MARS HILL CEMETERY
Compiled and contributed by David Donahue
[Note: Description and comments were written in 1989 and may not reflect the current situation.]
Mars Hill is a very old cemetery on Broome Road. It is probably the burial place for the Cavett family who were killed in an attack by the Cherokee on Cavett's Station, September 25, 1793. For many years it served as a community cemetery for people living in the Walker Springs area. By the late 1800s the cemetery was nearly full. For the most part burials ceased here after the Gallaher View Baptist Church cemetery was created, and the cemetery was abandoned.
About 1980 Kincer Fox, currently [1989] President of Edgewood Cemetery, cleaned off and partially restored this cemetery. In the late 1980s Mars Hill Cemetery was being maintained by Edgewood Cemetery.
This cemetery is full, even though markers are present in only a few places. Mr. Fox removed all fieldstones and other markers without identifying information, graded the cemetery and sowed grass. Hi work has made Mars Hill Cemetery easy to maintain, but it is now impossible to estimate the number of unmarked graves. However, it is nearly identical in size to the Gallaher View Baptist Church Cemetery portion of Edgewood Cemetery, so Mars Hill Cemetery probably contains over 500 graves.
This cemetery was recorded April 26, 1989, and checked May 7, 1989. This cemetery was recorded earlier by Ann J. Smith and Eldah Bell Amick in 1956. Their record appears in "Knox County Cemetery Records," Volume 2, a manuscript compiled by the Admiral David Farragut Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and available in the McClung Collection of the Knox County Public Library. A comparison against their record shows that no markers have dissappeared or become unreadable during the intervening 33 years.
The following is a marker placed within the cemetery:
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In Grateful Memory Upon this spot stood the house of Alexander Cavett, who was murdered together with two men and the Cavett family of twelve, September 25th, 1793 after heroic resistance against a combined Creek and Cherokee force numbering one thousand warriors, thereby insuring failure of the intended attack upon the town of Knoxville. Erected by the Tennessee Society of Sons of the Revolution |
Balou, James M., 1/9/1810-1/1/1866
Bennett, Sallie [see Roberts, Sallie Bennett]
Covington, Catherine, 5/31/1792-3/3/1886, "Wife of John Covington"
Covington,John, 6/1789-9/23/1873
Gilson, Flora, 11/6/1867-9/7/1886
Gilson, Infant, 9/7/1866-9/16/1866, "Infant daughter of S. L. & C. J. Gilson"
Keith, Susan Elizabeth [see Walker, Susan Elizabeth Keith]
Kidd, Freddie, 8/11/1887-1/18/1888, "Son of J. A. & M. E. Kidd"
Kidd, James A., 9/24/1880-7/4/1906, "Son of J. A. & M. E. Kidd"
Kidd, Joseph A., 6/4/1845-11/30/1900, "Farewell my wife and children all"
Kidd, Maccager, 2/28/1822-7/24/1893, "In memory of my husband"
Kidd, Mary Ann, 1/25/1827-10/25/1907 [adjacent to marker for Maccager Kidd]
Lonas, Nancy A., 11/29/1807-10/31/1884, "In memory of our mother" [adjacent to marker for and probably wife of Joseph Lones]
Lones, Gemima J., 3/7/1839-7/1/1912 [adjacent to marker for Samuel R. Lones]
Lones, George Henry, 5/1/1825-10/3/1899, "In memory of my husband"\Lones, Nancy Eveline, 8/26/1832-3/4/1911
Lones, Infant, 11/19/1869-11/21/1869, "Infant son of S. R. & G. J. Lones"
Lones, Joseph, 2.3/1797-5/25/1872, "In memory of our father"
Lones, Mary A., 8/6/1851-6/3/1901, "Dau. of G. H. & N. E. Lones"
Lones, Mary E., d. 12/2/1872, "Aged 11 days" "Daughter of W. B. & S. Lones"
Lones, Sam'l R., no dates, military marker "Corpl." "Co. D. 6 Tenn. Inf." [probably the Samuel R. Lones below]
Lones, Samuel R., 11/27/1834-2/6/1901
Parham, Amanda [see Vanosdale, Amanda Parham]
Parham, L. J., 5/22/1858-6/6/1858, "Infant daughter of Thomas & Malvinia Parham"
Parham, Malvina M., 7/20/1834-5/2/1878, "Wife of T. W. Parham"
Parham, M. E. J., 7/16/1864-10/18/1864, "Infant daughter of T. W. & Malvinia Parham" (broken)
Parham, T. W., 1/16/1831-2/19/1872, "Husband" (broken)
Roberts, Clara J., 9/22/1851-9/3/1907, "In memory of my wife" [Note: there are two markers for this individual]
Roberts, Ida, 5/12/1874-9/26/1880, "Dau. of J. A. & C. J. Roberts"
Roberts, James A., 10/15/1844-11/3/1931, "Father" footstone\Roberts, Clara J., 9/22/1851-9/3/1907, "His Wife" "Mother" footstone [replacement headstone; footstones are older that headstone]
Roberts, Joshua, 3/15/1815-9/12/1890
Roberts, Margaret, 1/23/1876-7/8/1877, "Dau. of J. A. & C. J. Roberts"
Roberts, Sallie Bennett, 2/12/1813-9/6/1892, "Wife of Joshua Roberts"
Thompson, S. A., 11/30/1850-5/11/1871, "Wife of R. P. Thompson"\Thompson, S. A., 5/11/1871-7/4/1871, "Infant daughter of R. P. & S. A. Thompson"
Vanosdale, Amanda Parham, no dates, "Mother and Children"
Walker, Amos Hardin, 9/9/1876-10/30/1882, "Son of G. H. & Mary Walker"
Walker, Archibald Lafayette, 4/20/1836-6/8/1912 (replacement)
Walker, Celia Alice, 5/7/1855-3/8/1856, "Daughter of West & Mary A. Walker" [this marker is difficult to read; birth date may be 5/2/1885]
Walker, Elijah J., 11/20/1831-2/28/1864
Walker, Infant, 12/1/1867, "Infant son of G. H. & Mary Walker"
Walker, Joseph L., d. 1/22/1865, "Aged 2 Years, 10 mos. & 27 days" "Son of T. J. & M. L. Walker"
Walker, Maga, 3/26/1865-7/15/1866, "Daughter of P. W. & M. A. Walker"
Walker, Susan Elizabeth Keith, 9/23/1841-4/11/1882 (replacement) [adjacent to marker for Archibald Lafayette Walker]
Wietenbarger, Isaac H., 5/18/1866-1/27/1912, "Father"
Wietenbarger, Walter W., 9/29/1892-6/12/1927 [Masonic emblem]
Witenbarger, E. A., 1/20/1891-7/21/1891
Witenbarger, J. L. S., 11/29/1885-2/18/1885
Witenbarger, L. A., 9/23/1887-7/26/1888