The Southard Cemetery

Click for more photos of the Southard Cemtery
Click for more Southard Cemetery photos.
This cemetery is not listed in the Rockcastle County cemetery book. I'm calling it the "Southard Cemetery" based on land records and the connection some of its burials have to the Southard family. It's on the East Fork of Skeggs Creek, two miles northwest of the creek's mouth. One of the more exciting finds in the cemetery is the stone of Rebecca Southard, wife of John Southard. (More about her on the Southard Cemetery photographs page.)

John Southard (b. about 1786 in NC, d. after 1860) was living on the land where the cemetery is located at least by 1820, in which year he paid taxes on it for the first time. It was possibly originally part of a survey for Holbert McClure I (1775-1846) prior to 1811 and is variously listed as being surveyed for Southard or McClure. So far, I've been unable to find a completed grant for the property in either name.

In 1841 John surveyed a grant "to adjoin the survey whereon he now lives." The line of this new tract was about 1,100 feet southeast of the cemetery.

Out of at least 150 graves, there are only five readable stones in the cemetery, which has been neglected for many, many years. Those stones are: Rebecca Southard, John Sowder, Johny Pruett, James A. Overbay, and John W. Warren. Again see the photos page for images and discussion.

It's reasonable to expect that John and his granddaughter, Emaline Southard Sowder, are buried here; it's also likely many of the unmarked graves belong to various Southard-connected individuals.

If anyone has more info on this cemetery, please let me know.