, 1902, the original charter of the Hollywood Cemetery Association of Harris County was filed.
By then, Hollywood was becoming an established part of a rapidly growing Houston and the neighboring Houston Heights community.
1926
The Hall Family Era Begins
Attorney Thomas C. Hall purchased Hollywood Cemetery in 1926, beginning nearly seven decades of stewardship by the Hall family.
1970s
A Changing Landscape
The construction of Interstate 45 reshaped the area surrounding Hollywood and changed the cemetery's original entrance near Little White Oak Bayou. Today, visitors enter the cemetery from North Main Street.
1994
A New Chapter
After nearly seven decades of Hall family stewardship, Hollywood entered a new chapter in 1994. Historic Hollywood Cemetery, Inc. continued the care and operation of the historic property.
2009
The Mercer Family
In 2009, the Mercer family purchased Historic Hollywood Cemetery, beginning a new chapter in its more than century-long history. Under the family's stewardship, Hollywood continues its commitment to serving Houston families while caring for and preserving its historic grounds.
2009 -2012
Historical Recogonition
Hollywood was designated a Historic Texas Cemetery, recognizing its significance to Texas history. A Texas Historical Commission marker followed in 2012, helping preserve and share Hollywood's story for generations to come.
2024
Remembering William "Bill" Mercer
In 2024, Historic Hollywood Cemetery mourned the passing of owner Bill Mercer, who was laid to rest on these grounds. His burial at Hollywood became a meaningful part of the cemetery's own story and the Mercer family's continued connection to the families they serve.
Today
A Family-Run Tradition Continues
Today, Historic Hollywood Cemetery remains family-run and committed to the same purpose that has carried it through more than 130 years of Houston history: providing a lasting place for families to remember those they love. As the Mercer family continues the stewardship of Hollywood, they do so not only as its caretakers, but as a family who has also entrusted the cemetery with one of their own.
Contact Historic Hollywood Cemetery today.
Our Historic Hollywood Cemetery professionals will be happy to assist you with anything from selecting cemetery property to ordering a monument or marker. We are here to help every step of the way.
Contact us today 713-227-5109 or email us at info@hhcemetery.com to get started.