LOCUST GROVE — Tucked behind a subdivision and a street of public schools rests an important piece of history in Henry County.
A slave cemetery — nestled in the woods behind the Whispering Willows subdivision and Luella elementary, middle and high schools — holds the bodies of 184 former slaves. The general area is the site of a former 4,000-acre plantation owned by the Weems family.
kAm%9@F89 E96 46>6E6CJ :D :? F?:?4@CA@C2E65 {@4FDE vC@G6[ :E DA2C<65 E96 :?E6C6DE @7 |4s@?@F89 r@F?4:=H@>2? $2?5C2 ':?46?E[ H9@ 9@A6D E@ 92G6 E96 46>6E6CJ C6DE@C65]k^Am
Recommended for you
Scenes from the Hands for Humanity Donation Day and Locust Grove High School Band Christmas Concert held Friday at Locust Grove High School. Click for more.PHOTOS: Hands for Humanity Donation Day and Christmas Concert at Locust Grove High School
kAm“xE’D G6CJ D:8?:7:42?E 2D :E C6=2E6D E@ E96 D=2G6D 2?5 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E[” ':?46?E D2:5] “~?=J 2 76H A6@A=6 <?@H 23@FE :E 2?5 :E’D 2? 6I46==6?E =:G:?8 4=2DDC@@> 7@C DEF56?ED] xE’D 567:?:E6=J 2 E@FC:DE D:E6]”k^Am
kAm%96 46>6E6CJ 2AA62CD E@ 36 E96 7@FCE9 =2C86DE D=2G6 46>6E6CJ :? E96 DE2E6[ ':?46?E D2:5] xE H2D 3C@F89E E@ 7@4FD 7@FC J62CD 28@ H96? 56D46?52?ED @7 $2==:6 (66>D[ 2 7@C>6C D=2G6 3FC:65 2E E96 46>6E6CJ[ H2?E65 E@ G:D:E 96C 8C2G6 2?5 E96 7@C>6C A=2?E2E:@?[ 3F:=E 3J $2>F6= (66>D :? `gcg] %96 (66>D A=2?E2E:@? 9@FD6 :D @? w2>AE@? {@4FDE vC@G6 #@25 23@FE 2 >:=6 7C@> E96 46>6E6CJ]k^Am
kAmq2C32C2 uC2K:6C[ 7C:6?5 @7 2 7@C>6C @H?6C @7 E96 A=2?E2E:@? 9@FD6[ 4@@C5:?2E65 2 4=62?\FA 677@CE @7 E96 46>6E6CJ :? a_`` E@ H6=4@>6 E96 (66>D 72>:=J] $96 D2:5 E96 4@F?EJ H2D 96=A7F= :? 86EE:?8 E96 C6D@FC46D ?66565]k^Am
kAm(66>D’ 8C2G6 :D E96 @?=J >2C<65 8C2G6 2E E96 D:E6[ H9:=6 D>2== @C2?86 7=28D >2C<D E96 D:E6D @7 @E96CD]k^Am
kAm“%96J H6C6 2== >2C<65 E@ D@>6 568C66 2E D@>6 E:>6[” uC2K:6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 46>6E6CJ 92D 364@>6 @G6C8C@H? 2?5 2 76H DE@?6D 2C6 D42EE6C65 E9C@F89@FE E96 H@@5D E92E 2E @?6 A@:?E >2C<65 8C2G6D] %96 2C62[ ':?46?E D2:5[ 92D C646?E=J 364@>6 2 92?8@FE A=246 7@C DEF56?ED H9@ @7E6? EC2D9 E96 2C62[ ?@E <?@H:?8 “E96J 2C6 H2=<:?8 @? 8C2G6D]”k^Am
kAm%96 46>6E6CJ 42? 36 2446DD65 E9C@F89 EH@ 4@F?EJ\2AAC@G65 D:56H2=<D E92E 2C6 :? E96 J2C5D @7 D@>6 @7 E96 (9:DA6C:?8 (:==@HD 9@>6D[ E9@F89 D6G6C2= @E96C A2E9H2JD 92G6 DFC72465 @G6C E:>6]k^Am
kAm':?46?E 9@A6D E@ 7:?5 7F?5:?8 E@ 2==@H 7@C 2 >2:? 2446DD E@ E96 46>6E6CJ E@ 36 4@?DECF4E65 @FED:56 @7 E96 DF35:G:D:@?] $96 2=D@ 6?G:D:@?D E96 H@@565 2C62 364@>:?8 2 A2C< 2C62 7@C A6@A=6 E@ 6?;@J]k^Am
kAmw6C 8@2= :D E@ 82C?6C E96 :?E6C6DE @7 E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ 3FE D96 F=E:>2E6=J H2?ED E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 DE2E6’D w:DE@C:4 !C6D6CG2E:@? s:G:D:@? :? 56G6=@A:?8 2 A=2? 7@C E96 D:E6]k^Am
kAmu@C :?AFE 2?5 E@ 7@==@H E96 DE2EFD @7 E96 E96 46>6E6CJ[ =:<6 E96 A286 @? u2463@@< 2E ~A6C2E:@? #6DE@C2E:@?i %96 (66>D $=2G6 r6>6E6CJ]k^Am
(1) comment
I would really like to know how can I help. As a local who visited this cemetary I did so by wanting to connect with this land that I moved to. I visited because it was said to be one of the largest slave burial grounds in Locust Grove. And it was so small it made my neighborhood park look good and that says a lot. I drove by it and clearly no one really knows there are buried slaves beneath them. You guys kept the plantation house. Do you really need ideas on how to work around what's there to make this cemetery approachable and a realistic historic site? Maybe some active young minds might bring it to fruition. Has anything been done since and its 2020? I haven't been there because I don't have a car but best believe my ancestors are here in these trees. And I can feel them. Please, if its ideas you need for that wooden park sit out with the ancestors maybe I or some other persons can help. Please I don't want people driving and seeing the historic markers and forget why it's there. Locust Grove downtown has the cotton mill mural in Lovin Oven, we have the fake preserved cotton plants that are table center pieces sold down there at that wine candle bar shop. We get reminded that slaves were here. Let's keep it up and really cater to it like Noah's Ark is advertised on the highway. Maybe not the same but you get it there has to be a way we can finalize this. If not a huge park area, at least a gazebo or something for memorial. I can help.
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.