Johnson Cemetery
Thomas Black Family Plot
Photo by Tom Black, circa 1991
Photo by Tom Black, circa 1991
Information by Robbie Sutlive and Tom Black
Location:
Panola County - just south of the Harrison County line near the Harkrider and Woodley Cemeteries. There is no road access to the Cemetery and you must walk 200-300 yards through heavy brush and undergrowth to get to the cemetery. To get there:
a) Go to the Woodley Cemetery on CR 311; b) Proceed West on CR 311 for 0.6 miles; c) Turn South on CR 3101; d) Follow CR 3101 (an old oil field road) for 0.3 miles; e) Look to the West (your right) and the cemetery is on the top of a hill (hickory covered) about 200-300 yards into the woods. The hill top is visible from the road.
I visited the Johnson Cemetery about 11-12 years ago. (ca 1991) Robbie Sutlive (of DeBerry) had cataloged the cemetery, but had been able to identify only about 7 graves. When my wife and I visited, Robbie Sutlive guided us to the area and Litman Johnson (an aged black man, about 90 then) gave us specific directions.
Litman lived on County Road 310 very near the cemetery. Litman told us he was born in the house he lived in, and could remember as a boy (early 1900's) that it was still an active Negro cemetery. He estimated there may have been a hundred or more graves, but only a very few graves had monuments (the early whites). My wife and I took a chain saw and pruning shears (see attached picture) and pretty well cleared the pictured area.
Note the monument in the picture. It actually marks three graves as follows:
1) front -- A. E. Black, Departed from this Life June 4, 1884, In her 65th year;
2) right side -- P. G. Black, Born Nov 9, 1848, Died April 5, 1881;
3) left side -- F. J. Black, Born June 15, 1858, Died Aug 11, 1890.
There are also two footstones A. E. B, and F. J. B. Note the P. G. Black above is Phillip Black and some Hills of Panola County are his descendants through his daughter.
There is one other fenced plot in the cemetery. The name "Eliza Johnson" is inscribed on the iron gate and the fenced area contains two graves marked:
1) James Johnson, Born February 3, 1803, Died August 1, 1859
(James Johnson apparently did die in Aug. 1859 as his tombstone indicates because the probate of his estate began during the Sept. 1859 term of the County Court. However, he appears on the 1860 Census of Panola Co TX in Household 72-72. It shows James Johnson, age 56, a farmer with an estate valued at $30,000, born in GA; his wife Eliza, age 44, born in GA; a son Abraham, age 21, born in GA; and a daughter Eugenia, age 14, born in GA. Also in the household was John Greer, age 22, overseer of the farm, who was also born in GA. This family on the census was definitely the same ones as in the probate proceedings as the names of Eliza Johnson and Abraham Johnson appear on the legal papers.)
2) William P. Johnson, Born May 5, 1834, Died July 4, 1854.
Other graves that Robbie Sutlive identified (and we saw) were:
1) Amanda C., Consort of Dr. J. M. Birdsong, Born Dec. 18, 1822, Died July 22, 1856.
(Jesse M. Birdsong and Amanda C. Roquemore were married in Panola Co TX on Aug. 21, 1851. According to the 1860 Census of Panola Co TX, Jesse and Amanda had the following children: Ora, b ca 1852 and married Dr. J.W. Wells; Kate, b ca 1853 and married H.C. Rucks; and Ida, b 1854 and married J.T. Lacy. Dr. Birdsong appears on that 1860 Census with a wife named Martha, b ca 1840; his children by Amanda; and his children by Martha who were Alexander who, was one year old, and Adelaide who was six months old. Dr. Birdsong died before Dec. 1866 as that was when the probate of his estate began in County Court. The place of his burial is unknown.)
2) Asa, Son of A. R. and S. E. Black, Born June 15, 1858, Died August 11, 1880
4) W. B., Son of R. S. and F. S. Willingham, Born March 24, 1859, Died July 30, 1869.
We also observed two brick crypts (well decomposed), one near the Black plot, the other near the Johnson plot.
There were also several other graves near the Black plot that were marked only by rocks.
I believe my Great grandfather Thomas Black (father of T. S. Black) who died in 1861 is buried here, but I was not able to identify his grave.
According to his obituary, R. S. Williamgham is also buried here:
Willingham, R. S. 07/25/1822-03/11/1877.