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A walk through the past

History and genealogy come alive during Carter Cemetery Walk

 

The McCreary County Public Library and McCreary County Historical & Genealogical Society recently presented the fourth annual McCreary County Cemetery Walk at Carter Cemetery on Lick Creek Road in Marshes Siding.

During the walk, volunteer presenters shared the history of several of those buried in the cemetery.  Among the stories shared were histories of two Civil War soldiers, Captain James Dick and Soldier Zorel Foster.  Those attending the walk also discovered the Carter Cemetery is now home to the historic Yahoo Falls marker that was removed several years ago upon request of the National Park Service.  Many may remember the marker commemorating the Yahoo Falls Massacre from when it stood prominently at the beginning of the Yahoo Falls Road.  The reality of the Yahoo Falls Massacre has been subject to a long running dispute among locals and historians.

The Carter Cemetery, a beautiful location for burial used by the Young, Carter, Seller, Price, Jones, Foster, and Lyons families, was originally owned by Joseph Porter in 1847.  In 1859, George and Andrew Marler bought the 275 acres at public auction.  In 1902, Ruben Marler sold 100 acres to J. M. Carter.  Six years later, Fount Carter bought the property.  The Carters went on to own over 1,000 acres at one time.

A portion of the cemetery was set aside by the Corp of Engineers when they relocated the Jones Cemetery on the east bank of the Big South Fork River.  Fifty-two graves were moved from the river area to the Carter Cemetery.

The first recorded burial in the Carter Cemetery was Bell Foster in 1881.

Cemetery walks are sponsored annually each October by the McCreary County Public Library and McCreary County Historical & Genealogical Society.  Previous walks have included the Methodist Cemetery (Whitley City), Holloway Cemetery, and Barren Fork Cemetery.

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