Lot 33

"Lot 33 Cemetery"

Cemetery = "Lot 33 Cemetery" (stand-in name)

Vicinity = Shadeville SE

Status = not located

Community = unknown

E.M. Glover of East Ivan reports an abandoned cemetery that lay east of the present-day Walker Cemetery and south of present-day Wakulla Gardens. He has provided an aerial photo on which he indicates a location in the southeast ¼ of Lot 33, Hartsfield Survey. Mr. Glover lived near the place for a time in his youth, and he says that he and his father came upon the concrete gravestones, no fewer than 6 or 8 of them, when they started to clear a spot for gardening. He says that a house that had also stood nearby was already demolished then and represented only by some loose bricks. He knows of no name for the cemetery, and never had any other information on it.

Gilbert Gowdy, who uses the land in question for ranching, reports never knowing anything of gravestones there, and doubts seriously that there are any to be found at present — since he is well acquainted with the land. Mr. Glover says that another person long acquainted with the area has also recently reported no knowledge of the graves, and Mr. Glover now supposes that the graveyard may have been obliterated in the years since he saw it. Access for Mr. Glover and members of the historical society to check for the feature has not been permissible so far, on account of a current phase of cattle operations.

Mr. Glover indicates a place showing a light vegetation signature on the December 2000 aerial that he identifies as palms apparently standing along an easterly-westerly fencerow or strip of lighter vegetation amidst pasture. That feature is maybe 400 feet west of the east line of the southeast quarter of Lot 33, and 1,000 feet north of the south line. He says that he is confident that the graves were pretty near where he marks (he does not seem to specify that the palms were reference features to the graveyard at the time when he recalls seeing it). The indicated place is about 3/4 mile east-northeast of Walker Cemetery (which shows on the picture).

Mr. Glover wonders whether the feature that he recalls was an early burying place for the same African American community that would later prefer the Walker Cemetery (and abandon the first site). He supposes it could have been in use in the time of slavery. He also mentions, aside, that a concrete-tombstone maker named Ira Robinson lived in the same vicinity.

Date of site report narrative - April 2002

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