I was unable to find any history on the church. Based on FindAGrave, the oldest recorded burial is 1900. The church has burials in three distinct locations. The older sections were further from the church.
This marker for Grace Holcomb, 1909-1962, was my favorite find of the day. The top detail reminds me of a crown. The careful lettering and leaf etching illustrate how careful the artist was in making this. According to findagrave, there is another marker like this, but I was not successful in finding it.
On occasion, I will find Eldren Bailey markers where his markers are incorporated into other materials. Rufus and Cassie Rowe lived outside of Bremen. Rufus worked for the railroad. According to Ancestry, they had at least ten children.
Their Eldren Baikey markers were encased in concrete decorated in shells. Seashells are a common Christian symbol used in cemeteries, especially in the South, to represent a crossing over or spiritual journey. It also is believed that enslaved people utilized shells to represent that the sea brought them to this land, but the sea would also take them back to Africa.
There were also other Eldren Bailey markers in the cemetery.
Lawrence Holcomb, d. 1970Mrs. Claudie Spear, 1909-1973
Little Vine Primitive Baptist Church was founded in 1875. Because some window panes were broken out, I believe this church is no longer active. I did find a reference to a sacred harp workshop being hosted by the church in 2018, so it has only become inactive in recent years.
Sacred harp singing is an American music tradition that started in New England and became very popular in the South. It derives its name from a songbook titled The Sacred Harp that utilized shape notes and musical notations to assist singing in groups, like church congregations.
The Buchanan City Cemetery is a small town cemetery located in Haralson County, Georgia. In this cemetery, there are six grave covers made of Georgia red clay, utilizing a uniform design.
Jessie Parks Stephens, 1880-1880
Several generations of family members rest in these plots. Isabella Hill is the grandmother to John Henry Stephens and Exah Cowart. Jessie Parks Stephens is the son of John Henry Stephens and great-grandson of Isabella Hill. Johnnie Cowart is the son of Exah Cowart and grandson of Isabella Hill. I did utilize Wikipedia and Ancestry to see if there was additional info.
Exah Matilda Stephens (Cowart), 1855-1882
While the deaths spanned from 1880 to 1898, I believe the markers were made simultaneously. The covers show uniformity in size and design. I appreciate the handiwork that went into play to create the
Johnnie Cowart, 1882-1883
I know very little about pottery. If you know more, please provide any additional information that would be helpful in describing then or sharing techniques.
Isabella Hill, 1801-1883John Henry Stephens, 1853-1887Walter Jenter Stephens, 1877-1898A close up of one of the vases
A few months ago, I decided to drive through the community of Draketown in Haralson County, Georgia. I stopped driving the second I saw this column in the front yard of a home. My first thought was, why was someone buried in a front yard with such an elaborate monument?
When I got home, I started researching and discovered it was a memorial to Alice “Wildie” Stewart. Wildie was the wife of the local Methodist preacher, Reverend Robert Stewart, who had gained the nickname of “The Raiding Parson” because he would search out the stills of local moonshiners and destroy them. Thankfully, a book titled Draketown Tragedy was written about the events surrounding Alice “Wildie” Stewart’s death. The book and supporting newspaper documentation provided the information needed for this post.
On Thursday, November 13, 1924, local bootleggers, and likely the KKK, showed up one night at the Stewart’s home, the Methodist parsonage, to kidnap him. Wildie grabbed her pistol and stepped out to the front porch to protect her husband. She was shot in the process. The bootleggers immediately ran off. As this was a rural town, Reverend Stewart was required to drive his wife to Atlanta to get care.
From the November 16, 1924 issue of The Atlanta Constitution, a photo of Reverend Stewart with his two daughters, Lorene (L) and Tannie (R).
Wildie became known as the first woman to die for the cause of prohibition. Her story was carried in newspapers throughout Georgia and surrounding states. The governor of Georgia, Clifford Walker, offered $200 for the arrest of her killers. A memorial plaque was placed in her honor at the Wesley Memorial Hospital in Atlanta commemorating her heroism.
The manhunt began using the identifications made by Reverend Stewart and several men were arrested. Yet, the identification of some of the men by Tannie, the 17-year-old daughter, was ignored as she identified some of the known local Ku Klux Klan members. While not shared publicly, the youngest daughter Lorene did tell a childhood friend that she found KKK robes under her father’s bed.
Interestingly, the KKK seemed to do what they could to prove they weren’t associated with Stewart’s death. They gave the family $50 and wrote a resolution that was signed by “John B. Gordon, Klan, Number 2, Realm of Georgia” (p. 124). Additionally, they helped fundraise to erect the column in Stewart’s honor. Hundreds dressed in their robes attended the unveiling of the marker.
Advertisement in the February 6, 1927 Columbus Ledger
There were several arrests made in the murder of Alice Stewart. Reverend Robert Stewart served as the prosecutor for the case even though there was no mention of him having any legal experience. Once the accused were brought to trial, all were acquitted because of their alibis, which according to news reports, were often the others accused in the murder.
Despite the acquittal, the story of the “Raiding Parson” and the death of his wife were made into a movie by the Atlanta film studio, Winn Studio. Stewart would often attend showings, which would often be sold out.
After reading the book, which I think is a good one regarding sharing local lore, I was left with so many questions. What was Reverend Stewart’s connection to the KKK? Why did they show up at his house? Why did Stewart serve as the prosecutor? Were members of the jury moonshiners and/or members of the KKK? It seems odd all of the men were acquitted since it was such a small town and everyone knows each other. The jury believed the alibis of known bootleggers over a reverend. The case is a weird one.
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