BLACKMAN CEMETERY, (Carters Creek) MAURY COUNTY TENNESSEE

Nearby historic home as it looked in the past.
Locator Maps of the cemetery          Area photos of the cemetery

BLACKMAN, Bennett, 25 Nov 1772 - 15 Sep 18--. "son of Stephen & Anna Blackman" (Stone is broken.)
BLACKMAN, Anna, 1 Jan 1785 - 31 May 1849.
BLACKMAN, Bennett F., 30 Sept 1810 - 9 Dec 1826. "son of Bennett & Anna Blackman."
BLACKMAN, Rebecca, 6 Jan 1812 - 14 Aug 1865. "Dau. B. & A. Blackman."
BLACKMAN, Albert Washington, 12 Dec 1815 - 27 Jul 1853.(38 years.) "Son Bennett & Anny Blackman."
BLACKMAN, Infant son, 6 Jun 1849 10 Jun 1849, "son of A.W. Blackman & Elizabeth, his wife."
CLINTON, Richard, 1755 - 18 Aug 1839. 'Who was one of the Revolutionary Patriots."
CRENSHAW, Elizabeth Clinton, 3 Mar 1808 - 1 Jul 1853. (45 years.) "Dau. Bennett & Anna Blackman."
FARRAR, Martha Wouldridge, 15 Jan 1818 - 24 Jun 1853. (35 years.) "Dau. Bennett & Anny Blackman."
FARRAR, Lamiza Margaret Ann Elizabeth, 24 Jul 1836 - 1 Jul 1853. Aged 17 years "Daughter of William B. & Martha W. Farrar."

Death notice of a relative
BLACKMAN, Col. Albert Livingston, 'well known promoter and industrial agent, died this morning in Nashville; born in Maury County 57 yrs. ago.; member of 4th Tenn Cavalry." (Daily Herald, 3 Sep 1902.) [No evidence from this he is interred here in this cemetery. - W.A. 2009]

Few cemeteries, especially those of such historic Importance, have been so abandoned as has this one. Large trees have fallen, dislocating grave stones and vines and bushes cover everything. The rock wall has fallen in many places. [F.L.H. 1987.] 
Not much change since then, but nice manicured lawns all around. It is weird to me that people are benign about change in that that "what was there will continue to be, as it was the last 100 years a grown up thicket. Now it is in the midst of a nice subdivision. I say community minded people folks clean it up and make the repairs to the stones and make a nice little historic park of the cemetery. These people helped win your freedoms you have today. [W.A. 2009]

Noted in the book They Passed This Way. is that at least four of the death dates noted in this cemetery occurred in the months of June and July of 1853. This large amount of deaths around 1853 is true for the many of the cemeteries around Maury County such as the Tate,  Zion, Jackson College (Old Brick Church), Shane and other cemeteries in the county. It is certain that an awful scourge (diphtheria, cholera, typhoid, Black Tongue or others) swept through the area at that time. In those days of primitive living conditions and scant medical attention it was not uncommon for epidemics to almost wipe out whole families or communities. This one seems to have been unusually intense and widespread. Tradition says that it was a Typhoid Fever epidemic. [F. L. H. 1987. Revised by W.A. to add other known cemeteries where this is apparent.]

This cemetery was compiled for the Internet by Wayne Austin from a visit there 24 Feb 2009. Other sources for the writings were from Maury County Tennessee Cemeteries, by Fred Lee Hawkins, Jr. page 130. Mr. Fred visited this cemetery 16 Jan 1987.  This cemetery is also presented in the book They Passed This Way about 1967 Page B-71 by Evelyn Shackleford & Marise Lightfoot, two ladies of the 1960 era who researched cemeteries and gave us great works, some of which was carried over into this effort.