A visit in early 2017 was not completely conclusive, however, the person who assisted in the trip was certain, based upon his understanding of the local history, that this was indeed the location of the Sally France burial spot.
The present GPS location fairly closely matches the cemetery map of 1986 location, which was largely based upon the works of Charles Bennett, but did not have the accuracy that currently is available to researchers.
Washington County, Tennessee Tombstone Inscriptions by Charles M. Bennett and the Watauga Association of Genealogists. Information used with the permission of Lorraine Bennett Rae.
From volume 2, page 214 – Entry 75
“This cemetery is in Unicoi County high on Sally France Ridge; about ½ mile on left road above the Sally Hole – in Clark’s Creek – which was named for Sally, who drowned there. Visited March 23, 1978 by Elijah Ratliff, Mary Ratliff, Dollie R. Henley, Phill Henley, Ruth Masters, and Mildred M. Brittain. The following information was given by Dollie Ratliff Henley.
There are about five graves here. Known burials are:
Sally FRANCE and one of her children.
Sonia FOSTER, wife of Bert Foster, and one of her children.
A child of Monty PATTON.”
GPS – 36.145585, -82.526670
LOCATION – About 1500 feet SSE of the Sally Hole and 500 feet East of the Clarks Creek Road. Location is on US Government property within Unicoi County.
BURIALS – See text above. One planted cut stone marker with planted foot marker was found and indicated a child’s grave. A larger adult sized depression, with possibly room for a child, was found about 5 feet directly North of marked grave. No other significant depressions could be validated.
Surveyed, transcribed and donated to the Washington County TNGen Web March 2017 by Gordon M. Edwards, member of the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee.
Copyrighted 2015 by the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee. No part of this work may be copied without written permission from the Cemetery Survey Team.
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