Cemetery Association met in May 1940 at the Nueces Hotel. Headed in 1942 by Mrs. Sam Rankin, its purpose was to make the cemetery the state monument it did become. For a while maintenance may not have been routine, since in 1953 a family complete with dogs and rabbits in hutches was living in one corner of the cemetery, burning their trash on graves. The problem must have been solved, because in 1957 Ms. Webb wrote that "Today the old military cemetery presents an appearance in keeping with its historical associations. Grass and native trees, mesquite and Texas Persimmons, vines, and blooming shrubs lend an air of peace to the hallowed ground while the Stars and Stripes marking each veteran's grave flutter in the cool gulf breeze." Thirty years later on 26 February 1987 the Corpus Christi Times reported that the Bayview mesquite had died, a venerable tree beside which the Dayton funeral was held that was listed among the Texas Forest Service's "Famous Trees of Texas". The offer of a Cuero, Texas lumber mill "to make something of lasting beauty" of it was taken up. Park Superintendent Mike Gordon said cross sections displaying the growth rings would be made. Updating In A New Century Old Bayview Cemetery suffered further damage by vandals. Decades of truck and railroad travel along West Broadway, the construction of Corpus Christi's harbor bridge and of I-37 over the previous fifty years and the traffic these and nearby Concrete Street Amphitheater caused damaging vibrations. Much of the surrounding neighborhood had been bought, with some homes and buildings demolished, again altering the nature of the area. On 1 March 2001 the Caller-Times reported some of the damage and a plan by the Nueces County Historical Commission to engage in a detailed study as well as resrotation. According to the newspaper this began when Rosa G. Gonzales was seeking the grave of a great-great-grandfather, which she did not find, and noticed that the Dayton soldiers had no markers. With the gravesites located she began the project of correcting the situation. The Historical Commission began putting together a detailed account of what was known about the cemetery. The plan according to the Caller-Times was to "document all stone art forms, trees, fencing, stone curbing", compile a detailed account of what is known about the cemetery, and look for relatives of occupants. This historical and archaeological survey resulted in