Cemetery of the Day

Greenwood Cemetery, Clarksville, Montgomery, TN

2010-01-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

Burial place of William(Willie) Blount, 4th Governor of Tennessee; and Austin Peay IV, the 40th Governor of Tennessee.
Willie Blount was the half-brother of Territorial Governor, William Blount, and served as his private secretary. He served as Governor from 1809 until 1815. He attempted to run for another term in 1827, but lost to Sam Houston.
Austin Peay IV was the only Governor to have died while in office. He served from 1923 until 1927, when failing health took his life. He helped establish the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The college in Clarksville was renamed in his honor in 1929.

The Cemetery at Greenwood was established in 1873 as the first "perpetual care" cemetery in Clarksville. Families from the two older cemeteries, Riverview and Trinity, moved many of their loved ones to the new cemetery. Many of Clarksville's most prominent citizens are buried here, including the two Governors mentioned above, and "Gomer Pyle USMC" actor, Frank Sutton. It is currently the largest cemetery in Clarksville.

Pleasant Forest Cemetery, Farragut, Knox County, TN

2010-01-07T05:20:00.001-08:00

Burial place for the Second Governor of Tennessee, Archibald Roane.Born in Pennsylvania in 1759. Served as Governor between the terms of John Sevier, from 1801 to 1803. Friend of Andrew Jackson, who helped get him elected to Governor. He served under George Washington in the Revolutionary War and was present at Yorktown for the surrender of Cornwallis. He died in 1819 and is buried here, in far west Knox County. Roane County in Tennessee is named for him.
This cemetery is one of the oldest in the area. It was established in 1796 and many of the stones in the areas photographed here are very old and many were hard to read. There is a large marker that notes that this land was given by David and Mary Steel Campbell, who emigrated from Virginia and established the fort here called Campbell's Station.

Knoxville Courthouse, Knoxville, Knox County, TN

2010-01-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

Burial place of First Governor of Tennessee, John Sevier.John Sevier and both wives, Sarah Hawkins and Katherine "Bonnie Kate" Sherrill, are buried on the grounds of the old Knoxville Courthouse in downtown Knoxville.
John Sevier was born in Virginia in 1745. He served as the Governor of the State of Franklin, the first attempt to turn the area of Tennessee into a state yet failed after four years, and was the first and third Governor of Tennessee, serving from 1796 to 1801 and then again from 1803 to 1809. He served as a Colonel in the Revolutionary War and was at the infamous Battle of Kings Mountain, NC. He was infamous in Tennessee for his Indian fighting and helped to settle much of the area in East Tennessee. After his second term as Governor, he spent time in the Tennessee State Senate and the US House of Representatives.
Sevier died in 1815 while out surveying land in Alabama near the Georgia border. He was buried in a modest plot in near Fort Decatur, Alabama until 1889 when the Daughters of the American Revolution and Tennessee residents had his remains moved to the grounds of the Knox County Courthouse.
"Sarah Hawkins, First Wife of Gov John Sevier, 1746-1780. She was the love of his youth, the inspiration of his manhood, a gallant, courageous colonial and revolutionary patriot. Her descendants number many notable leaders of men. Tennessee's First Five Star Mother."
The back of the markers reads:
"Sarah Hawkins Sevier, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Marlin Hawkins, born in Shenandoah County, Virginia. 1746. Died in Washington County, Tennessee, 1780. She had an unusual education and great strength of character. Married to John Sevier at fifteen, she was for the nineteen creative, formative years of his life the greatest single factor in his spectacular early rise to fame and fortune. A wise, capable, understanding wife and mother who commanded her husband's post in his absences. Made the hazardous journey down the Shenandoah Valley in December 1773, with seven children under eleven years of age. The mother of ten, giving five fighting sons to the protection and building of Tennessee. Finally giving her life during an Indian uprising."
She died just after giving birth to her tenth child, after having been moved to the fort along the Nolichuckey River. Because of the Indians in the area, she had to be buried in the woods secretely. Her grave has never been found. The monument here was placed June 3, 1946, the 200th anniversary of her birth.
Katherine Sherrill Sevier BONNY KATE
Died in Russellville, Ala. October 7, 1836.
Kate married Sevier in 1780, after the death of his first wife. She and Sevier had eight children. She was nearly as infamous as her husband for her bravery during the many Indian attacks of the time. She was by John's side to serve as First Lady in each of his terms as Governor and was much loved by the residents of the state. There are schools and other areas of east Tennessee that are named for her. She died while living in Alabama in 1836. In 1922, descendants authorized the moving of her remains to lay beside John at the Knox County Courthouse.
A few months after the re-interment of Bonny Kate, the original headstones of John and Kate were presented to Knox County and placed upon the wall of the courthouse, near where they are now buried.

Near the original headstones is a memorial marker to another heroic Tennessean. The marker reads:

Captain Charles T. McMillan II
United States Air Force
Husband of Janice Means McMillan
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Only Son of Charles T and Nora Long McMillan
Corryton, Tennessee Born Oct 5, 1951
A Tennessee Volunteer who gave his life
while attempting to rescue 53 American
hostages in Iran, April 25, 1980
A privilege of many to love our country,
but destiny decrees that some
make the supreme sacrifice

Charles McMillan is buried at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

First Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, Knox County, TN

2010-01-05T04:57:00.001-08:00

Burial place of First Territorial Governor of Tennessee, William Blount.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Founded 1792, with James White, John Adair and George McNutt founding elders. White, who gave the ground for the Church, is buried here, as are Samuel Carrick, first pastor and president of Blount College, now the University of Tennessee, William Blount, Governor of the Southwest Territory, and many other prominent pioneers.
(from historical marker)
William Blount, 1749-1800. Served as Territorial Governor from 1790 to 1796. He was a member of the Continental Congress and signed the US Constitution in 1787(as a representative of North Carolina). He also served as a Senator from the state of Tennessee from 1796-1997. He named the town of Knoxville for Secretary of War, Henry Knox. His home, built in 1792 in downtown Knoxville, still stands. There was an attempt to impeach him from the US Senate, but it failed. The people of Tennessee loved him however, and he was elected to the State Senate and served as Speaker until his death in 1800.
"In Memoriam JAMES WHITE
Founder of Knoxville, Born Iredell County, NC 1747, Died Knoxville, Tennessee Aug 14, 1821
Captain and Colonel in Revolutionary War, Brigadier General State Troops
Elder First Presbyterian Church, Donor of land for this church and graveyard"
It was part of James White's turnip field that became the churchyard in 1792. He had come to the area and set up home and fort near the forks of the Tennessee River and First Creek in 1786. When the town was to be established, White gave the land between First and Second Creek for it.

The church and graveyard sit on State Street, between Clinch Avenue and Church Avenue. The view in the first photo is from Clinch Ave, the street you see below is State. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Richardson Cemetery, Smyrna, Rutherford County, TN

2010-01-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

I have my daughter to thank for finding this small graveyard. It is located along her bus route, and one day she came home to say she thought she had seen some headstones. At first I dismissed her claim, as I knew there were no cemeteries at all in the vicinity of her school. After she later insisted that she had indeed seen headstones(that's my girl!), I had to check it out.

This small burial area is located just off Old Nashville Highway on Todd Lane. There are eight marked graves and an unknown number of unmarked. Only 2 of the graves have actual headstones, one being a military marker and the other a modest small flat granite marker.

The military marker belongs to Leonard S Richardson, 2nd Lt US Army, who died May 23, 1999. The other marker is for Larry Crawford Jr, who died April 18, 1984. The other markers are all funeral home markers. The surnames(that I could read) include Richardson and Davis. The most remarkable one is for Michael R Davis, who died May 23, 1974. His funeral home marker has been fixed onto a concrete slab, and it still lovingly reads "Pork and Beans" in the type at the top.

Brown and Elder Cemetery, Leanna, Rutherford County, TN

2010-01-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

This African-American cemetery is located just east of State Route 840 on Joe Brown Rd and north of the exit to Sulphur Springs Rd. As it is still a fairly new cemetery, I did not photograph most of the markers. Many were simply funeral home markers. There are probably 50-75 graves, maybe more unmarked. Many of the surnames are Brown and Elder, with Alexander, Finney, Gooch and Smith also. I'm not certain if I had found the "Joe Brown", but there was a marker that was a small homemade concrete cross with letters bought from a supply store-but most had faded and could not be read.

The main sign was down when I visited, I hope to get back one day and get a better photo of the entrance.

Zack Taylor Batey Cemetery, Blackman, Rutherford County, TN

2010-01-02T07:02:00.000-08:00

I found this small cemetery by searching zoning maps. It is located at the back of a yard of a home. It is surrounded by a low thick brick wall. There appears to be about 8-10 burials here. The large marker in the middle has a listing of the members of this family that are buried here. All the rest of the markers that I could see were fieldstones except for one. The one marker with an inscription is a small modest marker that says:
Jennie O Pishan McGuire Nicks Sep 25, 1877-Dec 16, 1931
The family marker lists the following names:

Zack Taylor Batey Nov 18, 1848-Dec 9, 1920
Katherine Richardson Batey Mar 2, 1859-Feb 22, 1923
Albert Green Batey Dec 6, 1879-Aug 5, 1929
Evelyn Macklin Batey Sep 7, 1899-Oct 11, 1899
James LaFayette Batey Jr Feb 16, 1925-Jul 18, 1926
Lorena Lynne Batey Sep 11, 1954-Sep 13, 1954
Lola Katherine Tramel Sep 15, 1964-Sep 15, 1964

According to some sources, Zack Batey is the grandson of Captain William Batey, a Revolutionary War soldier who settled near Blackman and is buried a few miles south of here. Zack's father is listed as Benjamin Bass Batey, whose grave I have not located, though a wife and another son, James M. Batey, are said to be buried in another small cemetery a few streets over. However that cemetery can not be found at this time.

New Year!

2010-01-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

One of my resolutions is to spend more time keeping this blog up to date. One of the first things I'm going to do is post information on all of the cemeteries that I have found in my county, Rutherford County, Tennessee, that were never listed in the historical society's books. These are cemeteries that I found spending hours and hours researching old maps, zoning maps, various books about the county and its history, and time spent simply driving every road in the county looking. Then I hope to get back to posting some of the more interesting cemeteries, graves and stories about cemeteries from the southeast. I hope you enjoy reading them.

Battle of Franklin, TN Unknown Soldier is reburied

2009-11-30T07:49:00.000-08:00

Back in May of this year, the news broke that the bones of a Civil War soldier had been found at a construction site in Franklin. It really came as no surprise to me, I'm more surprised that it doesn't happen more often. It probably does, but most people don't seem to care and dirt is hauled away from construction sites daily without nary a bother to look for anything historical. And I'm still rankled by the thought of the mass grave underneath the Dominoes Pizza across from the Carter House, but that's a whole other story.

On this day in May, workers uncovered the bones and a few artifacts while digging for the foundation of a new condo complex. The location is next to the new Target shopping center, which sits near the base of Winstead Hill. It was never determined whether or not this soldier was Union of Confederate, though most of the fabric found was of a blueish hue. There were Southerners who wore blue, and the area was decidedly an area where Confederates would have died. But there were skirmishes in the years leading up to the Battle of Franklin, which took place on November 30, 1864. Skirmishes everywhere from Columbia to Nashville. And on the day of the battle, there were Union forward pickets who possibly could have been this far south of the main lines of battle.

But it matters not for who this soldier fought. It matters that he died fighting for his country, whether it be to keep the Union whole or for the rights that Southerners so dearly wanted. He was someone's son, possibly someone's husband, father or brother. He was surely missed when he did not return home. And he deserved to be buried an honorable burial, just as any other soldier who does his duty deserves. And admirably, the City of Franklin gave that to him. He becomes the Unknown Soldier of Franklin, buried at the foot of a new memorial to all of the unknown soldiers who died in the area.
The morning of the funeral was a fittingly moody gray, chilly, windy day. And the crowds were much larger than I expected. The morning began with a service in honor of the soldier, and all soldiers really, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church near Five Points in Franklin. At the conclusion, the casket was laid onto a horse drawn caisson, covered in both the flags of the Union and of the Confederacy, and led through the steets of Franklin.
I was amazed to learn that attending the funeral were two actual sons of Civil War veterans. On the left is Harold Becker, 91, son of Charles Becker who fought in the 128th Indiana Infantry, and on the right is James Brown, 97, son of James H. H. Brown who fought in the 8th Georgia Infantry.
Following the caisson were the women mourners dressed in the period clothing.
Many reenactors also attended and marched in the procession. They represented many of the states that fought during the Civil War.
At Rest Haven Cemetery, the crowd was quite large. I was somewhat surprised to see so many.
The casket being brought through the cemetery by Union and Confederate pall bearers.
At the end of the graveside service was a twenty-one gun salute.
Reenactors from the different states that were represented at the Battle of Franklin brought some soil from their home states to be buried with the unknown soldier. They took turns placing the dirt onto the grave and giving a respectful salute.
This is the memorial to the Unknown Soldier of the Battle of Franklin. This was the best shot I could get of it that day. I will certainly get back to get better photographs of it one day. It was created from the limestone columns that once graced the Capitol building in Nashville. The old columns were replaced in the 1950s. There is a memorial to the stonecutters on the Capitol grounds now. Most of the rest of the columns sit in a field near the old Tennessee State Prison off Briley Parkway.
The pine box, lowered into the ground, covered with the soil of the possible states he could have called home.
I didn't want to be negative at all in this column that is dedicated to someone who died 145 years ago, but I spent a bit of time at the memorial being a bit ticked off. There are far too many people out there with absolutely NO respect for the dead. How much I would loved to have gone over and smacked this guy upside the head. But he wasn't the only one. I saw people on the opposite side of the crowd who could not have actually been 10 feet tall-and I doubt were sitting on someone's shoulders, unless that someone was a weightlifting champion. And the conversations I overheard from many made me wonder why they bothered to come out for this. But then again, there are far too few people these days who have any respect for the dead or for the past. At least my daughter won't be one of them when she grows up.

Grassmere Cemetery, Nashville Zoo, Nashville, Davidson County, TN

2009-10-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

The last thing you might expect to see at a trip to the zoo is a cemetery! There is one at the Nashville Zoo in Nashville, Tennessee. The historic house here was built in 1810 by Michael C Dunn. Dunn later sold the home to his son-in-law, Lee Shute, who later gave the home and land to his son, William and new bride, Lavinia. One of their daughters married Willam Croft, and his daughters, Elise and Margaret, eventually came to live at Grassmere until their deaths. It was their idea to leave the home and land to the city of Nashville as a place to study animals and nature.

The land was owned by the Children's Museum for many years. Eventually, in 1996, the Nashville Zoo at Joelton closed and moved to the Grassmere Park. Despite being a zoo featuring wild animals such as tigers and elephants, the area around the Croft home has been maintained as a working 19th century farm. The home can be toured, there is a full garden, barn with farm animals, and the family cemetery.

Those buried here include original owner Michael C Dunn(1770-1853) and his wife Elizabeth(1781-1837); his son John R Dunn(1803-1836); the Croft sisters, Margaret(1889-1974) and Elise(1894-1985); and various other family members. Supposedly the Shute family members were moved to Mt Olivet in Nashville, but the marker for Lavinia is still here and there are no markers for them at Mt Olivet.

Apologies!

2009-09-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'd like to apologize for my lapse during the summer months! I spent a good deal of time away from home and with family. I appreciate all those who have posted comments and who have been checking in looking for new posts.

I hope to get back to making timely posts on the cemeteries I have visited around the south.

Thanks again for reading!

Bakers Creek Church Cemetery, Blount Co, Tennessee

2009-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Bakers Creek Church-This Presbyterian church was established in 1756. Its first pastor was the Rev. Gideon Blackburn who served an extensive circuit in the area. Elizabeth Paxton Houston, mother of Sam Houston, is buried here. [from historical marker]
I visited Bakers Creek Cemetery on July 24, 2009. It is located about 8 miles southwest of Maryville, south of Hwy 411, left on Brick Mill Rd and right on Old Niles Ferry Pike. It is named for nearby Baker's Creek, a tributary of the Little Tennessee River.
As stated on the historical marker, this is the burial place of the mother of Sam Houston. Elizabeth Paxton Houston died September 8, 1831 in her 74th year. Sam was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, but the family moved to the Maryville area after the death of his father in 1807. While the family lived southwest of Maryville, Sam eventually settled northeast of town and founded a school-the first ever school built in the state of Tennessee. Sam is buried in Huntsville, Texas.

This cemetery is also the resting place for 5 Revolutionary War soldiers: Samuel Thompson, Andrew Kennedy, Magnus Tullock, Samuel Henry, and Thomas Montgomery.

Taliaferro-Cole Cemetery, Williamsburg, Virginia

2009-04-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

This small cemetery is located with the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg. It is near the corner of S. Nassau St and W. Francis St, in a field. At times there are sheep in the field, as seen in the top photo. Other times, the sheep are gone and a small outer fence's gate may be open. It is nearly directly behind the Taliaferro-Cole House located on Duke of Gloucester Street.

There are 4 marked graves here, none of which are known to be Taliaferro's. Charles Taliaferro was a coachmaker who lived in the home for nearly 30 years starting in the 1770s. The Coles bought the home in the early 1800s and used it as a post office and general store.

Buried here are:
Catherine B Cole, child of RF & ER Cole, 1845-1846
Jesse Cole, son of RF & ER Cole, 1850-1866
George Washington Labby, son of Pleasant Labby, 1825-1855
and the last marker which only states
"Sweet Daisy aged 23 months and 4 days"

Old Isham's Grave, Noah, Coffee County, Tennessee

2009-04-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, not all cemeteries listed here are "people" cemeteries! This is the grave of "Old Isham". It is located in Coffee County, on French Brantley Rd, between Interestate 24 and Hwy 41.
"Old Isham" was the honored mount of General Benjamin Franklin Cheatham, a native of Nashville and a Confederate General during the Civil War. The horse was named for Tennessee Governor, Isham Harris. After the war, Cheatham took Old Isham back to his farm in Tennessee. When Isham died, he was buried here with full military honors. Cheatham died in 1886 and is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.

Rosehill Cemetery, Meridian, Lauderdale County, MS

2009-04-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Located in Meridian, on 40th Avenue. Large, active cemetery.
Many Confederate dead are buried here. A monument and large sign board list the known dead from the Confederate states who died in area battles. There are also many markers of local Mississippi soldiers who died later and are buried here.

The most interesting people in this cemetery may be the "King and Queen of the Gypsies", Emil and Kelly Mitchell. Emil was born around 1857 in Brazil, he died in Alabama in1942. His first wife, Kelly, was born around 1868 and died in 1915 during childbirth. Thousands attended her funeral. And now people travel from all over to lay offerings at her grave. On the day we visited in 2005, there were a number of wine bottles and many Mardi Gras beads(as seen in photo). Other members of the family are buried to either side of them. The gravesite is even listed on the website Roadside America!

Andersonville National Cemetery, Macon County, Georgia

2009-04-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

Located at the Andersonville National Historic Site in Macon County. This was the site of probably the most famous and largest Confederate prison camp from the Civil War. It housed upwards of 45,000 Union prisoners of which nearly 13,000 died of disease and starvation, among other causes. The cemetery contains 13,714 graves, 921 being marked "unknown".
A group of prisoners who took advantage of their fellow soldiers was known as the "Andersonville Raiders". On July 11, 1864, six of the leading raiders were hanged. They are buried here, but separate from the soldiers they terrorized.

Greenwood Cemetery, Metairie, Orleans Parish, Louisiana

2009-04-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Established in 1852 by the Fireman's Charitable and Benevolent Association. The first New Orleans graveyard not to be walled in. The prominent monuments near the front gates can easily be seen by passersby on the nearby Interstate 10. It is in a "cemetery rich" area of town, with Metairie across the interstate, and Cypress Grove across Canal Street, and numerous others in the area.
Confederate Memorial. The faces on the four sides are of Generals Robert E Lee, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Leonidas Polk(a Bishop of Louisiana) and Albert Sydney Johnston. Below the monument is a mass grave of 600 unknown Confederate soldiers.

A cemetery that I have visited many times and always look forward to visiting again.

Palmer Chapel Cemetery, Cataloochee, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina

2009-04-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

Located in Big Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is at the top of a high hill across the road from the Palmer Chapel. Many of the valleys original settlers are buried here, Bennett's, Caldwell's and Palmer's.

This marker says:
Young Bennett 1812-1894
and wife Allie Mease Bennett 1811-1891
Among the first permanent settlers of Cataloochee (early 1840s), They are buried near this spot. A son, Creighton(CSA) is buried nearby.

Smith Cemetery, Poquoson, Virginia

2009-04-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Located in Poquoson, off Brickhouse Ln, just east of White Creek Rd/Rt 172. This cemetery was founded in 1851 by Henry Smith in memory of Martha Presson Smtih. The marker says it was called Oxford in 1637, and Ashland in 1833. This is an active cemetery, and there are many more recent graves here than the only one I photographed below.

This marker with these names is located at the foot of this brick grave covering.
Martha Presson Smith 1802-1850
Frances Topping Watkins 1826-1851
Henry Smith Jr 1824-1864
Henry Smith Sr 1798-1866
Sarah Smith Curtis 1837-1869
Walter Martin 1805-1881

James Cemetery, Smyrna, Rutherford County, TN

2009-04-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Located on the small rise in the yard near the bush shown in the photo. Tarrytown Drive. All markers are down, broken and flat.

The family that are buried here once lived in the beautiful old home that is one street north, Carter Lane. After the elder James' passed away, one of the daughters, Mollie James(who never married), sold the home to Houston Carter(for whom the street is now named).

William R James 1808-1897
Elizabeth Caroline James 1819-1874
Nannie R James White 1843-1903
Garrett T James 1845-1874
Mary T Walpole 1821-1892

Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee

2009-04-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Located on South Holtzclaw Ave, between E Main and Bailey Ave. Visited in 2007.

This National Cemetery was formed after the Battle for Chattanooga in 1863. Major General George H Thomas chose the location, facing Missionary Ridge on one side and Lookout Mountain on the other. By 1870 there were over 12,800 internments including the fallen from battles around the area and Sherman's men who had fallen during his march through Georgia.

There are also 78 German prisoners of war who died while being held during World War I.
Probably the most impressive monument here is the one erected in 1890 by the state of Ohio to the memory of "Andrews Raiders". Named for the group's leader, a civilian scout, James J Andrews, the group consisted of 22 Union volunteers. The "Raiders" stole a locomotive, The General, in 1862 in northern Georgia, in order to disrupt Confederate supplies going between Chattanooga and Atlanta. The train was eventually caught and some of the "Raiders" were hung as spies. Most of the men later received the Medal of Honor(though Andrews himself was a civilian and not eligible). The eight who were executed are buried here, around the monument.

Florence City Cemetery, Florence, Lauderdale County, Alabama

2009-04-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Located on East Tennessee Street in Florence, Alabama. Visited August 2008.

Recently placed on the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register. There are many veterans of previous wars here, including many Civil War veterans, some from the War of 1812 and perhaps even one from the Revolutionary War. The cemetery was established along with the town in 1818, but the oldest known burial is from 1831.

The most interesting story from the cemetery is noted on a historical marker along East Tennessee St. It talks of"Mountain" Tom Clark, who was hanged September 4, 1872. The text from the marker reads:

This notorious outlaw gang leader who boasted that no one would ever run over Tom Clark lies buried near the center of Tennessee Street where now all who pass by do run over him. In 1872 Clark, who terrorized helpless citizens during the Civil War, confessed to at least nineteen murders, including a child, and was hanged with two companions. Although graves were already dug in a nearby field, outraged townspeople interred Clark beneath Tennessee Street this bringing his boast to nought. "

Oak Alley Plantation Cemetery, Vacherie, St James Parish, LA

2009-04-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Location: West of Vacherie, south of the Mississippi River, along the River Road, about 55 miles from downtown New Orleans. Admission is most likely required to view the grounds.

Oak Alley was originally built with slave labor from 1837 to 1839 by J.T. Roman. He was the brother of André Roman, the second Governor of Louisiana. The home is mostly known for it's avenue of tremendous Live Oak trees that lead from the front porch of the home to the Mississippi River. The trees were supposedly flourishing for some years before the house was built.

After several successful and non-successful owners, the plantation was bought and refurbished by the Stewarts in the 1920's. Andrew and Josephine Stewart are buried in the small graveyard on the west side of the home. Her nephew, Zeb Mayhew Jr, took over care of the plantation after her death in 1972. He passed away in 1994 and is also buried there. It is unclear(to me at least) where previous owners may be buried.

Eusebia Church Cemetery, Blount County, Tennessee

2009-04-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Located on Highway 411, just inside the Blount County line across from Sevier County. The side street is Burnett Station Rd. The small forts in the area during the late 1700s were often called "stations". This particular area was settled around 1784 and the cemetery was formed after the first death in the group. It was after that, that a Reverend organized a church next to the cemetery.
This cemetery has one of the largest number of Revolutionary War soldiers that I know of in Tennessee. There are 15 buried here. They are:
Andrew Bogle 1753-1813
Joseph Bogle Jr 1759-1811
Joseph Bogle Sr 1730-1790
John Boyd Sr 1745-1838
Andrew Creswell 1757-1838
John Cusick (dates unknown)
Josias Campbell 1760-1823(or 1812, unknown)
Joseph Black Sr 1747-1825
George Hadden 1751-1843
John McCrosky 1757-1843
Samuel McMurray 1755-1821
Michael McNelly 1747-1822
Robert McTeer 1740-1824
John Pickens 1751-1835
John Sharp Jr 1762-1844

Harpers Ferry Cemetery, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

2009-04-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Harper Cemetery, located near the top of the hill overlooking the picturesque historical town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Robert Harper, for whom the town is named, set out these 4 acres for a graveyard for the small village he settled. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, the town was a volatile player in the War Between the States. John Brown's raid of 1859 happened here and the town changed hands between the North and South eight times during the war.

The small walled area is where the Harper family is buried. Robert Harper had no children and left most of his land to his niece. The town doesn't look very different than it did in the 1860s, the population is still only listed at around 300.

Adkerson Cemetery, Rutherford County, TN

2009-04-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

A cemetery within a cemetery. These headstones are actually located at Mt Juliet Cemetery in Wilson County, Tennessee. They once belonged in Adkerson Cemetery which was located near the Stones River off of Harbor Drive which still runs north from Jefferson Pike east of the Lake.

The Lake, J. Percy Priest Lake, was formed when the Stones River was damned. The dam was built between 1963 and 1968. In that time, hundreds of graves from Rutherford, Davidson and Wilson counties were relocated, as well as hundreds of people who lived along the river. The whole town of Jefferson was removed-as if it never existed.

This small family graveyard is just one of many from Rutherford County that was relocated to Mt Juliet. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, those responsible for the move, this graveyard had these 2 headstones and 17 more unknown whose graves had not been marked.

The two we do know the identity of are Samuel P Tucker, Nov 12, 1846-June 13, 1870; and Maud Rose, twin daughter of John H and Sallie Adkerson, Feb 17-Sep 12, 1872.

Burns-Davis Cemetery, Williamson County, Tennessee

2009-04-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

This small graveyard is one I see every time we drive the Natchez Trace Parkway in western Williamson County. Located just south of the Garrison Creek picnic area, around mile marker 427. The time we stopped to take the photos in 2002 the gate to the fenced-in cemetery was locked. There is no listing in the Williamson County cemetery research book with the names shown on these headstones.
BURNS Mrs L. J. Dec 13, 1839-Aug 31, 1919
DAVIS W. E. "Father" July 31, 1870-Sept 6, 1938
DAVIS Carrie V. "Mother" June 1, 1881-(no death date)
DAVIS Ezekial T. Feb 2, 1904-Sept 3, 1923

Live Oak Cemetery, Pass Christian, Harrison County, Mississippi

2009-04-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

Located across the street from historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Pass Christian, Mississippi, on St Louis Street at Church Street. Today I want to talk about a beautiful, old, historic cemetery that needs help. My first visit was in June 2005, just two months before Hurricane Katrina decimated this town. The name of the cemetery, Live Oak, perfectly described the beauty of this setting. The Oaks were numerous and despite it being a bright sunny day, most of my photos that day are quite dark as the full, old trees with their mass amounts of hanging Spanish moss created a canopy over the graveyard that was graceful and spooky at the same time.

The graves here dated from the early 1800s, though the exact date of the earliest grave is unknown. Some of those buried here include Frances Parke Lewis Butler, 1797-1895, great-granddaughter of Martha Washington and grand-niece of George Washington; Captain Samuel McCutcheon, 1773-1840, a former owner of Ormond Plantation near New Orleans; and a man, Michael Cuddy, a native of Ireland, who died in what has become known as the "Last Duel in Pass Christian", May 21, 1826.

And then came August 29, 2005 and Hurricane Katrina. Katrina pushed a wall of water over the entire Mississippi coast and washed away nearly everything from the beach to nearly a mile inland. Not merely flooded like New Orleans, the Mississippi coast was almost wiped clean(I know, my mother lost her home there). The photo below is roughly the same view as the one at the top.

These photos were taken in September of 2007, almost two full years since Katrina hit. When I visited two weeks after the storm, I could not get as far as Pass Christian as we were only given passes to the area where our home was(Long Beach), and many roads were still completely impassable. When I did get back in 2007, this was one of the first places I had to visit. And I was stunned to see the devastation. I sat in tears for some time.
The grave above is that of Frances Butler, mentioned above. There had been an iron fence surrounding the plot, but all that was left was the gate. The McCutcheon family tomb and the box tombs around it, below, were reduced to rubble. Trinity Church was severely damaged, but the framework held up even when the walls washed away. The high school just east of the cemetery was completely destroyed. To see more of Pass Christian, before and after photos from Katrina, this is a good website to visit. I have many "after" photos, but not nearly enough "before".

I hope to return some day, to check on the progress of this cemetery. However I live in Middle Tennessee. My mother has moved on to East Tennessee. My sister also had lived in Gulfport, MS at the time of Katrina-her husband had been stationed there in the Navy. He has since been transferred to Virginia and they will be leaving for a tour in Italy soon. So I have no family in Mississippi anymore. But I hope that one day I can find the time to return to visit this wonderful community.

Jefferson Family Graveyard, Monticello, Albermarle County, Virginia

2009-04-05T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Jefferson Family Graveyard, located at Monticello in Albermarle County, southeast of Charlottesville, off of Hwy 53, the Thomas Jefferson Parkway. These photos were taken in February of 2003. The Jefferson Family Graveyard is open to all direct family members and descendants of Thomas Jefferson and is still used to this day. There are approximately 200 people buried there now.
The site was chosen by Jefferson and a friend, his brother-in-law, Dabney Carr in 1773. Carr was married to Jefferson's sister and he died in 1773. He would be the first buried here, in a spot chosen by Jefferson. The site sits just down the hill southwest from the main house. Jefferson's immediate family surround his obelisk marker at the north end of the cemetery.

The grave of Thomas Jefferson. This obelisk marker was not one chosen by him, it was added later by the United States in 1883, 57 years after his death. His original marker was more modest, as was the inscription, which he chose himself. He made no mention of being President. The epitaph he wrote says:

Here lies buried
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the
Declaration of American Independence
of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom
and Father of the University of Virginia

And his grave faces northwest, directly towards Charlottesville and his beloved University of Virginia.
The dates at the bottom read:
Born April 2, 1741 O.S.
Died July 4, 1826

The O.S. refers to the "Old Style" calender that was in use prior to 1752. Eleven days were added when dates were shifted and many graves of the era show somewhat confusing dates because of this. You can read more about the explanation at the Official Monticello website.

Of all cemeteries I have visited, this is one of my favorites. And as for Presidential grave sites, this is by far and away my favorite. A must see for any graving enthusiast.

Cole Cemetery, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

2009-04-04T07:55:00.001-07:00

Cole Cemetery is located inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is appropriately located down a short hike at a pulloff along Hwy 441 designated a "Quiet Walkway", just south of Sugarlands Visitor Center, and about 300 yards east of the road.

There are fallen rock walls along three sides of this cemetery. There are probably around 30-40 burials here, but only 2 markers. When I visited in the fall of 2004, one of the markers appeared to be a fairly new Confederate States of America military issued marker for a Pvt Joseph Henry Dodgen, Co G 12 South Carolina Infantry, born 1841 died 1880.
The second marker also looked fairly new and is probably a replacement marker for an older sandstone handcarved stone that is pretty common for this area of the country. The names on it are Vance and Betty Newman.
There were also a few small uncarved(as far as I could tell) stones, but most of the graves here are completely unmarked. According to the book, In the Shadow of the Smokies, a book listing cemeteries in Sevier County, Tennessee, there used to be a few small glass jars listing some names of those known to be buried here, all with the surnames of Cole. Also thought to be buried here are family by the name of Ogle-a popular name in the area.

This is one of about 140 small family cemeteries within the boundaries of the state park. Many are lost to nature or were unmarked to begin with.

Lutheran Church Cemetery, Bardstown, Nelson Co, KY

2009-04-03T04:43:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to post a cemetery that really means a lot to me. This is the burial place of my 3rd-great-grandparents.
Lutheran Church Cemetery(church no longer stands), northwest of Bardstown, Kentucky. Take Highway 245 to Lutheran Church Rd, left and the cemetery is 1/4 mile on the left.

I visited this cemetery July 2008. I was rather disappointed to see how much vandalism had taken place here. I wish I lived closer so that I could do more for it. In the second photo, the row on the right, the 2nd and 3rd headstones are of my relatives. I was also disappointed to see that my great-great-great-grandfather, Samuel Heffley, did not have a military headstone. From what I've been told from family, he was a Kentucky Sharpshooter and served with Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. It was sad not to see "War of 1812" noted or even a flag at his grave. In fact, much of the cemetery seemed to have the surname of "Heffley", and certainly they are all cousins of mine.

My 3rd great-grandparents:
Samuel B Heffley Sep 20, 1792-Aug 13, 1965
Elizabeth Mathis Heffley Jan 3, 1798-Jan 20, 1891

And I also found buried here who I believe are Elizabeth's parents(4x great-grandparents):
Conrod Mathis Jun 16, 1746-Sep 6, 1832
Mary Magdelena Sep 19, 1750-Jan 13, 1833
(these markers CLEARLY show CONROD although all records I find list the names as CONRAD, and MATHIS, though it is spelled other places as MATHEWS)

And a brother of hers and his wife:
Conrod Mathis March 5, 1787-March 26, 1832
Mary M [Streit] Mathis Aug 26, 1789-May 8, 1844

**I am researching this on other sites as I type this**

And I find that possibly Conrad Mathews(Mathis), 1746-1832, may have served in a Maryland unit during the Revolutionary War-which makes this another in my list of Revolutionary ancestors! And his father came from (shock!) France-though technically, Alsace was part of Germany at times so it is more likely that they were 'technically' German(as are nearly all of my ancestors). Elizabeth's mother, Mary, has the maiden name of Weller, and there are quite a few of her brothers and their families buried here as well. Apparently many of the Weller and Mathews and Heffley familes moved from the Frederick County, Maryland area to Nelson County, Kentucky sometime between 1790 and 1800.

Some of the other surnames found here are Lutz, Shoptaugh, and Miller(I really only photographed Heffleys and the older markers).

Morton Cemetery, Rutherford County, TN

2009-04-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

Morton Cemetery, located on Poplar Wood Rd, just east of the intersection with Rocky Fork Rd. Smyrna, Rutherford County, Tennessee.

I wanted to go from the big to the small for my 2nd cemetery of the day. This is a small cemetery not far from where I live. And I have mixed feelings about it. A few years ago I had searched for this cemetery but didn't find it as it was hidden deep in some woods behind a private home. And then along came the Rutherford County Schools. The home had actually been vacant at the time(if I had known, I probably would have poked around more), and the land was bought for the building of a new elementary and middle school.
So on one hand, the cemetery was found, moved and saved. It was moved to a spot at one of the entrances to the schools. Unfortunately, the beautiful old Morton home(pictured below) did not survive- though the core of the home, the original log house, was saved and relocated to Rock Island, Tennessee(I've been there recently and couldn't find it-I should ask a park attendant next time).

A nice new monument to those known buried here was also added. The names on it are the same as the markers that are mostly broken and laid flat in the newly fenced area. There are 4 average stone markers and 1 box tomb that is laid flat in many pieces.

Those buried here are:
GW Morton July 24, 1839-March 14, 1869
James Wilson Morton Feb 1, 1811-Feb 11, 1868
Anna Eliza Hicks Morton Nov 19, 1828-Oct 24, 1878
James Wilson Morton Nov 25, 1785-Apr 10, 1859(the large box tomb)
Nancy Newsom Morton 1789-Jan 26, 1869 wife of James Morton

Many reports came out at the time of the moving that this was possibly the resting place of a Revolutionary War soldier, however there is another Morton Cemetery just west of here on the top of a hill that is supposedly the true resting place of Revolutionary War Soldier, James B Morton. Most likely they are related, but I cannot confirm this at this time.

Many thanks to Rutherford County for at least saving this cemetery, unlike the many that have been simply bulldozed for subdivisions and "progress". I hope to see more like this as our county continues to grow.

Arlington National Cemetery

2009-04-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

A fitting way to start this blog off.

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Across the Potomac River from Washington DC. Probably the most famous cemetery in America.

These photos were taken from a trip I took there in December of 2003. I loved the way everything looked with the snow. I've also visited Arlington at least 3 other times that I can remember. I can't help but list this as my favorite cemetery to visit.

Shown in the photos above include John F Kennedy's grave and eternal flame; The Memorial Amphitheater and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; and the statue of Major General Philip Kearny, a United States General during the Civil War. Arlington House, the home of Robert E Lee prior to the Civil War, can be seen in the second photo. And the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument can be seen in the distance in the final photo.

There is so much to say about this solemn place, but I can hardly find the right words. If you have been there, you know what I mean. If you have not, I would rank it among the top 10 places to see in America. All Americans should pay their respects to those who died for our freedoms.

For more information, please visit the official website.

Ask questions here

2009-03-30T14:54:00.001-07:00

If you have any questions about cemeteries I have visited but have not posted here yet, this is the place to ask the questions or provide additional information. You should not need an account to post a comment.

Thanks for reading!

Rutherford County Cemetery info

2009-03-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Kim and I live in Rutherford County, Tennessee. I spend as much time as I can(which lately hasn't been as much as I would like) researching and visiting and photographing the many, many cemeteries and graveyards in our county. According to the new book published by the Rutherford County Historical Society, there are close to 760 cemeteries in our county. Yes, some of those listed in the book are actually in surrounding counties, but not enough to diminish the fact that our county has A LOT of cemeteries!

I have had a website dedicated to locating and photographing the tombstones here almost ever since I moved here in 2002. I have to admit that in the past 3 years I've had a number of setbacks, such as car trouble after car trouble and the whole thing with my mom losing her home to Hurricane Katrina. And getting hooked on a video game that has taken up entirely too much of my time in the past 3 years!

I have recently been inspired to get back at it and hope I can finally get quite a bit of my information on to my website. I cannot spend the time traveling the back roads like I used to locating new cemeteries, but that gives me more time to hopefully get what I can uploaded(photos from about 200 of the over 700 cemeteries!). I will still try to get out with the family when the weekends are nice. And I will post about what I find on my personal blog.

I am hoping that anyone that comes across my Rutherford County Tombstone Photo Project website and has any questions or information to add will choose to respond here. I've had far too much trouble with e-mails in the past and my last yahoo address is only ever filled with hundreds of spam e-mails and I simply don't have the time to sift through them all. It is much easier to check here every day to see if anyone responds.

And as I've mentioned on most pages of my website, I don't take outside submissions now as the photos are on my personal website that is a personal scrapbook for my photos of all subjects. While this is somewhat a "for the public" project, 99% of my website is photos taken on my many vacations and I prefer to keep all photos on my website my own. There is another Rutherford County cemetery blog that has been started that does take outside submissions, they are also a great place to check for those cemeteries I haven't visited yet.

Thank you.

Cemetery of the Day

2009-03-26T10:47:00.001-07:00

Beginning April 1st, this blog will begin posting a photo(or several) and some information about a different cemetery each day.

The cemeteries will be ones that I have personally visited and photographed. They will be located in one of the following states: Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Louisiana and Georgia. The posts will contain as much information as I possibly know with the exception of full transcriptions(unless the cemetery is very small and contains only a few known graves).

Thank you for taking a look around.