COLBERT COUNTY, ALABAMA
CEMETERIES - TOWNSHIP  4, RANGE 9

WILSON CEMETERY

The Restoration of Wilson Cemetery,
Colbert County, Alabama
August 14, 1999

An Eagle Scout Project of
David Tuten, Troop 10,
Muscle Shoals, AL
 

          The Wilson Cemetery is on County Line Road about 1.1 miles north of the intersection of Old Highway 20 and County Road 48 (County Line Road). It is very old and is just a few feet from the east edge of the paved road in the right-of-way. Over the years it became overgrown with brush and small trees. It appears that machinery piled dirt on the area and knocked down the headstones.
          The County Road Department met with me and helped by clearing away the heavy brush and trees. When Scout Troop 10 cleared away the dirt piles we discovered many broken pieces of headstones. We then realized that one of the markers was a whole crypt knocked down. We reassembled the crypt on its base, and in the dirt we uncovered the lid, face down and in pieces. (We found a good size rat snake under the lid, which we caught and released in some nearby woods.) These pieces and others are currently being reassembled as much as possible. It is like putting together a puzzle.
          So far, we know the crypt is over the grave of David Wilson, born 1793, died 1849. Mr. Cross (an Assistant Scoutmaster) had a piece of limestone slab about the same size as the lid. We used this to support the broken pieces on top of the crypt walls.
The other grave locations could not be determined in this small family cemetery, so we are going to place the other headstones as best we can. When they are repaired an addendum to this restoration will be submitted with whatever information can be read.
          The before, during, and after pictures show the extent of this project.