Estes (Joseph Lafayette) Cemetery
2015
From Bennett, Charles M., and Watauga Association of Genealogists,
Washington County Tennessee Tombstone Inscriptions. 1st ed. Volume 2 : Loraine Bennett Rae, 1979; with permission from Loraine B. Rae.
“WCCL: Established by the Estes Family. Located about 2-1/2 miles SE of Jonesboro. North of Cherokee Creek in the 8th District. It has been abandoned for 25 or 30 years.”
Based upon the WCCL timeframe, the last burials would have been about 1900 or thereabouts.
Two deeds pertinent to the subject burial ground have been found. About 1880, James Dosser sold to Joseph Lafayette Estes a 5 acre parcel located in district 15. The original deed was either lost or destroyed and thus never recorded. In January 1914, the executor of James Dosser’s estate executed deed DB118/326, which conveyed ownership of the subject parcel to the heirs of Joseph L. Estes. In July of 1914, these heirs, Samuel A. Estes and Ella C. Estes, executed DB134/183 which conveyed the subject parcel to Lillie Hilbert.
Within the body of DB134/183, the following is noted: “………We reserve a spot where the grave of our Parents and Sister are located not less than 12 feet square, large enough to fence said graves and a perpetual right to look after and tend same……….”
Those two deeds did not have specific metes and bounds, however, through a succession of deeds, one of which included a proper survey, a concise trail is found, which clearly established the parcel and location of the original 5 acres owned by Joseph L. Estes. The subject 5 acres would fall at the southeast corner of Washington County, TN parcel 060-127.00, adjacent to Old Embreeville Road, between Mulberry Bend and Frank Hilbert Road south of Jonesborough in Washington County.
A conversation with the current property owner, and a physical inspection of the open 5 acre field, established the location of the graves at the location near the apple tree. The surrounding ground has a slight different contour, indicative of previous ground disturbance from digging. The present owner, unaware of the burial ground existence, chose the location to transplant this apple tree based upon his recollection of an old apple tree at that same location when he was a child.
GPS: +36 16.560N and -82 27.755W
Samuel A. Estes bought property in district 8, near Greenwood Drive and now subdivided into Young Road and Fine Road. He purchased in district 8 in 1905. A thorough search of deeds for him in that area yielded no references to burial grounds, nor are there any believed to be there. A physical search of the area found no burial grounds, either.
To address the WCCL district 8 versus deeds district 15 issue, it would appear that during the WCCL enumeration, Samuel Estes was at his own farm in district 8, but had not owned it long enough to have a 25 to 30 year abandon burial ground upon it. Maps over the years have shown the Estes burial ground in various general locations, all of which would be in district 15, but not where research has pinpointed the parcel. By the time the Charles M. Bennett work was being compiled, Samuel Estes had been dead for 15 to 20 years. The deed trail has provided for the correct location.
Utilizing census records, Joseph (thought to have died in 1892) and Catherine were absent from the 1900 census. Their daughter, Ella, was alone at the farm location during the 1900 census. Child Ada was enumerated as 3 years old in 1870, but absent in 1880. It is possible, but not proven, that she is whom was mentioned in the DB134/183. Another child, Blanch, was enumerated as less than a year old in 1880. No additional record has been found for her. She is also possibly the unnamed child in DB134/183
Joseph Lafayette Estes – born circa 1830 died 1892
Catherine Garber Estes – born circa 1836 died probably during the late 1890’s
Child thought to be Ada Estes – born 1867 and died prior to 1880 census.
Child Blanch – born Jan 1880 and unknown whereabouts.
The four other children known to be born of Joseph L & Catherine Estes survived to adulthood.
Research, surveyed and donated to the Washington County TNGen Web January 2015 by Gordon M. Edwards, member of the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee.
Copyrighted 2012 by the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee. No part may be copied without written permission from the Cemetery Survey Team.