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Mr. Cox and his family (no relation to Ohio Governer James M. Cox) migrated from Virginia to Ohio in the early 19th century. They helped found the Village of Osborn in Bath Township. The village was moved in the early 1920s because it was in the flood plain created by the newly constructed Huffman Dam. In 1950, Osborn merged with Fairfield to form the City of Fairborn. The Cemetery, however, remained in its original location.

The government acquired the land surrounding the cemetery in 1944 for the expansion of Patterson Field. It explored relocating the cemetery before agreeing in the purchase contract to provide reasonable maintenance of the site. The grave area was apparently exempted in the initial acquisition, but was subsequently acquired in 1950 through Condemnation Action.

There are no Air Force members buried in the cemetery. Mr. Cox and his family members represent the majority of the graves. The most noted grave site is that of Hiram Honaker, a Cox-family friend and employee. Mr. Honaker was a Black veteran of the Civil War. War Department records state:

Honaker's service record reveals that he was taken into the military service at
Flemingsbury, Ky., in 1864 as a private, Company A. 5th Regiment, U.S. Colored
Cavalry and was honorably discharged as a private at Helena, Ark., March 16
1866.

In March 1971, a replacement tombstone for Private Honaker was placed on his grave by Brig. Gen. Edmund A. Rafalko, 2750th Air Force Base Wing Commander. The Memorial Division of the U.S. Army provided the new stone in response to a request from Representative Henry B. Gonzalez (D-TX). A constituent of Congressman Gonzalez had read a news story on the cemetery and noted that Honaker's grave maker had become obsured by age.

Since 1971, the grave site has been the scene of an annual Memorial Day wreath laying cermony sponsored by the installation commander.