 CEMETERIES |
There are many cemeteries located in the Big Black Creek area. Some of these have been restored and others in some type of restoration process. Projects for restoring cemeteries include -- cleaning grounds that includes cutting grass, trimming trees and the disposing of garbage thrown around and on the cemetery grounds. Cleaning stones and, when necessary, repaired. Stones also need to be replaced on gravesites.
People buried in these cemeteries include: family members buried in one general location, early settlers of this area, Indians, slaves and Civil War soldiers. There are cemeteries adjacent to churches and schools. Others are located in secluded spots where families owned property and they set aside an area to become the "family cemetery."
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Big Black Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery
The Big Black Creek Baptist Church was organized by Obidah Dodson at the springs of the Big Black Creek in a brush arbor. He built a campground at this site and met there each year. The Baptists met in the school house in Denmark, along with the Methodists and Presbyterians, at separate times. The congregation later built a church on the big hill in Denmark. This old cemetery, dating back to about 1826, is located behind the Steve Carter house. There is a legend that gold from a robbery of the Brownsville Bank is buried here between the graves of two children. The Wilson's gave the land for the cemetery.
Ebenezer Cemetery
The Ebenezer Cumberland Church was organized at this site in about 1838 in a brush arbor. In 1840 a one-room church was built on this site that served black and white. The church was moved to Mercer, TN in 1910, but the cemeteries are still used today. There are three cemeteries here - one white and two black. One of the black's cemetery may have been for slaves. The first grave there is 1840. The Historical Association has been working on this cemetery for three years and have found many stones buried. We are in the process of digging them up and restoring them.
Forrest Family Cemeteries
Duncan Lane
Rice Road
This Forrest Family Cemetery is located on land granted the Forrest Family in about 1826. It is still an active cemetery today. A trust fund has been established to maintain it. Elizabeth Brown is buried here; her stone is shown above. She came to our area on a wagon train with her son, Samuel Brown. Her daughter had married a Forrest and she lived with them. She was blind. According to the stone, Elizabeth was born August 26, 1766, ten years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Brown came here from North Carolina, so she could have seen the Revolution.
Maple Springs Cemetery
The Maple Springs Cemetery is located beside the Maple Springs Church. The land for the church and cemetery was given by the Fuller Family. Obidah Dodson organized this church in 1836. This is the Fuller Family stone at the cemetery. The Maple Springs Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in Madison County.
Woodland Cemetery
Land for the Woodland Cemetery was given by Samuel Brown to be used as a community burial ground. It is the site of the Browns Creek Baptist Church, established in 1826, with Obidah Dodson being the pastor. Through the years the name of the church was changed to Woodland, but the cemetery does not belong to the Woodland Baptist Church. It is operated by a board and has a trust fund. Many of the earliest families of the area are buried here. It is believed that slaves are buried in this cemetery as they were members of the church.
Unmarked Cemetery
This small stone was found in a wooded area of Yelverton Road, just off Highway 138 in Madison County, TN. It is for a child, Jefferson Davis; parents are John and Jane C. Davis. Jefferson was born October 19, 1852 and died March 19, 1855. This grave is not uncommon as families would bury their deceased in the yard, or close by. The stones usually came from Sears/Roebuck, or from a stone maker who would come through the neighborhood.
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