This information was copied from The Cass County Genealogical Society, 1979, Vol. VI, No. 1, pg. 12-16.

HISTORY OF THE CORNETT CEMETERY
(As presented by June Cornett Higgins on Historical Marker Dedication Day, June 27, 1976.)

The Sunday before our Nation's two hundredth birthday is an appropriate time for us to pause and review the history of our community's cemetery. For us to do so, we must turn back the calendar approximately 140 years. The community, which was settled before the Civil War, even before Cass County was organized, is located on the old Jefferson and Stephenson Ferry Road. Trammel's Trace, a famous travel route which was established in 1813, passed through the wilderness of the community. Hundreds of pioneers are said to have traveled the Trace which was the north south route from Oklahoma into Texas.

In 1845 a group of pioneers from Troupe County, Georgia, established the community and named it Troupe in honor of their former home. Legend has it that about this time a wagon train carrying gold passed through the community and was attacked by a group of renegade Indians. All the people in the train were killed. That gold has never been found.

In 1860 the Troupe Church, which was also used as a school, was built on the site of the present cemetery. The burial ground evolved from property belonging to Felix Betts in the 1845-55 period. Tradition has it that a family named Williams or Williamson came through the country with a wagon train during the gold rush. As they reached the community, their child became ill and they temporarily dropped out of the wagon train. The child later died and was buried in a rock covered grave which is still intact today.

The first identified burial was that of a Felix M. Hampton in 1870, but the oldest legible stone is at the grave of Mary Frances Hampton, who was deceased in 1880.

Neighborhood usage of the cemetery was established in the 1850's, however, these graves are lost or unmarked. Public ownership of the burial ground began New Years's day, 1860, with the donation of three acres of land to the Troupe Church by Robert Dunlap. When Dunlap made his second gift of land to the church in 1885, the settlers changed the name of the church to Hammell's Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church South. Dunlap's motive for the donation of land, which totaled nine acres, was found in the deed which said, "This gift is made in consideration for the love, respect, and affection which I have for Education and Religion." It is not known if Robert Dunlap is buried in the cemetery.

Other donors of land to the church, school, and cemetery include Fred Hall, G.T. Cornett, Sam McCord, and Jonas Trumble. In 1902 a new church was built on the present site. Another room was added to the former school - church building, making it into a three - room school. In October 1961, that old sanctuary was torn down and replaced with the comfortable building that we enjoy today. It was dedicated in March of 1962, debt free.

The Baptist Church, which was built in 1917, was disbanded in 1948 with the lumber from that building being donated to construct Sunday School rooms for the Methodist Church.

Tradition points to one instance of an epidemic which occurred in 1890 causing the death of twelve people. These diphtheria victims are buried in the cemetery.

As of 1975 there were 295 marked graves and at lest 110 unmarked ones in the cemetery. Today the flags are flying from the tombs of 20 known veterans who served their country from as early as the Civil War until as recently as the Vietnam conflict. The first veteran to be buried here was William P. Hobbs, a Baptist minister who fought in the Civil War with the Mississippi Volunteers.

One section of the cemetery is known as the Rock Garden. The graves inside the Garden are those of the Hampton family who were buried there in the late 1860's.

The name of the community was changed in 1901 when the post office was established. The names of Betts, Cornett, and Cloninger were sent to the postal officials for the selection of the new name. The community was named for George T. (Tony) Cornett, a prominent land owner of that day. He was the father of ten children of which four survive and are present today.

About 1900 the people of the community designated Wednesday before the Forth of July as cemetery working day. Pelp0le came from miles around to help with the cleaning of the grounds. Slides had to be used to haul debris from the cemetery as wagons were not allowed inside. At noon the ladies would spread lunch on the ground and the afternoon would be devoted to visiting or gospel singing.

I well remember that these events proved to be a field day during election years, as all the local candidates would make their campaign speeches from the back of someone's flat bed truck.

In 1950 an attendant was hired to care for the cemetery and in 1966 the homecoming date was changed to the Sunday before the Forth of July. A permanent fund was established to assure the future maintenance of the cemetery in 1974.

The spirit of goodwill has prevailed in the Cornett community. It was one of the last in Cass County to discontinue the practice of digging graves as a courtesy to the family of the deceased. I recall that the ringing of the old school bell up the road was a signal for grave digging. The bell could be heard for several miles and men and boys would quit their work, get a shovel, and head for the cemetery.

For many years Cornett was a thriving community, but many left the farms during World War II to look for work in the cities. Today we are proud to say that the Cornett community is growing again with the addition of new families. However, many of the present residents are descendants of pioneer settlers who have chosen to rear their children in the rural environment.

In closing, I would like to share this experience with you. One Tuesday, many years ago, my dad and I were in Naples. The Greyhound bus came in and an elderly man got off. Upon seeing my father, he said, "I have come for the homecoming and I need a ride to Cornett." As they talked of old times, I continued to be fascinated by the satchel and the handle that the man had put in our truck. As we rode toward home, I soon learned that it was a hoe handle and the hoe, itself, was inside the satchel. I'll never forget his disappointment at being told that someone was now hired to clean the cemetery. I do not remember the man's name, neither do I recall where we carried him, but all these years I've remembered the man who came prepared to work. To me, this man characterizes all of our ancestors who came to work, to do their part in giving us a heritage for which we can be justly proud.