Pioneers first ventured in the Toe River Valley in the late 1700s, after the area became open to white settlement. These early settlers brought with them their deep religious convictions and churches began to spring up in fertile fields of the area. One of those churches was Zion Baptist Church, located in the Green Mountain Community. Zion was established in 1800, and one of the first pastors was W. C. Parsons. Members of the church included the Riddle, Ayers, and Bailey families. Not only was a log church constructed, but on a hill, across from the church, a burial ground was created.
It is unknown who was the first person buried in what is now known as the Old Zion Cemetery. There are numerous field stones that mark the graves of long-departed souls. The earliest marked grave is that of Nancy E. Hughes, wife of John Hughes, who departed on October 5, 1865. The last recorded burial is that of Jonnah Wallace, who died in 1950. You can see a listing of recorded burials here.
At some point, the cemetery was abandoned and nature started to reclaim the area. A few years ago, the Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946 became interested in the Old Zion Cemetery. There are at least six Confederate soldiers interred in the cemetery. Camp 1946 contacted the land owners and, with their permission, began cutting trees and brush from the grounds. Currently, they are working on placing a split rail fence around the cemetery.
Former Confederate soldiers buried here are:
Meshac Ayers Co. G 29 NCT
Jeremiah Ayers Co. G, 29th NCT
Jackson Briggs Co. C 58 NCT
John Hughes Co. C, 58th NCT
John S. Huskins Co. K, 58th NCT
Hiram Peak Co. B and D, 29th NCT
We’ve created a folder on our Flickr account with some images from the cemetery and various workdays. Check them out.
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