CEMETERIES PRIOR TO GREENWOOD
"Common Burial Grounds"........"King's Cemetery"
"John Miller Cemetery"........"Miscellaneous Cemeteries"
The cemetery called COMMON BURIAL GROUNDS, was perhaps the first official cemetery in Decatur. Located in the vicinity of the south side of the 1000 block West Main street, west of Haworth (used to be W. John), but not as far west as the Drug store at 1099 W. Main. It was on a portion of the Amos Robinson farm. It was closed in 1839. The bodies were removed and re-buried in what would become Greenwood Cemetery. This was done upon the suggestion of Dr. W. T. Crissey who wanted to plat town lots on the site.
The KINGS CEMETERY, platted May 10, 1865 (there were graves here in the 1850's), was owned by the family of John E. King. It's location was given as West John street (now S. Haworth) extending west for 500 feet along, what is now, the south side of the 1000 block West Wood street, to 32 feet east of Oakland avenue. This cemetery was also on a part of the old Amos Robinson farm in the early 1830's. Amos Robinson died in 1836 and was buried in the orchard on the south side of 1000 block West Main street. The cemetery covered about 1 1/4 acres. At that time the cemeteries were at the edge of town. KING's CEMETERY was closed between the years of 1885 and 1887 and sold to the city for platting and sale of town lots for building purposes and for the paving of West Wood street with bricks. In the early 1890's most of the known bodies buried there were removed and re-buried in Greenwood cemetery. As with most cemetery removals not all bodies are found. This is true for the COMMON BURIAL GROUNDS and KING'S CEMETERY. For years afterwards when different construction projects were started pieces of coffins, stones and human remains were found.
The same was also true for the JOHN MILLER CEMETERY. The JOHN MILLER CEMETERY containing 13 graves was uncovered in the Oakdale Addition in 1909 by construction workers. These remains were boxed and shipped to Greenwood Cemetery for re-burial.
There was a small (name unknown) cemetery on the south-west corner of Eldorado street and Water street.
There was a small (name unknown) cemetery on the south-east corner of Cantrell street and 19th street just south of Webster Cantrell Youth Advocacy.
No other information is known about these cemeteries or other small cemeteries that were covered by progress. We can only hope that the remains were transferred to Greenwood Cemetery and are not resting under street, basement floors or driveways.
The MACON COUNTY POOR FARM was around from the 1880's to the early 1960's. When the land was redeveloped the bodies were removed to Graceland Cemetery in Decatur.
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