For generations, Mt. Carmel Cemetery has served as a final resting place for loved ones and a quiet record of the community’s history. Board members are working to ensure it remains properly maintained for years to come.
As with everything, the cost of maintaining the cemetery is increasing. To cover ongoing costs, including mowing, landscaping, repairs and preservation, the Mt. Carmel Cemetery Board is hosting a Soup Supper Fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. at Mt. Carmel Church, 2372 Mt. Carmel Rd.
This cemetery holds a wealth of history for Adair County. Prior to the construction of Green River Lake Reservoir, the Army Corps of Engineers was required to relocate many small family cemeteries. Mount Carmel Cemetery was a small family cemetery located off Bridgewater Road in Columbia and it, along with the church, were moved and the present-day Mt. Carmel Cemetery was formed.
Ezra Grant donated land about two miles from the original church to build the new church and cemetery in 1966. It is estimated that 600 graves combined from 24 cemeteries were moved at that time to the new cemetery. There are graves of veterans from multiple wars buried here.
A plaque at the cemetery states that the following cemeteries were relocated and consolidated into Mt. Carmel Cemetery: Mont E. Corbin, Cox, Mount Carmel, Chester Corbin, Loy, Leach, Rice, Overstreet, Ballou, Riall, Renfro, Pike, Mourning, Russell, Feese, Arnold, Tucker, Plum Point, Christie, Knifley, Watson, Thomas, Campbell and Fisher cemeteries.
According to genealogist Mike Watson, crews moved any markers that were able to be relocated. Unfortunately, many of the markers would fall apart and were not marked. If they were able to be identified, the government placed new markers with names and dates on them.
There are a lot of unknowns in the cemeteries. The Corps had large maps with graves numbered. Any that were identified were then buried along with the unidentified ones they were next to.
“They left room in case other people would be buried there at some point. The idea was if that was your little family cemetery and you wanted to be buried with those people later on, they left room for it,” said Watson.
There were around 75 total cemeteries that were moved at this time. Many of these gravesites were from the 1800s to early 1900s. All of them were small family cemeteries. At that time, the Corps tried to relocate as many as possible; however, there were some that were missed. When the water is low, remnants of missed cemeteries can still be seen in certain areas.
The responsibility of maintaining and preserving this cemetery rests with the Mt. Carmel Cemetery Committee. Ongoing maintenance ensures that veterans are honored, family plots are cared for, and the legacy of the relocated cemeteries is protected.
Donations can be mailed to Mt. Carmel Cemetery Fund, 191 Johnson Cemetery Road, Columbia, KY 42728. Contact Brittany Smith at 270-250-2580 for more information.
