The second Lanterns and Tombstone tour of the season was held Friday night at Bearwallow Cemetery. Despite the weather, there was a large crowd that gathered to learn about the history of the cemetery and interesting stories about a few of those buried there. Mike Watson and Dave Thomas narrated the event.
The cemetery surrounds Bearwallow Church, which dates to at least 1846. During that time, many churches were what were referred to as “union churches,” where different congregations would use the facility at different times. In 1908, a Bishop arrived and dedicated the church to where it stands now.
The oldest grave with the original marker is dated 1859. However, according to Watson, it likely started 20 years or more prior to that. There are 1512 documented graves in the cemetery with many others that are unknown due to the type of markers used in the 1800s.
The tour covered stories and historical events about several of the Burtons and others buried there. Tales of the civil war, local murders, family history and noteworthy facts were told by Watson and Thomas.
Lanterns and Tombstone tours will continue to take place at 7 p.m. on the first Friday of every month through October, except for July, which will be the second Friday of the month. The next tour will be at Columbia Cemetery. Participants are asked to park in the Judicial Center parking lot. The tours are free to attend. Donations are appreciated and will go to the respective cemetery for preservation and upkeep.
For more information, contact the Adair County Geneology Center at 270-380-1024 or email adairgenealogy@gmail.com.
By Amy Pike
newsroom2@adairvoice.com
