Indian/Baptist Cemetery
(Located at dead-end of Toleman Place off from Church Street.)
A third church-operated graveyard within the city is found north of the railroad tracks off Church and Toleman streets, surrounded by woods. Historically, this area was known as the Indian cemetery, probably due to the large number of Creek Indians that had made encampments in the Pass during their westward journey during the 1835 “Trail of Tears.”
Through the years, these grounds have slowly been absorbed by the Goodwill Missionary Baptist Church.
There is a legend of early Indian burials at this site, but there is no verification by document or eyewitnesses.
Local newspaper accounts regarding the Indian Cemetery are sparse.
In April 1966, reference was made to the “Indian Burial Grounds” being abused — where local citizens dumped their trash and garbage — because of its out of the way location.
In October 1973, as caption to three photographs, it was noted that the oldest marker read “Thomas, Son of L. & G. Cobb, June 7, 1890, Age 22." (See top photo at right)
The Cemetery was given to Good will Baptist Church in 1901 by Guy Northrop.
In 1960, the cemetery was expanded through purchase of additional property by means of contributions and with special help from Misses Jane and Christine Northrop.
Caretakers in the 1970s were Deacon H.A. Bowser and Henry Johnson.
Tony Johnson, a caretaker, stated that his grandmother had told him that Indians had been buried there for hundreds of years.
In October 1998, during the Tricentennial Cemetery Cleanup project, the (Indian Cemetery) Baptist Cemetery was cleaned under the supervision of Alderman Michael Antoine.
Today, in 1999, cement borders, tomb stones, and slabs cover the area with dates that are mostly of the 1980s and 1990s -- with a few dating back to 1950 and 1960, as shown in 2004 photos below.
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