Cemetery Spotlight: Cabell Cemetery in Henderson County, Kentucky

I was messaged by a woman on my genealogy Facebook asking some questions about Cabell Cemetery -- it's a little cemetery out in the county that doesn't get much attention and I don't believe I've ever sat and written about it before so.. I typed this up the other day for my cemetery group and genealogy page, and I thought I'd share it here, too.

This is a cemetery I haven't personally visited, but you can spy it from the road, which I've driven past it numerous times. It is photographed for Find-a-Grave by fellow cemetery researcher David Melton, who I am friends with. 🙂

Cabell Cemetery on Find-a-Grave

Mr. Blue documented this cemetery and it is included in his Gone But Not Forgotten book and accompanying map. If you turn on Rucker #1 coming from Spottsville (off of US 60), it's located in the second curve on the right... (It's kind of an S curve right there, if you will.)

In the 1900 census, Peter G. Cabell, an African-American man, lived on what they call the "Spottsville Highway Road," and he owned his own home and farm. He was a farmer by occupation. His wife was Sarah (Terry) Cabell. I'm unsure if this land, where they are buried, is where their home and farm was or not.

The first tombstone (earliest date) seems to be for John Jason Blackshear who died in 1907, a year earlier than Peter Cabell. John Blackshear, who was Peter's son-in-law was an African-American minister who was born in Alabama in 1871 -- in the 1900 census, he and his wife (Katherine) are living in Indianapolis. His wife survived him and is mentioned, too, in her father Peter's will in 1908.

Their daughter, Odessa Blackshear Arnold is also buried in this cemetery.

Delos, who passed in 1949, a son of Peter & Sarah resides in the cemetery. As does another son, the Reverend Philip H. Cabell, who died in 1938.

John Ware, who was the husband of Nancy "Nannie" Cabell (daughter of Peter & Sarah) is also located in this cemetery. He died in 1919.. In the 1920 census, Nancy lives with her widowed sister, Katherine Blackshear... and they both disappear after that. If they both passed in the 1920's, it definitely would be likely that they reside in this cemetery now. I haven't found a death certificate for Nancy or Katherine as of this time.

One more burial exists, but perhaps no tombstone, and that's for John Gabe Smith, son of Margaret Cabell, grandson of James Cabell, and great-Grandson of Peter & Sarah. His death certificate states a burial in Cabell. I'm unsure where Margaret is buried (haven't found a death certificate), and I'm unsure where James' resting place is as well. James disappears after 1910.. there is a James Cabell who passed in Evansville, his family information unknown, in 1942. It says he was born in Henderson County in 1864 and he was widowed... that COULD be our James Cabell, but I don't know.

Prior to the 1870 census - I haven't found Peter Glider Cabell.. that seems indicative to me he had likely been a slave prior to the emancipation proclamation. In the 1850's, there is a white Cabell family living here in Henderson and they hailed from Virginia (which is where Sarah Terry Cabell says she was born) so it's very possible Peter had been a slave of the Cabell family - that's just speculation as I know a lot of slaves took on their owners name, even after they gained their freedom. I know the Cabell family has been here for many, many generations, and they are plentiful here in Henderson today. It would be very interesting to see the DNA of a Peter Cabell descendant and if it lines up with the white Cabell family here in Henderson. The genealogist is curious.

The white family of Cabell's in the 1850 census is Robert Bolling Cabell and his wife Eleanor (Hart) Cabell. They reside in Fernwood Cemetery. They hailed from the, I believe, Amherst Co, VA area.

Just a little genealogy rabbit hole for all of you tonight. Thanks for reading my rambles, as always!