| Marker Text |
This graveyard traces its origin to the establishment of Judson Missionary Baptist Church of Christ on September 20, 1854. The church served the pioneer community of Wildcat Bluff (later called Cayuga). The congregation relocated here about 1856 from the nearby Gilmore's Chapel and Brush Arbor to a church building and acreage donated by Martin and Nancy Haywood on October 20, 1855. The first recorded burial here was that of 7-year-old Allen W. Barton on October 26, 1863. Pioneer burials were a community effort. Members prepared the body, made the shroud, built the caskets and dug the graves. Cedar trees and large stones were used as grave markers. According to local tradition cedar tree stumps continue to disclose the site of unmarked grave sites. In 1910 a small parcel of land was added to the graveyard by donors L. J. M. Sutton, L. B. Clay, Mrs. Ida Harton, and Joe A. and Sarah Johnson. Ellen and J. W. Seat donated 3-3/4 acres to the Judson Baptist Church in 1925 and sold additional acreage in 1954 for cemetery purposes. The Judson Cemetery Association helped establish a perpetual care fund in 1970 to maintain the grounds. The cemetery, deeded to the cemetery association by the Judson Baptist Church in 1986, continues to serve the church and community. (1993) |
