Johnson (Houston) Cemetery
2003
At the end of Davie Fender Rd., turn right at the Nolichuckey River. The cemetery is located in a clump of trees. There are only two markers but many impressions of other graves. Artificial flowers have been placed on three graves. This is on the Ted Love farm.
GPS location: 36° 11.45N 082°29.57W; Elevation: 1534 ft.
NAME BIRTH DATE DEATH DATE COMMENTS
Johnson, Eliza Jane 1836 26 May 1913 Mother
Johnson, Houston 05 Jul 1833 12 Dec 1900 Age 67 y 5 m
Surveyed, transcribed and donated to the Washington County TNGen Web 31 December 2003 by Donna Cox Briggs, Bob Shell and Betty Jane Hylton members of the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee. Assisted by Nandia Stout.
Copyrighted 2013 by the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee. No part may be copied without written permission from the Cemetery Survey Team.
NOTE: Approximately 300 feet before reaching the Johnson Cemetery, more grave impressions were found.
GPS location: 36° 11.47N 082° 30.01W; Elevation: 1534 ft.
Additional information
In Washington County Tennessee Tombstone Inscriptions by Charles M. Bennett and the Watauga Association of Genealogists, Vol. II, p.207 used with permission from Loraine B. Rae:
Johnson #68
Located in the 6th District along the Chucky River on the Love property. Some people say Indians were buried here, some say Negro. There are two legible stones. Copied by Charles M. Bennett on Nov. 11, 1960 and by Mildred M. Brittian on April 3, 1978.
1870 Census Washington County, Tennessee
District 6
#15 Johnson, Houston 38 (M), Jane 36 (M), James 22 (M), Rebecca 18 (M), Mary 12 (M), Alexander 10 (M); Broyles, Terry 70 (B)
#16 Johnson, Scintha 45 (M), Jas. 26 (M), William 16 (M), Samuel 13 (M), Elizabeth 24 (M), Henderson 2 (M), David 3/12 (M).
1880 Census Washington County, Tennessee
#442 Johnson, Huston 55 (B), Eliza J. 49, James H. 30, Eliza A. 29, Mary A. 21, Lewis A. 19.
From History of Washington County, Tennessee, 1988 by the Watauga Association of Genealogist, p.108:
In 1860, Washington County contained 1249 black residents, of whom 956 were slaves. Some blacks resided in what is now known as the River Valley area, located along both sides of the Nolichucky River in southwest Washington County. Also, a sizeable number lived in surrounding counties.
Among those located in the Nolichucky River area was Houston Johnson, born July 5, 1833; died December 12, 1900 at the age of 67 years and 5 months. His wife, Eliza Jane Johnson was born in 1836; died May 26, 1913 at the age of 77. Houston and Eliza had two boys and one girl: Alex, James and Pearl.
At the death of the slave master, Mr. James Johnson, Houston inherited 100 aces of prime farmland, which stretched from the Nolichucky River to the top of the mountain. The land was later sold by the heirs, several of whom lie in the county today.
Other residents and neighbors of Houston and Eliza were Dick and Dicie Goins. Charlie and Jennie Cole also lived in the Nolichucky River area, as well as Peachie and Marion Love. It was not clear about their status as slaves.
The Johnson children went to school on the Johnson farm; the foundation of the schoolhouse is still visible. Other residents attended school in Embreeville, where there were a large number of blacks employed in the mines located there. Church services were proved by blacks. The camp meeting services were attended by all races. Older residents keenly remember a black man, known as “Shouting Walker,” attending the camp meeting. When the number of blacks in the Embreeville community deceased, the children were sent to school in New Victory, a few miles away. A traveling teacher taught classes. The site of the old school at New Victory is now a Union Grove Cemetery.