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Old Smyrna Cemetery Towns County, GA |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2020) |
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Old Smyrna Cemetery Towns County, GA |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2020) |
| November 2020 I was invited to come along with other members of the Historical Society on a visit to the Old Smyrna Cemetery in far eastern Towns Co. This cemetery had its last burial over 100 years ago, and was in a neglected, extremely overgrown state until recently. Access is via an extremely rough road requiring 4WD and high clearance vehicles. |
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| Newly installed sign at cemetery entrance |
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| Hardy Washington Eller (1843-1908) gravestone This is probably the most elaborate stone at this remote old cemetery. It was broken into 3 pieces but has been "repaired" with iron straps. |
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| Detail of lower part of Hardy Eller stone |
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| Footstone at H. W. Eller grave. |
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| Part of our group at the Hardy Eller grave |
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| No more than 10 gravestones here are engraved, the rest being unmarked rock slabs. |
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| Early D. Nicholson gravestone As with so many of these old graveyards, many of those buried are infants or young children. |
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| Arthur G. H. Nicholson gravestone The bottom of the stone says "Gone to his brother in Heaven". That brother would likely be Early, who died in 1901 (see previous photo). |
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| Lexie Garrett gravestone, upper piece |
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| Broken lower piece of Lexie Garrett gravestone "Gone to her brother in Heaven" The brother being Harrison, who died in 1906 (see next two photos). |
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| Harrison Garrett gravestone, upper portion |
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| Harrison Garrett gravestone, lower portion |
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| Unidentified grave marker, with a recent addition... |
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| William Homer Wellborn stone |
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| Arguably, the most notable burial here is that of James Goddard, who was murdered nearby in 1887: "Sacred To The Memory Of J.B. Godard. Was Born Sept. 18th AD 1818 and Departed This Life By Being Murdered Jan. 17 AD 1887" |
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| Godard (Goddard) grave, showing headstone (foreground) and footstone. |
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Our group (except me) around the murdered J.B. Goddard's grave, after making a paper rubbing of the gravestone. |
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| The tale of the murder even made the New York Times! |
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| Account of Justice's lynching from a Savannah newspaper... |
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| The site of the Old Smyrna Church lies nearby the cemetery. All that remains are some stone foundation piers... |
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| One of the church foundation corners |
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| Another of the foundation corners |
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| A moss-covered mid-span foundation pier |