Located in rural northwest Alabama is the world’s only coon dog cemetery. Founded in 1937 on Labor Day, the cemetery began when Key Underwood buried his beloved coon dog, Troop. Officially, the cemetery’s name is the “Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard.”
The hand-chiseled gravestone of Troop, the first burial
Coon dogs are a type of scenthound used to hunt raccoons, feral pigs, and other animals. For a dog to be buried in the cemetery, the owner must verify they are a coon hound, a witness must verify the dog is a coonhound, and a board member of the cemetery must verify the dog is a coon hound. If a dog passes those tests, then their final resting place will be among a couple hundred of other coon hounds.
Queen, died 1962
The cemetery is filled with a mixture of professional and handmade headstones. Many headstones had a mixture of mementos left for the dogs, from rocks to balls
Easy Going Sam (4-8-1989-9-12-2002). Notice the color at the top of the cross.The hand-sculpted market for High PockettOne of the statutes honoring the coon dogs.
Located near Falkville, Alabama, there are two grave houses located in a large pasture. The houses are part of a small family cemetery.
The grave houses belong to Elizabeth Ann Wiggins Brown (1938-1889) and her husband, John Jemisom Brown (1927-1890). According to FindAGrave, there are six burials in the cemetery.
An unlocked gate is at the entrance. I chose not to enter and shoot from the pull-in.
Founded in 1796, the Hebron Presbyterian Church congregation in Banks County is one of the earliest congregations in north Georgia. The church was built in 1883 and is representative of many rural churches found in the South with the double doors at the entrance, which were used separately by men and women when the sexes did not sit next to each other during church services.
The Hebron Academy is tied to the earlier school on the church’s campus. The first school building was constructed in 1855. At the time, it was a rare school that educated white schoolchildren and the children of the enslaved. The slaveholder could grant permission for anyone they held in bondage to be educated. This continued until a Georgia state law was passed to prevent the education of anyone held in bondage. In 1910, the current school building was constructed, and the old building was moved to be used as a parsonage.
The church’s cemetery highlights a mixture of tombs and markers used over the years. From the head and shoulders grave markers, sometimes called discoids, and the cairns represent earlier markers. Additionally, since it is still an active cemetery, modern markers are mixed throughout it.
The grave of Samuel McKie (1761-1845), who fought in the Revolutionary War, showcases an earlier vault with the addition of a federally issued headstone. The head and shoulders marker of Elizabeth McEntire (1765-1806) is engraved with “Here lies Elizabeth McEntire age 41 yrs. Departed this life 10 August 1806.” It is believed this marker, and others like it, was quarried from local stone.Jane Fleming Ash (1764-1859)The grave of Jennie C. Pruitt (1868-1913) is engraved with the quote, “In my father’s house are many mansions,” from John 14:2-6. This is a frequent inscription in cemeteries.
Located on the west side of Tech Tower at Georgia Tech is the grave of a beloved terrier known as Sideways. Sideways fell from a car window at the Varsity when she was an 8-week-old puppy. She was taken in by Annie Schofield, a boarding house owner, whose home was at 109 North Ave NW. She was known as a dog lover and would eventually nurse Sideways back to health. Her home was between the Varsity and Smith Residence Hall on campus.
Sideways’s fall required that she needed surgery. After her recovery, Sideways walked at an angle, hence, her name. Schofield cared for her until she was eight months old. In an interview with the Atlanta Journal, Scholfield shared, “One day, however, a bunch of sailor boys from Tech passed the house, and Sideways went out to see them. They played with her, gave her that funny name, and from that time on, she was at Tech more than she was at my home.” She became a beloved figure on campus. She would attend classes, march alongside the drill team, and even lead the football team onto the field. She was even kidnapped by UGA students near the 1946 Tech and University of Georgia football game. GT students went to Athens and took her back.
Image from the December 1, 1946, The Atlanta Constitution
According to a 1947 article about Sideways in The Atlanta Journal, the beloved terrier did not have one student she stuck by. All Tech men would take care of her. She would be escorted into the dining hall for meals or be taken to the restaurant College Inn for a treat of a milkshake and steak. She even attended class.
Article in the Atlanta Journal
Unfortunately, Sideways died at a young age after accidentally eating rat poison. Her death made front page news. The beloved pup was buried near Tech Tower. Student Council treasurer Roy Barnes worked to get a grave marker made by McNeel Marble Company (Morgan McNeel was a Tech alum and former football star.) At the marker dedication, Dean George C. Griffin gave the eulogy where he said, “The greatest secret of success is the ability to get along with people. I think this small animal had that quality.”
Over the years, Sideways’s grave became where students would leave mementos for good luck during exams. Usually, it is change, but now you can find drinks, candy, notes, and anything else that Tech students think would help them be in the protective graces of Sideways.
Located on a dirt road, the Jones Chapel and cemetery sit across the road from each other. At the moment, I am unable to locate any history on the church. The building was built around 1900. The cemetery is somewhat active with a few fairly recent burials. I will update once I know more.
Mr. Newman Jackson, 1910-1995
Two headstones featured these pinpricks as ways to engrave the headstones.
T. L. Jackson, 1980-1980Mattie Jones, 1907-1908Bidy Ann Talington, 1907-1908Lola Roberson, 1904-1999Little Sandra Leann
I will always document any Eldren Bailey marker that I find.
The well-cleaned skeleton of a cow greeted me as I walked a path around the lake.
At one time, there was a school associated with the congregation. Photo courtesy of Digital Library of Georgia.
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