My interest in cemeteries stems from my
experiences with genealogical research. Cemeteries and the graves located
within them can provide a researcher a lot of useful information such as, birth
and death dates, military service rank and dates served, and cause of death. In
addition to the data presented on the grave markers, the information obtained
from the location and layout of the cemetery itself can give the researcher
insight into the familial structure and its economic and social status it once
held in life. I knew that I wanted to
complete a project that would be beneficial to those who conduct genealogical
research in Rutherford County. Initially, I wanted to produce an online guide
to the cemeteries of Rutherford County; however, I soon realized that a project
of that magnitude would take far more research than one semester would allow.
Due to time constraints, I narrowed my project to the known African-American
cemeteries of Rutherford County. Although this drastically reduced the number
of cemeteries that would be included in the guide, it was not without its own
set of challenges.
I began my research for this project by seeking
published articles and books on my topic using the Walker Library located on
Middle Tennessee State University’s campus. Unfortunately, I was only able to
locate one, Cemeteries and
Graveyards of Rutherford County, Tennessee, compiled by Susan G. Daniel and
published by the Rutherford County Historical Society in 2005. This book was an
excellent starting point for my research; however, out of the 700 or so
cemeteries listed within the book, only 16 are specifically noted as
African-American. Each cemetery listed within this book has directions to its
location, the number of known graves located at the cemetery, and whether or
not the cemetery has marked or unmarked graves. [1]
Once I created my
list of African-American cemeteries, I began the task of physically visiting
each location using the directions given in Daniel’s book. This turned out to
be a bigger challenge than expected. Many of the roads listed in her book have
since changed names. I wondered why I kept running into this problem and soon
found out that it was because the 2005 edition in many respects is simply a
reprint of the 1975 edition. Many street names have changed in Rutherford
County since 1975. Although this certainly presented a problem, I was not
deterred in my search for very long. I began using new technologies like Google
Earth and the Rutherford County GIS website to assist in finding the cemeteries
on my list.[2]
Unfortunately, often times finding the location on a map solved only one of
several problems. Once I found what looked to be the location of a cemetery
using aerial photos, I still had to physically travel to the location and take
photos.
Many times, these
cemeteries were located on private property and not visible from any publically
accessed road. Another issue I ran into was once I found the location, often
times the cemetery was so hidden by overgrowth that the graves were no longer
visible. Thankfully, I was able to access several and photograph them.
With the help of
history professors Dr. Stacey Graham, and Dr. Kristine McCusker, I was able to
locate a few African-American cemeteries not found on my initial list. In fact,
one of my most successful finds was due to Dr. Graham’s directions to the
Benevolent Cemetery located off of Park Ave in Murfreesboro. I found myself
really drawn to this cemetery. Sadly, this cemetery is currently a victim of
neglect. It has over 300 graves with many unmarked and others in disrepair. I
did additional research on this cemetery and found that News Channel 5 did a
story on the condition of the Benevolent Cemetery in February, 2011.[3]
After receiving this exposure, I would have expected to find it better shape;
however, nothing has been done to clean it up.
The situation at
Benevolent Cemetery is not an uncommon problem. After researching approximately
20 African-American cemeteries in Rutherford County, I realized that issues
with upkeep are very common due to lack of funding. There may, in some cases,
be ideological differences between white cemeteries and African-American cemeteries
concerning attitudes towards maintenance; this hypothesis will take further
research.
Overall, even with
its many challenges, I have enjoyed conducting the research involved with this
project. There is an inherent excitement involved in the hunt for these
cemeteries. With each cemetery I found, I felt encouraged to accept the
challenge of finding the next one. There were only two things that I disliked
about this project, the cost of gasoline to drive all over Rutherford County,
and ticks. I spent well over $100 in gasoline and pulled-off at least a dozen
ticks due to the overgrowth found at many of the cemeteries. Note to self, next
time go hunting for cemeteries in the dead of winter.
At the start of this essay I mentioned that
cemeteries can yield lots of valuable information. Cemeteries tell a story, a
story that is, or at least should be, important to all of us. Cemeteries are
historical primary documents. They provide us with evidence of who lived and
died in these local communities. I chose this project because I personally feel
it is important to preserve our local public history by documenting these
cemeteries. “Gone but not forgotten,” the loving phrase that is engraved on
many a tombstone but should apply to everyone
[1] Daniel, Susan
Garretson. Cemeteries and Graveyards of Rutherford County, Tennessee.
Murfreesboro, TN: Rutherford County Historical Society, 2005. Print.
[2] Rutherford
County GIS http://gis.rutherfordcounty.org/
[3] Murfreesboro
& Church in Talks About Overgrown Cemetery
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