Clay Springs Cemetery full of Stories

by Megan Trotter, published October 16, 2016, Cookeville Herald-Citizen

Hidden in the hills of Overton County, Clay Springs Cemetery sits nestled on land that has belonged to the surrounding families since before the Civil War. It holds families such as the Gibbons, Reids/Reads, Peeks, Langfords, Moores, Webbs, Bennetts, Bilbreys, Harrises and Dickersons. However family financial support has petered off in the last few years. The pair of men who handle the mowing mostly pay the expense of the gas out of their own pockets.

Paula Stover, who helps care for the tombstones, is hoping that more family members will pitch in to maintain the graveyard. She has compiled a list of everyone buried in Clay Springs Cemetery, and has researched the personal histories of most.

“I started getting into genealogy in the mid-80s,” she said. “Once you get started, you’re hooked. I have got filing cabinets of information. There’s all kinds of stories here.”

One such story took place between two men in the early 1900s.

“They say that this man named Billy Moore was as mean as a snake,” Stover said. “A man named Barny Langford said he was going to run for sheriff, and if he was elected, he was going to do something about Billy Moore. Well, Langford got elected, and Moore showed up on his porch and said, ‘I hear you’re looking for me.’ Then Moore shot and killed him on his porch.”

According to Stover’s research, Moore ran off to hide from the law after murdering the sheriff, and ended up in the home of an African-American family.

He threatened to kill everyone in the house if they told anyone he was there, and even raped the daughter, who later gave birth to his child. Eventually Moore was shot and killed as well.

The stories go on. There’s 20-year-old Epps Gibbons, who fought in the Civil War in the freezing rain, then later died of pneumonia at home.

There’s also Susanah Reid, whose father owned the land where the Cookeville Performing Arts Center now stands. There is also Edmond Mason (or Masoner — records disagree on which version is correct) who was married to a woman named Margaret. The pair separated later in life.

“I found court records where he was charged with ‘lewdness’ because he was living with another woman. We don’t know where she is buried, but we put Margaret’s stone beside his. I figured I’d let them fight that out amongst themselves,” Stover chuckled. “We just wanted her recognized.”

Wilmoth Moore, who is also buried there, was a Confederate veteran and his was the last funeral held in Clay Springs Church beside the graveyard before the church was torn down.

“My daddy said that they’d already started tearing out the floor, but the old floor joists were there. They laid planks down and put Moore’s casket up front, and then people would walk onto the planks, and then sit down on the floor joists,” Stover said.

Edmond Gibbons is the first known burial in the graveyard in 1862. Stover had found his name listed in documents, but for years had never identified his tombstone.

She figured it must have been one of the 37 people buried there with no tombstone. However, one day the sun was shining just right on a little piece of rock sticking up out of the ground.

She bent down and brushed away some of the soil, then brushed away a little more. She realized it was a tombstone. When she finally uncovered it, she saw the name Edmond Gibbons carved into the sandstone.

“I danced all over this hill, I was so excited,” she said.

Stover also helped locate the tomb belonging to the husband of a woman named Sarah J. Cox. The man had died in battle in Virginia, along with Sarah’s brother.

“Apparently, the women of the family carried on so much that Sarah’s father took an ox cart up there to find their bodies and bring them back,” Stover said.

“When I was told that her husband should be buried beside her, I ran down to the cemetery as soon as the sun came up, and sure enough, there is an unmarked grave beside her.”

A book that gives a complete history of Clay Springs Cemetery and the church is available for $17. All proceeds from the book will go to the upkeep of the cemetery.

To purchase a book, contact Paula Stover (phone number redacted).

To donate to the cemetery fund directly, contact Gary and Sherry Webb (phone number redacted).

---

List of Burials

Compiled by Paula Swallows Stover, April, 2003

Estle Lewis 20 Aug 1907-7 Oct 1910 s. Golden & Belle (Read) Lewis

Kenneth Fred Dickerson 23 Nov 1916- 5 Sept 1917 s. Porter & Lola (Lewis) Dickerson

Rosie Mary Langford 31 Aug 1896- 16 Aug 1973 d. Barney & Hester (Phillips) Langford

Barney Langford Jr 11 Jan 1876- 9 Sept 1908 s. Barney & Eleanor (Green) Langford

Hester K. (Phillips)Langford 25 Aug 1877- 18 March 1957 d. Joseph & Mary (Phillips) Langford

Nancy Jane (Smith) Reed 26 Feb 1846- 5 Sept 1927 w. Gid Reed/Read

Wyley Gid Reed (C. S. A.) 31 Jan 1849-1 Dec 1916 s. George and Elvira (Maskal/Marshall) Reed

Sarah Jane (Reed) Cox 26 Sept 1834- 29 Oct 1896 d. Phelps & Mary(Thompson) Read

Susannah (Brown) Read 29 June 1841- 26 Aug 1915 d. Isaac & Celia (Davis) Brown, 2nd wife of Phelps Read

Phelps Read (Mason) 26 May 1815- 3 Oct 1892 s Wylie Blount & Nancy (Spoon) Read
Born in Morristown, TN where his father was Register of Deeds.

Mary M. (Thompson) Read 26 March 1816- 29 Sept 1877 d. Dr. Elisha Thompson of Morristown, TN. 1st wife of Phelps Read

James P. Read 17 Jan 1861- 19 Feb 1886

Sam (Samuel Edmond) Gibbon 9 Sept 1859- 22 March 1901 s. Edd & Eveline (Dillon) Gibbons (Sam was named for both grandfathers)
Millie E. (Talley) Gibbons (unmarked) 1857- 1881 d.o. Beverly & Rachel (Warden) Talley, 1st wife of Sam Gibbons

2 unknown infants (probably children of Sam & Millie)

J. M. (James Madison)Turner no dates Minister in Church of Christ near Lilly Dale

Emily Turner no dates

Pinoch Dickerson 24 May 1921-16 Feb 1996

Reba Dickerson 25 Oct 1923-

Arpha Crawford 22 Aug 1898- 23 Aug 1901 d. Leighton & Martelia Crawford

A. (Alexander) Crawford 8 Aug 1803- * May 1882 (surveyer, born in VA)

Joe H. Smith 3 Aug 1944-6 Oct 1981 h. Loretta (Dickerson)

Dallas C. Reid 5 June 1877- 4 Feb 1964 s. Daniel & Rebecca (Gibbons) Reid

Rose Ettie (Crabtree) Reid 29 Aug 1878- 26 June 1951 d. Lawrence N. & Martha A. (Wilson) Crabtree. The Crabtree family owned property where waterfall is behind Hardie’s in Livingston
Nellie Lou Reid 4 Aug 1910- 24 March 1918 d. Dallas & Ettie

Margaret Cordelia (Reid) Webb 1870- 1910 d. Dan & Rebecca (Gibbons) Reid – w. Keeton Webb

Ernest Webb May 1893- May 1893 s. Keeton & Cordelia

Rebecca (Gibbons) Peek Reid 10 April 1846- 10 Nov 1897 d. Edd & Eveline (Dillon) Gibbons

Wm. Daniel “Dan” Reid (C. S. A.) 10 Jan 1846-6 June 1916 s. Phelps & Mary (Thompson) Read/Reid/Reed

Willie C. Reid 16 Sept 1907-17 Sept 1907 s. Dallas & Ettie (Crabtree) Reid

Lockie (Reed) Mackie 30 Oct 1883-5 Sept 1910 d. Dan & Rebecca (Gibbons) Reid w. Virgil Mackie

Leaner (Hix) Thrasher 8 July 1836-28 July 1912 2nd w. Uriah Thrasher – Uriah Thrasher was son of Isaac McKinley and Mary (Moore) Thrasher

Jess Dickerson 27 March 1871-15 Oct 1948 2nd husband of Mary T. (Thrasher)

Mary Tennessee (Thrasher) Dickerson 2 Feb 1853-21 Jan 1920 d. Uriah / 1st m. Squire Fleming

Lola (Lewis) Dickerson 10 March 1898-26 April 1975 d. Golden & Belle (Read) Lewis – w. Porter Dickerson

Porter L. Dickerson 2 April 1897-16 Aug 1963 s. Jesse & Mary T. (Roark) Dickerson

1 unmarked infant

2 unmarked graves

Lula B. Montgomery April 1883- ? d. Albert & Eliza Montgomery

Albert W. Montgomery (Union Army March 1832- ?

Eliza J. Montgomery April 1847- ? w. Albert Montgomery

Mattie A. Montgomery Jan 1889- ? d. Albert & Eliza Montgomery

Infant Warren 19 Sept 1903-27 Sept 1903 inf. Orley & Etta (Boatman) Warren

Infant Thompson(whooping cough) no dates inf. William R. & Fannie Thompson

Infant Thompson (whooping cough) no dates inf. William R. & Fannie Thompson

Alis Thompson (typhoid) 23 Oct 1875-1 Sept 1891 d. William R. & Fannie Thompson

David Ray Dishman 6 Jan 1971-23 Apr 1989 s. Ray & Sherry (Webb) Dishman

Alene (Pryor) Webb 19 June 1921- d. Ed & Audie (Burgess) Pryor – w. Jasper Webb

Jasper Webb (WWII) 22 Aug 1916-16 May 1988 s. Mayford & Maudie (Lack) Webb

Sybil (Webb) Dickerson 26 Apr 1921-30 Aug 1998 d. Mayford & Maudie (Lack) Webb

James Mayford Webb 31 March 1888-7 July 1976 s. Wiley E. & Irene (Peek) Webb

Media (Warden) Webb 2 July 1891-28 Jan 1915 d. James &Josephine
(Nelson) Warden 1st w. Mayford Webb

Hassie L. Webb 18 Jan 1910-26 Sept 1914 d. Mayford & Media
(Warden) Webb Infants of Mayford & Media Webb B&D 26 Feb 1913

Wiley E. Webb 11 Jan 1860-6 Oct 1947 s. John Lea & MaryJane (Dillon) Webb

Irene “Rena”(Peek) Webb 13 Aug 1866-13 April 1920 w. Wiley Edmon Webb

Unmarked grave

Ollie (Webb) Stewart 30 Dec 1883-26 May 1918 d. Wiley E. & Irene (Peek) Stewart – w. Millant J. Stewart

Unmarked grave

Tennie ( Mary Tennessee) Webb 1 Jan 1891-19 Aug 1916 d. Wiley & Irene (Peek) Webb

Emma (Webb) Warden 29 July 1893-16 Feb 1917 d. Wiley Edmon & Irene (Peek) Webb – 1st w. Floyd Warden

Infant of Emma and Floyd Warden 1917-1917 (unmarked grave next to Emma)

James W. Webb 17 Sept 1917-22 Sept 1917

Unmarked grave

Josie Webb 25 April 1901-24 Jan 1902

Unmarked grave

John Ernest Moore 15 June 1902-27 July 1903 s. Billy & Martelia (Dickerson) Moore

Billy W. Moore 1 Aug 1880-11 Aug 1909 s. Jesse & Jennie (Wilmoth) Moore

Martelia (Harris) Moore 8 Oct 1882-29 April 1974 d. Manson & Polly (Walker) Harris – w. Billy W. Moore

Nannie ( ) Moore 14 March 1905-14 April 1984 w. Jimmie Moore

Jimmie Moore 17 Feb 1904-19 April 1988

Jennie (Wilmoth ) Moore 2 Jan 1931-9 Dec 1918 d. John Wilmoth – w. Jesse T. Moore

Jesse Moore (C. S. A.) 7 June 1830-15 Feb 1916 s. Lewis & Sarah (Travis) Moore

2 unmarked graves

J. W. (John Wilmoth) Moore 30 June 1851- 23 March 1930 s. Jesse and Jennie (Wilmoth) Moore

Susan (Easterly) Moore 18 May 1861- 7 Oct 1926 d. of John Lide & Nancy Cornelia (Dodson) Easterly  2nd wife of J. Wilmoth Moore

4 unmarked graves

Infant of S. M. (Samuel M.) Bennett no dates inf. of Samuel & Mary (Langford) Bennett

Olly B. Langford 15 May 1884-15 March 1894

J. A. Langford 24 March 1856-5 June 1894

Unmarked grave

Hassie Bennett 28 April 1916-28 May 1919 d. Sam & Mary (Langford) Bennett

Unmarked grave

4 unmarked graves

Tent grave (unmarked)

S. W. (Samuel) Langford 22 Oct 1858-22 May 1894

Denton Stewart 15 Oct 1905-3 May 1907

Dorothy (Montgomery) Peek 1 July 1881- ?? d. Albert & Eliza Montgomery w. James Don Peek, following death of Don, married his brother, John Peek. James Don Peek 8 April 1877-15 Oct 1906 s. I. T. Peek & Frances – Don was sawed in half in a sawmill accident.

I. T. (Isaac Travis) Peek 12 March 1855-1 July 1935 s. James & Martha Peek

F. F. (Frances F.) (Dillon) Peek 20 Sept 1853-13 June 1904 d. Ike & Artimishie (Barnes) Dillon – w. Isaac Travis Peek

2 unmarked graves

John Mitchell Peek 4 Jan 1881-21 Dec 1950

Elle Peek 8 Feb 1884-13 Nov 1914 dtr. of Ann Welch

Ada Mae Peek 2 Jan 1907-13 June 1909 d. I. T. & Frances (Dillon) Peek

Cleven Dillon (funeral home marker) 1887-1959

Ruby (Peek) Moore 18 Jan 1926-9 June 2001 w. Noble Peek

Louis Noble Peek 21 Dec 1916-Dec 1969

A. Welch (possibly Sarah Welch) no dates

Unmarked grave

Polly (Walker) Harris 30 June 1860-25 Feb 1965 w. Mansford Harris

Mansford M. Harris 25 Aug 1958-4 June 1925

Infants of Shirley & Oma (Breeding) Harris

J.O. Peek 6 March 1879

Unmarked grave

Unmarked grave

Barney Langford, Sr 17 Nov 1833-18 June 1907

Margaret (Dillon) Langford 1 April 1837-27 March 1874 d. Ike & Mary Jane (Webb) Dillon – 1st w. Barney Langford

M. A.(Mary Ann) (Pigg) Langford 6 Dec 1836-11 Jan 1876 d. John Pigg – 2nd w. Barney Langford

E. E. Peek (Edmond Epps) 12 Aug 1860-26 March 1862

Dona (Carmack) France 21 June 1894-6 July 1975 d. Cornelius & Louisa (Gibbons) Carmack

Loney (Harris) Bilbrey 15 march 1886-25 Nov 1927 d. Mansford & Polly (Walker) Harris – w. Cass Bilbrey

Lewis Cass Bilbrey 22 June 1879-4 May 1915 s. James Madison & Arminty (Cannon) Bilbrey

5 unknown children (some are Bennett children/ 2 are probably children of Cass & Loney Bilbrey)

3 unmarked graves

Epps Gibbons (C. S. A.) 1843-17 Feb 1862 s. Edmond M. & Eveline (Dillon) Gibbons

Edmond Gibbons 9 March 1779-13 June 1862 s. Thomas & Anne (Eppes) Gibbons – born in Hawkins Co, TN

Margaret “Peggy” (Mason) Gibbons 1785-1855 w. Edmond Gibbons

Unmarked child

Edd (Edmond M.) Gibbons 1820-27 March 1911 s. Edmond & Peggy (Mason) Gibbons

Eveline (Dillon) Gibbons 1822-1897 d. Samuel & Frances (Poteet) Dillon – w. Edmond M. Gibbons

3 unmarked graves

Bethia Gillon (Yelton) Gibbons 8 Jan 1854-22 May 1904 d. Wilburn S.& Jemima (Wilmoth) Yelton – w. Squire Thomas Gibbons

2 unmarked children’s graves

W. D. (William Denton) Hyder 25 Dec 1856-9 Sept 1922 s. Pleasant Milton & Rachel (Green) Hyder – h. Permelia Eveline “Tone” (Gibbons)

Tony (Permelia Eveline (Gibbons) 18 June 1864-14 Feb 1938 d. Edmond M. & Eveline (Dillon) Gibbons – w. Denton Hyder & Wiley Warren

M. L. A. Breeding April 1879-April 6 1879 possibly infant of Wm. J. & Sarah Jane (Gibbons) Breeding

S. P. Chestney

Margaret (Chestney) Nelson w. John Nelson – She died on wagon train headed for MO. Brought home for burial

Golden Gibbons no dates s. E. B. & Angeline Gibbons

Talmadge “Tal” (R. T.) Webb 10 Aug 1883-19 March 1962

Cora A. (Hammons) Webb 4 May 1887-6 March 1917 d. Thomas Hammons – w. Tal Webb

Unmarked child’s grave

Josie Webb 25 April 1901-24 Jan 1902

3 unmarked graves

Research on Unmarked Graves

In order to help preserve as much of our past history as possible, for the past several years, I have tried to find the unknowns ( buried without names on stones) in the Clay Springs Cemetery. At one time there was a log church located here but the church was torn down in the 1930’s. Clay Springs sits quietly on a hillside at the end of a gravel road and has been in use since before the Civil War.

In the book, Overton County Roll Call, Gary D. Norris states the unknown burials at Clay Springs number 75. In looking through early death records, family records, and Bibles, and talking with older family members of the deceased — and with the help of others — I have identified the following unknowns (or unmarked):

1. Isaac “Ike” Dillon 1832/18 Dec 1914 age 92 son of Samuel and Frances (Poteet) Dillon

2. Artimisha (Barnes) Dillon Aug 1828/ 26 Nov 1901 dtr of Lewis and Cely Barnes and wife of Ike Dillon

3. Miles Webb 13 Sept 1917/19 Sept 1917 son of Marion and Frances (Davis) Webb

4. Averett Deloy Hammons 14 Apr 1921/3 Jan 1922 son of Joseph Erastus and Ella Mae (Stockton) Hammons

5. Baby Gibbons died 1880 age 6 months son of Sam and Millie Talley Gibbons

6. Millie E. (Talley) Gibbons (and baby) 1857/1881-82 dtr of Beverley and Rachel (Warden) Talley and 1st wife of Samuel Edmond Gibbons

7. Infant Gibbons (buried with mother, Millie E. (Talley) Gibbons )

8. Mary Jane Dillon Webb 25 Dec 1833/31 Jan 1916 dtr of Samuel and Frances (Poteet) Dillon and wife of John Lea Webb

9. John Lea Webb 1830 / possibly 1864 son of Mary Webb and John Lea

11. Letta (Lettie) A. E. (Thrasher) Moore 11 Feb 1854-4 March 1879 (1st wife of James Wilmoth Moore) dtr of Uriah and Cynthia (Roark) Thrasher. Married 12 September 1872.

12. Samuel Wiley Langford 1858 / 1894

13. Olly Bell Langford 15 May 1884 / 15 March 1894

14. Angeline (Williams) Langford Gibbons 1865/22 June 1909 1st married Samuel Wiley Langford and 2nd E. B. “Boney” Gibbons

15. D.A. Langford 2 March 1856/ 5 June 1876 (or 74?)

16. Orvel Hickman Bilbrey 1906/ 1909 (croup) son of Joseph A.
“Joe” and Artensis Emeline “Lina” (Sidwell) Bilbrey

17. Eleanor (Green) Langford 12 March 1845/15 Oct 1922 3rd wife of Barney Langford, Sr.

18. Andrew J. Cox 1832- killed during Civil War husband of Sarah Jane (Read)

19. Maggie (Talley) Dickerson born about 1876- died ? dtr. of Beverly and Rachel (Warden) Talley 1st wife of Willie Dickerson

20. Baby Warden 1917/1917 infant of Floyd Warden & 1st wife, Emma (Webb) (baby died few days after mother)

21. infant Swallows 1930’s infant of Herman and Ellie Kate
(Burroughs) Swallows

22. infant Swallows 1930’s infant of Herman and Ellie Kate
(Burroughs) Swallows

23. John Thomas Gibbons 1832-1873 son of Edmond & Margaret
(Masoner) Gibbons

24. Amanda Minerva Nelson 1835-1872 wife of John Thomas Gibbons

25. Nancy Jane (Smith) Read married 24 Jan 1871 in Jackson Co, TN
(wife of Wiley Gideon “Gid” Read)

26. Laura E. Gibbons 12 Feb 1874/9 Aug 1875 dtr. of Thomas and Bethia (Yelton) Gibbons (probably buried beside her mother).

27. Uriah Thrasher son of Isaac McKinley & Mary (Moore) Thrasher

28. Charles Bilbrey 1907- son of Lewis Cassady and Loney (Harris) Bilbrey

29. Otis Bilbrey 14 March 1909- son of Lewis Cassady and Loney (Harris) Bilbrey