Southern Hill Cemetery - Gadsden, AL
Posted by: 
hoteltwo
N 33° 59.924 W 086° 00.660
16S E 591335 N 3762456
Enclosed behind fencing (to prevent vandalism) at very end of S 6th St at NW corner of the James D. Martin Wildlife Park. Many of the old grave markers are broken and covered with vines and brush. Attempts are being made to clean up the cemetery.
Waymark Code: WM13WBH
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 02/28/2021
Views: 2
Marker text:
Established in 1826 as "The Colored Cemetery," this site is the first and largest African-American cemetery in Gadsden. In 1918, the Mosaic Templars of America, a fraternal organization who provided African Americans with death and burial insurance, established a smaller cemetery here. Southern Hill, also known as "6th Street Cemetery," is the final resting place for many veterans who served in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII and Korean War. Many slaves, early settlers, children, landowners, sharecroppers, educators, preachers, steel mill laborers, and business men and women are also buried here. The Alabama Historical Commission listed this cemetery in the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register on June 6, 2013.
Lineage of Owners
1826-1876 John W. Slack
1876-1906 Etowah County Commission
1906-1918 T.J. and Lily Woodliff
1918 - 1935 A.W. Woodliff
1918 Mosaic Templars of America
2013-present Grace Heritage Community Development
Marker Name: Southern Hill Cemetery Etowah County
Marker Type: Urban
Addtional Information::
Erected by State Representatives Ford, Nordgren, and Butler; Chari Bostick, Team Leaders.
Southern Hill Cemetery was once part of the Forest Hill community, a predominantly black section of Gadsden. The cemetery was abandoned in the 1940s when the City of Gadsden declared eminent domain over the area. Vines and tall grass have grown over many of the headstones. It sits behind Williamsburg Apartments and many grave stones are broken and have been vandalized. A tall fence has been erected to help prevent vandalism.
Date Dedicated / Placed: 2016
Marker Number: N/A
|
Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|