Thursday, July 12, 2007

Dawson Cemetery



Dawson Cemetery is a little cemetery on Shallowford Road on the far outskirts of Marietta.

You never know who you might dig up in a cemetery.







Otis Brumby was the publisher of the Marietta Daily Journal. In fact, the publisher of the paper now is Otis Brumby, which I am sure the one lying here is a progenitor of the present publisher. There are two cemeteries closer to the Square that most of the town’s elite are buried in, you can walk through the those cemeteries and recognize the name of streets and successful companies in Marietta. You would expect Otis Brumby, publisher to be buried in one of those, not 10 miles away from a town that he helped shape.




I think the reason he is buried here is because he married a Dobbs and there are a good many Dobbs in this cemetery.




I am sort of studying the Westmoreland Family of Cobb County. One of my great grandfather’s son married Gwen Westmoreland and I got a hold of a dairy by Gwen’s sister that covered about 50 years and read it. James Westmoreland was one of their brothers. Now, I feel I know the family well. You might see me at their next reunion filling up my plate in the covered dish line.




And here is a Johnny Reb, killed in the Civil War.

The cemetery is next door to an elementary school and across the street from a middle school (aka junior high).

Years ago, I remember riding down Shallowford Road a little after 4pm, and noticed a crowd of teenage boys in the Dawson Cemetery. I looked more in detail as I rode by. Two boys, fist balled, were standing in a strained stance, with fists balled, staring at each other. Other boys were smiling and apparently wanting to see a good fight. It looked so typical for that age – it could have been a Norman Rockwell illustration.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rockwell should have painted some of the ass whuppins that followed his cutsey little scenes.

Eddie said...

Steve,
Preteen boys who egos clashed and a fight followed was just as American as jumping in the ole' swimming hole.

Anonymous said...

The last donnybrook or "Hayrue" as they say up North I was in was the third grade. I won!

Eddie said...

I was always one of the ones on the side agging them on.

Anonymous said...

I often drive by the cemetery and always wondered who owns/manages the property. Do you know?

Eddie said...

anonymous,
I'm sorry. I didn't know you planted a comment.
No, I don't know who maintains that cemetery... and it does seem well maintained.
Another well maintained cemetery with unknown caretakers is Gresham Cemetery on Shallowford Road, just up the hill from the York family.
My mother-in-law has the book Cemeteries in Cobb County, Vol. I. When I am over there next, I am going to try to remember to look up Dawson Cemetery (and Gresham). Stayed tune.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, no rush. I also noticed the Noonday Cemetery off HWY. 5 in recent years has started to look a little bit better. Looks like someone took it upon themselves to spruce it up. As you probably know Noonday Baptist Church is over 170 years old and has an interesting history and now they've built a new church. I also drive by the old Baptist Church at the intersection of Ebenzer and Blackwell Road. It might be over 100 years old too.

Eddie said...

anonymous,
The old Noonday Baptist Church cemetery on Hwy 5, aka Canton Road, near Shallowford Rd., one lady was behind the cleanup. I forgot the details but she took it on herself and she is not a member of Noonday nor does she has relatives there.
Yes, Noonday Church does have an interesting history. For one thing we were married there. Also, I think it is the 2nd or 3rd oldest church in Cobb County. The old sanctuary served as a hospital during the Civil War.
I know the little small church at the corner of Ebenezer and Blackwell Roads and sometimes think their little sayings on their sign are witty - but other than that I know nothing about them.
Now that I think about it, that area sure has a concentration of Baptist or Protestant Churches. There are two fairly close to each other just up the hill, westward, from Dawson Cemetery.

Eddie said...

Wait! Make that eastward!

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I drive by Kennesaw Mountain too and it is always difficult to imagine how in the world did the soldiers manage to get through the civil war esepecially in the hot months wearing those itchy, wool uniforms!? I read somewhere that Grant used to briefly live in Atlanta. I forget the details, but it seems to me if he did, then he surely did have the upper hand in winning the war. Then I enjoy Marietta Square and trying to imagine the ladies having to plan and prepare their meals, cleaning their big houses, and rearing their children while the men folk go to work. And we get impatient in this day and age when a cup of water doesn't heat fast enough in a microwave!

Eddie said...

anonymous,
Grant? I don't remember reading that Grant fought here. He may have for all I know. I know Sherman did.
During the Kennesaw Battle, if I retain what I read correctly, he was also wet. It rained and rained. My great grandfather said he remembered having to climb out of a trench because it was being flooded by waters pouring down the mountain.
I think usually those ladies in those big houses had the help to all the house cleaning and cooking - and I think more times than not the cooking was done in a separate smaller building behind the main house... I know it was done that way at the 1848 House and also several in Savannah we toured.
After I put up a blog tomorrow this posting and it's comments will be on the next page back.

Anonymous said...

Ooops! I meant Sherman. Sorry y'all!

Eddie said...

Sherman, Grant, they were about the same... one had a beard and one didn't.

Sunnygt said...

You have a good subject going on here to revise your blog. As far as blogs go, it sure is refreshing to find some honest to goodness blog writing as most are just trashy.

Sunnygt aka anonymous

Eddie said...

Sunnygt,
Thank you. I try to be honest on my blogs. Not that I am above all that untruth trash being scattered around, but with my luck I would just get caught.
You took off your mask!
Well, I know what sunny is, what is "gt"?
By the way, I went to Enon Cemetery north of Woodstock today, to update my pictures I have for that file.
I don't know you, but from what you have said you probably have been to that cemetery also.
If you don't want to say too much to the general public that could stumble across this, email me sometime. My email address is
ethunter@bellsouth.net

Anonymous said...

I haven't been around Woodstock much, so Enon cemetery is unfamiliar to me. As far as cemeteries go, if ever the occasion presents itself I would like to visit the one downtown Atlanta across the street from a resturant called "Six Feet Under" as I hear a lot of Atlanta's famous are buried there such as the author of "Gone With the Wind", but will have to check it out to see if that is true. But I'll eat across the street first as the food is terrific there. As for the "gt"..... it's early in the blogging, so later on maybe I will get to that. I'm a married mom of 2 and a southerner who was born in S.C. Spouse born in N.C. We enjoy things of historical nature and I just happen to enjoy reading blogs.

-Sunnygt (couldn't sign in very well...)

Eddie said...

sunny,
I'm a southern Daddy retired. My two sons are grown and flew the coop but live near by - which is nice to have them near, not to mention the bonus of helping me with computer problems.
My wife has about a year and a half to work.
You are speaking of Oakland Cemetery. And yes, Margaret Mitchell Marsh is buried there.... also Governor Brown (Civil War Governor) and other Governors and Atlanta mayors. It is also where Andrew of Andrew's Raiders was hung (Andrew Raiders are the one who stole the General Locomotive - Great Locomotive Chase)... and all the giant self-worth-bragging tombstones is worth a trip. You should visit it... it is something you will be impresses with I think - knowing that you apprecaite history.
Where in North Carolina? A lot of my ancestors are from Western North Carolina, such as Macon County, Burke County, Buncombe County, Cherokee County, and more I think recall at the moment.
I heard of the Six Feet Under Restaurant. Did you know the creator of the HBO series SFU is Allen Ball, a Marietta native?
I like to read blogs too sometimes - but a lot of them are self-centered - like, "Hey Look at me!" ... well, I guess that is okay, my world as I see it is the only thing I can offer on my blog, but I do like to notice other things than myself from time to time in the world.
Take care.
Eddie

Anonymous said...

Sorry I have been soo busy! What's new?

Sunnygt