Morton Cemetery, Rutherford County, TN

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.