Lora,
The history of the land all around that cemetery is the history of Land Lot
14, 12th District, which was passed down intact from the pioneer
"Big-Headed" John Camp, and/or his oldest son Abner, through the youngest
son, William Washington Camp, and then to "W. W.'s" son, Alonza Allen
"Lon"
Camp, about 1900. About 1938, after Lon's death and the ravages of the
depression, LL14, 12th District was "rescued" on the courthouse steps by
four of Lon's children who paid the back taxes their mother could no longer
afford.
Clarence R. "Bud" Camp, Sr., William E. "W. E." Camp, Sr., Hiram E.
"Hike"
Camp, Sr., and Mittie Camp Puckett then held it jointly until 1947. That
year "W. E." opted-out and they sold a strip along the east boundary (think
Camp Avenue) of LL14, 12th District, to Perry Walker, Sr., of the Walker
Nursery clan, about 60 acres, being on both sides of Walt Stephens Road.
The west boundary of that tract ran along the west side of the cemetery, and
I don't know whether or not any special provisions were made for the
cemetery. The three other siblings held jointly the remainder of LL14, 12th
District, until the early to mid-1970's, and all of it, including Mr. Walker
's part, was "farmed" by Mr. Tom Foster, so outwardly it yet appeared to be
one farm. It was all fenced/cross-fenced, on both sides of Walt Stephens
Road.
When "Bud/Buddy" Camp and "Hike" Camp opted-out, they sold all but a
40-acre
strip along LL14's west boundary (think Middle School now) kept by Mittie
Camp Puckett, to Mr. Orestus Adamson. I don't know any "Blood" Camp, but I
think Mrs. Adamson must be confusing that with "Bud" Camp. At that time
there were no other houses, etc., on "the farm" (LL14) south of Walt
Stephens Road except the old house Tom Foster occupied, and it sat where the
white two-story house now sits between the Middle School and Walt Stephens
Road. Mr. Adamson may also have bought the east part of LL14 south of Walt
Stephens Road from Perry Walker, but neither the Ruby Conner house, nor its
predecessor, the "catering business family" home Carole Johnson mentioned,
were there until later.
I'm not sure of any of the land transactions in old LL14, 12th District
after the Camp family, my Uncles/Aunt, all now deceased, no longer owned any
of it. Hope this helps you, but it leaves at least a 25-year gap in time up
to the present. At the Courthouse you need to know names, and you now have
the key ones I believe.
Al