Messick Cemetery, Henry County IN - Abandoned Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

This cemetery should be an embarrassment to Henry County Indiana. The county is know by its nickname Raintree County but the person to whom they owe that honor, William B. Shockley and the story of his raintree lay forgotten in this almost inaccessible abandoned cemetery.

A tale worthy of a novel by Ross Lockridge as well as a movie starring Elizabeth Taylor was made about a man buried in this forgotten graveyard. The tale is of a man from the civil war era living in Henry County Indiana who is smitten by a beautiful and rich girl from New Orleans who visits the area. During her brief visit he is unfaithful to his long time high school sweetheart. The passionate visit leaves the southern debutante pregnant, or so she says...

He goes south to do the honorable thing and marry her but in the end she admits it was a hoax. But not before the couple returns to Indiana at the the outbreak of the civil war and do have a child here. His wife then develops paranoia and delusions and flees with their son to her roots in the south. He then enlists in the army to go south in hopes of finding her and his son. Eventually he does find his son and is wounded bringing him back to the northern lines. His wounds bring his discharge from the Army so he goes back to find his wife. He finds her in terrible conditions at an insane asylum. He brings her and their child back to Henry County. Upon her return to Henry County she sees the love for his old sweetheart has not died so she sacrifices herself and deludedly enters the nearby swamp in the middle of the night to find the legendary raintree. Their four year old son follows her. The search party eventually finds her body. The father finds his son as well and carries him out of the swamp, failing to see the tall raintree glowing in the sunlight. Movie fades to black....

Despite this unbelievable story worthy of a role staring Elizabeth Taylor as the mother, the true to life father lies here in a overgrown and forgotten grave yard.


This old cemetery is one of the oldest in Henry County. On May 1, 1828 William Cannaday donated 1/2 acre of land to The Liberty Congregation Church trustees; Eli Frazier, George Hedrick and Calvin Russell for use as the burial ground for the Liberty Church. At one time it was maintained by the township trustees and was kept mowed and maintained by them. Over the last couple of decades it has been completely forgotten and allowed to become overgrown and abandoned.

There are 5 veterans from the War of 1812 buried here.

Entrance to the cemetery is made from an access road off county road 300. Various sources on the internet wrongly provide coordinates that place the commentary at the junction of 300 and Messick Road.

There have been efforts made to maintain this cemetery but it continues to be left behind time and time again. Hopefully this waymark can be the impetus to get this moved to the UNABANDONED status.

Earliest Burial: 01/01/1828 Latest Burial: 01/01/1888

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