In 1870 Henry E. Smith, owner of the quarter section of land that includes this site, set aside 26 acres for a cemetery for Wichita. At that time, a few burials had already taken place on this grassy knoll. Smith, along with other citizens, established an association to develop the site, and in March 1872 the Wichita Cemetery Association was incorporated and the acreage was purchased. Although the name "Highland" has been associated with the cemetery since 1873, it did not become the official name until later. The cemetery was dedicated in 1988 by the Historic Wichita Board.

Among those interred here are:

William Mathewson,
The original Buffalo Bill

William "Dutch Bill" Greiffenstein & Darius Sales "Squire" Munger,
The founders of Wichita

The Rev. Wilberforce K. Boggs,
First pastor of First Presbyterian Church

Roland P. Murdock,
Business manager and brother of the founder of the Wichita Eagle

Louise Caldwell Murdock,
Benefactor of the Wichita Art Museum's famous Roland P. Murdock Collection of American Art

J.O. Davidson,
Merchant and promoter of the Riverside area

Kos Harris
Attorney and local historian

Fritz Snitzler and his son Henry,
Saloon keepers and restauranteurs

Richard and Sara Robinson,
Black pioneers

Jack Ledford,
Controversial hotel keeper who was shot in an exchange of gunfire outside a privy

John Noble,
Internationally known painter

Dr. F.O. Miller,
Wichita's first black physician

John B. Carey,
Developer of the Carey (Eaton) Hotel

William Eugene Stanley,
Fifteenth Governor of Kansas

A. Price Woodard,
First black City Commissioner and Mayor