Category: Sandy Bayou

Sandy Bayou Cemetery Update: We found it!

Hello everyone, we found it! And I can’t believe how easy this latest search was.

We have a location

Thanks to a conversation with a stranger I was able to get a confirmation on where the cemetery was supposed to be and that people have actually seen it. The woman I spoke to had lived near it for several years and her husband’s family owned much of the land around it. She described finding it by chance when looking for a lost dog. There were old headstone and one surrounded by a wrought iron fence. She talked about an old road, and headstones being on both sides. This description matched perfectly with the ones I got from other people. I was ecstatic to say the least. We exchanged numbers, she promised to text me when she had more information. After a few days she sent me an address of the property I could go through to access the cemetery. The cemetery would not be on that parcel, but it was a start.

The search

Because I do have a full time job and some semblance of a life I was not able to go on another search for a couple of weeks. But everyday I wondered what it would be like. What if no one wanted me on their property? What if no one was home? What if the headstone were gone somehow? While I know there is worry I do it anyway. I think it helps me plan ahead, but it is also exhausting and can lead to inaction.

With the help of a friend we finally made plans to find the cemetery. I brought my camera, a notebook, and some water. No tools for cleaning or light digging this time. I wanted to confirm the location and knew I didn’t have the energy for intense work. It was also just way too hot to be out there for long. With my backpack, jeans, long socks, and boots I was ready to go. My friend picked me up and we were on our way.

The address I was given was an odd property. Two RV’s were parked in the yard and the house was under repairs. A small house cat charged us, but did not attack. Cutest cat all day to be sure. No one answered the door of the house, or the RV, so that was sad. But right next door (kind of, it was a cul de sac) was a lovely property. On a circular driveway sat a cottage like house with pretty great landscaping. There were huge pots near the front door with lovely flowers and plants. A single truck was in the driveway, so hopefully a person was home. We knocked on the door and someone actually answered. I was so excited and trying so hard no to talk to fast. My friend introduced himself and the stranger asked why we were there. I took over at this point.

“I have a weird question for you. Do you know of a cemetery near here?”

“Yes” he also described it exactly as it has been before. I got way to smiley at this point.

“So you’ve seen it?”

“Yes”

“Can I see it?!”

“Yes, it’s just over there. But who are you with?”

I told him that I’m not really there on behalf of anyone. I explained that I am mildly obsessed with genealogy and local history. I expressed the disappointment in the way that African American cemeteries are often not recorded and end up lost. I think he smiled at me, but I am not sure. He gave all consent to go see the cemetery. He told us to be careful of snakes and try not to get hurt. He said he had to leave. So this guy just let us walk through his property. Cue me being giddy.

We went off into a wooded area with a pond. Within a minute of walking we found our first headstone. It was right there on the edge of the path, Mary Taggart. The stone was almost facing the path. On this side of the path, as described here. Willie Taggart was nearby, on the other side of a tree growing between them. These two married in 1910 in Pine Bluff, AR.

These two were the only ones listed in any place online and in the library as being on the left side of the path. There were 9 other headstones and at least one plate marker. There are probably more buried there, but no markers were visible.

There is another stone, but the picture did not come out right. I knew about Rueben Temple because of the military record of the headstone being ordered. I got lucky there. Mary Taggart, Reuben Temple, John Temple, and Carnalious (Cornelius) Temple are all siblings and the children of Tom Temple.

On the right side there were more headstones. These have been enumerated before. I found almost all of the ones that should have been there.

I think it is clear that I need a new camera. The low light was not great for this. Somethings came out blurry, 2-3 stones were not readable. I’ll need to go back for better pictures and to see if I can find any more headstones, perhaps they were knocked over.

When we finally left I felt I was tired, sweaty, and apparently ( I would not discover this until I got home) covered in seed ticks. I think the question now is what can I do next? I want to know how the cemetery start and stopped. I want to know who owned the land through the years. I am far to nosy to have this be the end.

The mystery of the Sandy Bayou Cemetery

The Sandy Bayou Cemetery of Pine Bluff AR has not been in use for around 25 years. And in the time the road it sat on has been consumed by the surrounding woodland. We don’t know a lot about the place. The few detail we have are from two men who enumerated a few of the graves April 25 1972. Both of these men have passed on. There is a short description posted to a couple of websites,

“SOURCE: TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS

Collected by Mesdames Hudson & Pettigrew 1929

For the files of the Pine Bluff Chapter D.A.R. & Presented to the Public Library through the Society of the Sons & Daughter of the Pilgrims 1934.  This book has been bound & rebound & includes other new & later information on various cemeteries in Jefferson Co, AR area. The inscriptions for Sandy Bayou Cemetery were not generated until April 25, 1972.

Sandy Bayou Cemetery

Sect. 16-T 7-9W

William P. Ellis Jr. & James W Leslie visited this cemetery in South Jefferson Co, AR, April 25, 1972.  It is located East of the Middle Warren Road & can be reached by turning right down power line right-of-way for approximately 2/10 mile to an old dirt road, turn Right on old dirt road, follow for approximately 4/10 mile & turn Left on another old dirt road.  The cemetery is approximately 3/10 of a mile in a Northerly direction & the road runs through it. Although it appears to be abandoned, several burials have been made there in the last few years. Although all of the tombstones were not enumerated, the following were listed:”

http://www.argenweb.net/jefferson/records–resources/online-records-for-jefferso/cemeteries/sandy-bayou-cemetery.html

It then goes on to list inscriptions of tombstones. But I have every reason to believe that the ones listed are not the total of what was there. The cemetery’s oldest headstone was from 1862, and the latest was 1952. But there where comments about recent burials in the 70’s.

The start of it?

But let me start from the beginning, or at least how I began this search. In 2012 i had a notification from FindAGrave.com that there was a request for a picture of a grave in the Sandy Bayou Cemetery, which should be close to where I live. The only location given was Jefferson County Ar. Through some digging I found the above information. And with that went driving up and down Middle Warren Road looking for these details. To absolutely no avail. This was enormously frustrating to me and I must have looked suspicious driving up and down this road, turning around in people’s driveways, and squinting into the trees. How could a road disappear? But that was just the beginning. At the time I was pretty well consumed in my own research (getting a master’s degree) and so left the mystery alone for a few years. Occasionally going back to that road and squinting. If someone said they lived in that area I would ask if they know about an old cemetery, and get looks of confusion in return. But I didn’t have many real leads to go on.

But just about a year ago I fell down that rabbit whole. I was a little more clear headed (master’s degree achieved and life moving along) and ready to do some research that no one was asking for, and probably no one will ask for. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me before that I could use Ancestry.com to help with some of this. So I started a tree for this cemetery. Not everyone has to be connected in a tree, so I was able to enter every name listed and the known relationships. This helped me establish where these people lived and where there families came from. And most of these people lived in the same township, or just one over from where the cemetery should be. Many of them were related, so it seems to have started as a family plot.

The real research

I used my local library, Pine Bluff Library, to search for obituaries. The obituary often has information about family members and the funeral home in charge. The funeral home might have records of that burial. So my hopes were raised when I found an obit for Mary Taggart (1877-1952). Mary and her husband are buried on the left side of the road mentioned above. I get to the library with my little bit of information to use the microfilm, January 13 1952 was the publication date. But it was not to be found on the microfilm. I was getting upset when the librarian came over to help me. The page I was looking for was so deteriorated and old that it had not been put on to microfilm. I was able to get a copy of it.

Mary Taggart Obituary from the Pine Bluff Commercial

This obituary was the first tangible piece of information I had found in relation to this cemetery. There are a few errors, New Dora should be Eudora (the church still stands) and it should have said Sandy Bayou Cemetery. But really, what can I expect from a newspaper that listed Mary Taggart under “Negro Deaths”. Now we know the church she went to and the funeral home in charge. Miller Funeral Home is still in business, now P.K. Miller Mortuary. We called their number, feeling so hopeful and holding my breath, only to be basically yelled at “that a white cemetery”. I am aware that the cemetery was considered white, but black people were buried there too. Nothing like an interaction like this to remind me how stupid racism is. We can’t even share space in death. We were told they were very busy right now and they would call back. They never did. And I don’t really want a repeat of that kind of phone call. I know I should just call again, or maybe write a letter, but I can’t stand being yelled at.

Apart from finding the obituary I started looking into map options. There are a few really helpful websites, Acme Mapper, ASDI, Old Maps, and the Arkansas Highway Department. Acme Mapper has a USA topographical option that shows cemeteries and churches, often with names. It also has older roads that might not exist anymore. On Acme Mapper the cemetery is not shown, but there is a long dotted line that represented a “local road” that was not part of the highway department. It connected Middle Warren Road with Hwy 63. The highway department map shows the eastern part of this road. In person inspection proves the existence of the entrance to the road from Middle Warren and Hwy 63. Unfortunately they both have been left to degrade and become part of the forest again. The trees growing on these roads are several inches around, so not a recent happening. Using ASDI I was able to contact someone who has lived in the area a very long time and who owned a large amount of land in the area. While he did not own the land with the cemetery he had been there before. He confirmed that it was on the old local road. He confirmed that the cemetery was split by the road with white people on one side and black on the other. Great news! Unfortunately he has early dementia, he doesn’t know what part of the road it is on, how far, or even when he was there last. The confirmation of the cemetery being real and being on the right track was amazing. We set up a time to talk again but he did not answer his phone. Months after first contact with him we set off on foot from his house down the over grown road. It was mostly under water at the time, we had a very wet fall. But after a little more than a mile there was no sign of the cemetery. We did find a collapsed house. Apparently there were a few houses on this road, one burning down and causing a huge forest fire. After giving up for the day I was bit by a tiny dog, I love dogs, but not this dog.

This is where I am in the journey for now. I have maps, eye witness accounts, and a few more leads to follow. It is very possible that in the next month or so We will find the cemetery. When we do there will be pictures, video, and tears.