Kinfolk, Ancestors, History & Stories |
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USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The Houston-Gibson family cemetery is located on a former Houston estate at a point overlooking Green River, near Irwin's Landing. The cemetery is accessible via two paved roads:
Evans family members have been exceedingly gracious in permitting access to the cemetery through their land, and will direct visitors to its location. (Of course, common courtesy dictates that we ask permission of some member of the Evans family.) Little is presently known of the cemetery's origins, nor of it's legal status, if any. Indeed its legal status should be researched and resolved at the earliest opportunity, and certainly before any restoration work is undertaken. What is at once evident to the visitor is the long neglect and criminal abuse suffered by this historic burial ground. Benign neglect alone could hardly account for the extensive damage to grave stones, and Elias Evans recounts an episode that may shed light upon this sad state of affairs. Evans recalls that wooded areas of the Houston estate were logged shortly before his family purchased the place. Newly cut stumpage in the cemetery suggested that it had also been logged, and Evans noted that numerous grave stones appeared to have been toppled and broken by felled trees, and that some stones obviously had been misplaced by log skidding. While the marks of that vandalism can never be wholly erased, that is, some original stones can neither be repaired nor replaced, and those displaced by the skidders can never be precisely relocated, it still should be possible to restore the old cemetery to a semblance of order and integrity. It once occupied a venue of great natural beauty, and with a bit of tender, loving care it could shine once again. So far as this writer can determine, the cemetery has been without care for more than 60 years; naturally, it has largely reverted to a wilderness state. The toppled stones have been buried under accumulated debris, making an exact inventory difficult. During October 1988, however, this writer undertook such an inventory, assisted by his brother, Carl Early of Mimbres, New Mexico; and by a cousin, Milton Daugherty of Owensboro, Kentucky. Together we located and identified markers for 29 burials. In addition, we found fragments of two other stones bearing no identifying data. It is possible, even likely, that a more diligent search will reveal still other markers. Beyond the 29 markers inventoried, family sources hold that my great-Aunt Madeline Gibson is buried in an unmarked grave adjacent to the grave of my Great-Grandfather B.H. (Benjamin Houston) Gibson; therefore we have included that burial in our inventory, making a total of 30 known burials. The earliest burial identified is that of Adam Shoemaker, in 1827. The latest, we believe, is that of Madeline Gibson, ca 1924. Attached is a list of burials as identified in the October 1988 inventory, with information copied directly from the grave stones. Although most inscriptions remain legible, in a few instances they are so badly eroded that we have to resort to a "horseback guess." Houstons: John Houston, born Feb. 17, 1786, in Person Co., N.C., immigrated to Kentucky fall of 1805, settled Green
River where he lived until his death July 15, 1854 Mary, wife of John Houston,
born Apr. 22, 1786, died March 27, 1843 Sarah, daughter of John and Mary Houston,
born June9, 1831, died Sept. 14, 1834. (Grave with ornamental iron
fence.) William Houston,
born June 21, 1813, died June 28, 1845. Estalla, wife of W. Houston,
born May 28, 1818, died Oct. 21, 1849. A.S. Houston,
born 11-4-1819, died ___, aged 44 years, 10 months, 4 days. Mary J., consort of A.S. Houston,
born June 4, 1824, died Feb 25, 1865, age 40 years, 8 months, 21 days. John, son of A.S. and M.J. Houston,
born Jan. 9, 1852, died Aug. 22, 1853. Ben Houston,
born Dec. 24, 1824, died Sept. 15, 1868. (Stone bears Masonic emblem.) Willie, son of B. and A. Houston,
born Nov. 20, 1861, died Dec. 2, 1863. Ally, son of J.L. and M.F. Houston,
Jan. 16, 1865 - Sept. 7, 1869. Maggie, daughter of G.G. and M.J. Houston,
born Aug. 27, 1870, died March 3, 1879. Infant daughter of G.G. and M.J. Houston,
born and died April 1, 1869. Gibsons: William H. Gibson,
born Oct. 8, 1806, died April 27, 1882. Mary, wife of W.H. Gibson,
died Jan. 7, 1850, age 39 yrs., 6 mos., 1 day. Wm. W. Gibson,
died Jan 20, 1850, age 10 mos., 3 d. B.H. Gibson,
born in Daviess Co., Ky., Oct 6, 1844, married Mattie Smith in Daviess
County Apr. 22, 1869. Died in said county April 3, 1887. Vane, son of B.H. and Mattie Gibson,
born Feb. 10, 1870, died Feb. 24, 1871. Note: Unmarked grave immediately north of B.H.
Gibson's is presumed to be that of Madeline Gibson, daughter of
B.H. and Mattie Gibson. She died ca 1924. Johnsons: Edmund M. Johnson,
consort to Betsy Johnson, born Sept. 20, 1806, died Feb. 5, 1874. Betsy Johnson,
wife of Edmund Johnson, born July 31, 1811, died Aug 26, 1875. Infant son of E.M. and Betsy Johnson,
born Sept. 15, 1841, died Oct. 7, 1841. William S. Johnson,
born June 18, 1840, married to Dora A. Woodward Dec. 18, 1862, died
March 25, 1863. Mary J. Johnson, consort of A.S. Johnson,
born July 4, 1824, died Feb. 25, 1865. Lucy M. Johnson,
born Feb. 25, 1846, died Oct. 3, 1869. Shoemakers: Adam Shoemaker,
died in the 68th year, May 1, 1827. Mary M., wife of Adam Shoemaker,
died March 27, 1848, at the 62nd year of her age. Others: Infant of J.B. and S.M. Murphy,
born Apr. 26, 1870, died Apr. 27, 1870. Susan A. Plain,
wife of Jessie I. Plain, born March 13, 1829, died July 8, 1851. J.B. Kirkendall, died Dec. 11, 1832, aged 27 years, 9 months. * Doug Early made one final journey to the family cemetery. He is now buried there.
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