Miscellaneous Information
on the
Cemeteries of Orange County, Indiana
The purpose of this page is to present information on cemeteries that have not yet been transcribed on the Orange County Homepage. Some of these cemeteries are available for lookups by volunteers.
These descriptions are, for the most part, copied from the DAR's 1942 compilation of cemetery records. Since that time, Patoka Lake was formed and covered over several original plot locations. These small burials were exhumed where possible and markers gathered together at the Patoka Memorial Cemetery, located near Patoka Lake.
In the south east corner of Paoli Township, long ago was a settlement of colored people, which was known as Little Africa. Most of these people had come to Orange County with Quakers from North Carolina, and many of them had been born in slavery. The only trace left of the little settlement, is an abandoned graveyard, difficult to access and almost impossible to find. There were a few stones with inscriptions. Probably the last person buried here was Simon Locust, a preacher, who died in September, 1891, at the age of 67 years. On farms in a few other places in the county, small groups of graves having markers with no inscriptions have been found, said to be burial places of colored people.
*NOTE: Little Africa cemetery is now located in the Hoosier National Forest, and is quite easy to find. It is a bit of a walk, but the trail is gravelled and fairly level. Scouts occasionally tend the cemetery, and place white crosses on the graves.
French Lick Township Sec. 30-T. 2N.- R.2 W. Still in use.
Located 2 1/2 miles east of West Baden Springs on State Road 150. A Methodist Church was organized here in 1870 by the union of two pioneer Methodist groups, Smith and Nelson Chapels. Moses Ham donated 3 acres of land for church and cemetery. Burials prior to 1880 have been moved from old burying grounds. This cemetery serves a wide area, no inscriptions after 1944 are included in this record.
Paoli Township. Obliterated.
North of the Monon Depot, on a hillside, for many years was a marble box-tomb, which was almost covered with honeysuckle vines. The top panel had a well cut inscription. Here was buried a young daughter of Thomas and Ann Bowles, who had died during a cholera scourge, probably in the early thirties. After the land passed out of the possession of the Bowles family, the tomb was leveled, and covered with earth.
Jackson Township Sec. 30 - T1N, R2W. Still in use.
Cane Creek Christian Church and Cemetery are located in the northwest corner of the township, on land which was entered by Thomas Cox. The Cox and Flick families, early settlers from Kentucky, arrived on Cane Creek on April 10, 1816. Other pioneers of this locality were Harmons, Pinnicks, Drakes, and Winingers, and they have left numerous descendants. This century old burying ground contains more than a hundred unmarked graves.
Paoli Township.
In west section of town of Paoli, south of Lick Creek. Opened in 1926. Burials prior to that date moved from other cemeteries.
Jackson Township Sec. 20 - T. 1, S - R. 2 W.
[This old cemetery is now at the bottom of Patoka Lake. All the graves were relocated to the Patoka Memorial Cemetery about 9 miles from French Lick on Highway 145. --moderator]
Located at the cross-roads village of Elon, north west of Newton Stewart, and about one mile from the Dubois County line. Elon Church of Christ, inactive, is adjacent to the cemetery. There are several old graves with rough stone markers. Oldest stone with inscription bears the date of 1857. About two and one half miles south of this locality, in Crawford County and near the Dubois County line is the old Sinclair Cemetery which has been used by inhabitants of the south west part of this township.
Northwest Township. Sec. 29. T3N, R2W. Abandoned.
Samuel French entered 2 tracts of land in this section in 1836. His name appears in a list of voters in 1819. In 1817 George French had entered land in section 31. James French and George Hedge French entered tracts in the same section in 1837 and 1840. There are six graves in the little burial plot in a field, and three of the stones have inscriptions. A Paoli newspaper of 1841 contains an obituary of Samuel French, which states he left a wife and nine children.
FRENCH, Samuel, d. 21 Sep 1841, age 52y/5m/16d.
FRENCH, Julia A., w. of Samuel, 11 Oct 1796-4 Apr 1854.
FRENCH, George H., d. 28 Jun 1847, age 62y/9m/27d.
Paoli Township.
Lies just south of the old town cemetery and was opened in 1897. Burials prior to that date moved from other cemeteries.
Paoli Township. Sec. 15. T2N, R1E. Abandoned.
On land entered by John M. Lewis. There are several graves marked only by field stones.
Paoli Township. Sec. 8. T1N, R1E. Still Used.
This is the oldest public burial ground in the county. It is three miles east of Paoli and one quarter mile south of state road 150. Jonathan Lindley entered the land in 1811. In that year his wife, Deborah, died. She was the first of the Friends' colony to die after their arrival from North Carolina. Her grave is in the east end of the cemetery. Many of the graves of these pioneers were never marked, and some of the old stones have crumbled, or have been displaced. It was a custom of Friends to record marriages, births, and deaths, but the birth and death records of Lick Creek Meeting have been lost. The Meeting was set up in 1813. The old records are kept in the Orange Co. Bank at Paoli.
Paoli Township. Sec. 18. T2N, R1E. Abandoned.
In extreme north part of township, one mile east of state road 37. Edward Millis was an early settler from North Carolina. He reared a family of eight children. His son, Nichason, took part in the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Paoli Township. Sec. 26. T2N, R1W. Still Used.
Located 2 1/2 miles northwest of Paoli on the Sandyhook road. Mt. Gilead, United Brethren Church, was organized in 1842. Among the early members were the families of Wells, Claxton, Brown, Newton, and Kimmel. Many graves are marked only with field stones.
French Lick Township Sec. 17-T. 1N - R. 2 W. Still in use.
Located on State Road 56, 2 miles south west of French Lick. Willliam N. Hoggatt was the first person buried here, in 1881. It was first Called Scarlett Ridge.
Paoli Township. Sec. 16. T2N, R1E. Still Used.
A missionary Baptist church was organized in 1841. Tract was opened for cemetery about 1860.
Paoli Township. Sec. 17. T2N, R1?. Abandoned.
Located on the old Noblitt farm, a short distance west of the Scott graveyard, and just south of the Orleans-Paoli Township line. The Noblitts came to Orange County from West Virginia in 1822. Hugh Noblitt was an elder in the Presbyterian church. He married a daughter of Henry and Nancy Peacher Webb. They had eleven children. The earliest marked stone is dated 1840.
French Lick Township Sec. 1, T. 1 N - R. 2 W. Seldom used.
Located north east of French Lick, on the old Paoli- Hayesville Road. A meeting house of regular Baptists once stood near the cemetery, and was sometimes called Pinnick's meeting house. All trace of it is long since gone. Two of the well known local preachers were Thomas Winters and Nathan Pinnick. "The labors of these two faithful members were terminated many years ago. Their mortal remains were carried with loving hands, and laid to rest in the little cemetery at the Old Baptist Meeting House." {from sketch by A.W. Rhodes in 1910}. There are many unmarked graves.
Paoli Township.
This cemetery has been used continuously since 1816. The oldest grave is that of Zachariah Hopper, who died in November of that year. The grave lies a few yards north of the Albert vault. Burial records were not kept and many of the old graves had only rough limestone markers. In some areas there are known to be burial upon burial. For many years the cemetery lacked regular care, markers became broken and displaced, and the location of many of the very old graves was lost sight of. This deplorable condition was brought to the attention of the Paoli Women's Club, and in 1925 they decided to sponsor its upkeep and started a fund for that purpose, the town contributing a small sum annually. The cemetery is now kept in excellent condition.
Paoli Township. Sec. 19. T1N, R1E. Seldom Used.
About three miles south east of Paoli, near the site of Stout's Chapel, which has been torn down. Record supplied by Mrs. Ray Payton, Paoli, Indiana.
French Lick Township.
Just east of Mt. Lebanon is the Pythian cemetery for colored people. It was opened by K. of P. colored lodge of French Lick in 1913.
Paoli Township. Sec. 18. T2N, R1E. Seldom Used.
The will of William Scott was made in Dec. 1841. An item reads: "I reserve one quarter acre of land, where the graveyard now is, for a burying place for my family, never to be transferred out of the family." The earliest marked grave is that of Marley Scott, 1830.
Jackson Township Sec. 36 T.1 N, R. 2 W. Still used.
South Liberty Church and Cemetery are located in the north west quarter of the section. The church was constituted in 1869. The first meeting house was some distance south west of the present one. It burned down and Joseph Beaty and Hugh Rogers gave acreage from their farm lands for church building and cemetery. The earliest date on a stone is 1875. The cemetery is well cared for.
Paoli Township. Sec. 17. T2N, R1E. Abandoned.
Moses and Ann Vories Speer came to Indiana from Kentucky in 1820. They had 11 children, the oldest of whom was Asbury, b. 20 Jun 1808 in Kentucky. Ann Speer died in 1887 and is buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Besides the 10 graves listed, there are several with no markers.
French Lick Township Sec. 7 T 1 N, R. 1 W. Still used.
Sulphur Creek U.B. Church was organized in 1880. It lies four miles south east of French Lick, in the valley of Sulphur Creek. Land for the church and cemetery was donated by Hugh McDonald.
SYRIA CHRISTIAN CHURCH CEMETERY
Paoli Township. Sec. 22. T2N, R1E. Used.
Located 1/2 miles north of village of Syria. At the organization of the church in 1820, it was called Union and later Pinhook. Since 1875 it has been called Syria. The earliest marked stone is that of Jacob Busick, 1843.