CAREY FAMILY CEMETERY, Oconee County, SC A.K.A. Seneca, SC Version 2.2, 27-Dec-2004, C233.TXT, C233 **************************************************************** REPRODUCING NOTICE: ------------------- These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, or presentation by any other organization, or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Paul M Kankula - nn8nn Seneca, SC, USA Oconee County SC GenWeb Coordinator Oconee County SC GenWeb Homestead http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/oconee.html Oconee County SC GenWeb Tombstone Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/cemeteries.html http://www.usgwtombstones.org/southcarolina/oconee.html **************************************************************** DATAFILE INPUT . : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Apr-2002 DATAFILE LAYOUT : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Apr-2002 G.P.S. MAPPING . : Gary Flynn at (visit above website) in Apr-2002 HISTORY WRITE-UP : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in May-2002 IMAGES ......... : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Apr-2002 LOCATION WRITE-UP: Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Apr-2002 MAP ............ : ____________ at ____________ in _______ TRANSCRIPTION .. : Gary Flynn at (visit above website) in Apr-2002 CEMETERY LOCATION: ------------------ This cemetery is currently located on Duke Power Company property. Locate the intersection of Highways 76/123 & 130. Drive 5.6 miles north on Highway 130. On the left side of Highway 130, you will see a chained-off logging road. Walk 200 paces down this dirt road. You should now be facing a very large hard-wood tree. Cemetery is located behind this tree. Currently there are red plastic ribbons that mark the cemetery/graves. Latitude N 34 46.212 x Longitude W 82 53.795 NOTE: On 27-Mar-2003, it was reported that a very large tree having a 6' dia. trunk and 15' dia. root ball has fallen on this cemetery. CHURCH/CEMETERY HISTORY: ------------------------ o----------o At some point-in-time, hard-wood has been harvested in this general area and many large trees have been cut down, with resulting brush piles. When the Duke Power Company purchased this land for the construction of Lake Keowee, descendants of the interred were given the opportunity of having their relatives re-interred at another cemetery location. The Carey's and Foster's went to the Old Pickens Presbyterian Church. The Boon's went to a cemetery at Highway 130 & SC 37-9 - exact location is yet to be determined. o----------o 2502 Six Mile Highway Central, SC 29630 September 27, 2002 Mr. Paul Kankula 203 Eagle Landing Seneca, SC 29672 Dear Mr. Kankula: Enclosed is information on the Boone-Curtis-Cary Cemetery which you asked me about yesterday. I am also enclosing a copy of the letter I wrote Mrs. Sheriff shortly after my first visit to the cemetery. The dates noted on the enclosed sketch of the cemetery are from other records. The marker for Sarah Boone Curtis is the only one found in the cemetery with a date which is her birth year, 1803. As I mentioned yesterday, the markers of John W. L. Cary and his wife Martha Curtis were destroyed and new markers for them, Mrs. Sarah Boone Curtis and two family servants were placed in the Pickens Presbyterian Church cemetery. A person who lived near the "old Curtis homeplace" and looked after the cemetery for a number of years, told me that the head- stones were dumped in a well on the property. This person told me that he didn't think any effort was made to remove any remains to Pickens. Had they tried, I do not believe they would have found anything to move but, perhaps belt buckles and clothing buttons. Mr. Keys and I were unable to detect any sign of disturbance or excavation of the graves. Mrs. Dorothy Milford (deceased) told me that Mrs. Earle Morris (grand- daughters) of John W. L. Cary, had the markers destroyed and new markers erected in Pickens. New markers for Mrs. Sarah Boone Curtis and the two house servants shown on the sketch were also erected in Pickens. Mrs. Morris was the daughter of James Peale Carey, Sr., son of John W. L. Cary. Mrs. Milford also told me that James Peale Cary had a "falling out" with his brothers, moved to Pickens and changed the spelling of the last name from Cary to Carey. This accounts for the name of the cemetery being referred to as the Boone-Curtis-Cary Cemetery in some records and in others as the Boone-Curtis-Carey cemetery. The cemetery was originally the Boone-Curtis cemetery and located on a tract of over 600 acres which was the home of John Curtis and Sarah Boone Curtis. Martha Matilda Curtis, wife of John W. L. Cary inherited the land from her mother, Sarah Boone Curtis. Sincerely, Robert H. Mason o----------o 2502 Six Mile Highway February 12, 1990 Dear Mrs. Sheriff: Last week I met Mr. L. T. Keys of Walhalla who says that one of his Great-Great Grandfather's, William Hughes, a Revolutionary War Soldier and his wife, Frances are buried in the Boone-Curtis-Carey Cemetery. Mr. Keys says that this information had been passed down thru the family. Several years ago Mr. Keys had become acquainted with a Mr. Wilkerson of Greenville who was familiar with the cemetery and who told Mr. Keys of the location. Mr. Keys visited the location three years ago in the summer and was unable to locate the site. Mr. Wilkerson had given Mr. Keys a page from his journal with information about the graves in the cemetery. I understand that Mr. Wilkerson has done quite a bit of research and written pamphlets on genealogical research. I secured a copy of the page from Mr. Keys and enclose a copy for you. The typing on the page is mine and not Mr. Wilkerson's. Mr. Keys and I visited the site February 6th in the afternoon and were able to verify Mr. Wilkerson's notes and verbal information given Mr. Keys. I have sketched the grave locations based on Mr. Wilkerson's information and from what we found. A copy is enclosed. We were able to determine that the walled in plot contained the original granite head stone for Sarah Boone Curtis with the dates which you can read in the afternoon sunlight. Mr. Wilkerson was in error on this as he thought possibly this was Nathan Boone and his wife. There is definitely another grave inside the wall as determined by a probe and must be that of John Curtis. Why he is buried to his wife's right is interesting as this is not normal. Mr. Wilkerson told Mr. Keys that John W. L. Cary and his wife's graves were enclosed by white brick placed at a forty five degree angle in the ground. Using a rake we were able to uncover these brick and also foundation rock which had been dug out to hold headstones. Using the probe we were also able to locate the graves of the two slaves where Mr. Wilkerson indicated they would be. As you know the headstones from these graves were moved to the Cary plot at Pickens Presbyterian Church. They are granite markers similar to the one found for Sarah Curtis. The single walled in grave is located where Mr. Wilkerson indicated and to the left of it and alongside, using the probe we located a grave and headstone foundation also. This might possibly be the location of Nathan Boone and his wife Frances. As you know new markers were erected at Pickens Presbyterian Church for John W.L. and Martha M. Cary. Also a new one was erected for Sarah Curtis. I haven't been able to determine what happened to the original headstones in the cemetery, but have an idea that they may have been dumped into an old well on the property when the new one were erected at Pickens. For your information I am enclosing copies of two deeds concerning this cemetery. James Peele Cary, son of John W. L. Cary inherited this property from his Mother and deeded to grave yard to his sons, James Peale Jr., and John C. Cary. The other deed reflects that when John C. sold the adjacent lands to Ralph and Alice Phillips, the cemetery tract was exempted (1/4 Acre) for a burying ground known as the Carey Cemetery. I will be glad to show you this cemetery at your convenience, however you must see it before spring as it is practically impossible to reach it during the summer. Do you know the Mr. Wilkerson referred to? If you do and have his address, I would be interested in contacting him. Sincerely, Robert H. Mason PS: I neglected to mention above that we located many obvious grave sites in the cemetery, most likely slaves, but with no markers standing. Slate slabs with no inscriptions were found at these sites but had been knocked down. We found only one grave with a slate marker still standing. o----------o 1. NATHAN1 BOON was born Aft. 1775 (Source: 1820 Census: Pendleton District, S.C. (000110--03101)), and died Bef. October 1848 in Pickens County, South Carolina. He married FRANCIS Bef. 1799. She was born Bef. 1776, and died Unknown. Notes for NATHAN BOON: Web Page & URL: Descendants of Nathan Boon of Keowee River, Pendleton Dist. S.C. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/2298/boon4.html Estate of Nathan Boon, Esq. adm. 30 Oct.1848 by Mrs. Sarah Curtis. Heirs viz: Sarah Curtis, Wm Curtis, Mary Alexander, Elijah S. Foster, and Thomas Boon. 13 May 1850 paid Thomas Alexander $396.98. Sarah Curtis and Mary Alexander were dau. of dec'd. Pickens Co. Wills Box 16 Pg 209. Boon-Curtis-Carey Family Cemetery at the Pickens Presbyterian Church, Hwy 130, Pickens County, S.C. Boon-Curtis-Carey Family Cemetery, originally in Oconee County, SC then moved to Pickens County, SC. Highway 130 runs parallel to Lake Keowee's eastern bank in a North to South direction. The Cemetery is a small family cemetery within the Pickens Presbyterian Church Cemetery, located on Main Street of Seneca, S.C. and south of the Keowee Dam (Clemson University is nearby). Information and Sources: Marriages & Death Notices from Pendleton, S.C. Messenger 1807 - 1851 Pg. 10 Nathan Boon, Esquire married a couple Issue of Oct. 25, 1820 Pg. 20 Nathan Boon, Esquire married a couple Issue of Feb. 23, 1825 Pg. 25 Nathan Boon, Esquire married a couple Issue of June 20, 1827 It happened in Pickens County, 1959, by Pearl Smith McFall Nathan Boon appointed as one of Commissioners to have public buildings erected in Pickens Co. Dec. 20, 1826 More About NATHAN BOON: Burial: Boon-Curtis-Carey Family Cemetery, Hwy 130, Pickens County, S.C. (Source: Oconee County, S.C., Cemetery Survey, Vol. #2) Fact 2: April 09, 1805, N. Boon purchase land from George Tubb. (Source: Pendleton Dist. S.C. Deeds 1790-1806; Book H, p.196-197.) More About FRANCIS: Burial: Boon-Curtis-Carey Family Cemetery, Hwy 130, Pickens County, S.C. Children of NATHAN BOON and FRANCIS are: 2. i. MARTHA2 BOONE, b. October 23, 1799, Pendleton District, South Carolina; d. January 19, 1876, Gordon County, Geogia. 3. ii. THOMAS D. BOON, b. 1801, South Carolina; d. March 09, 1876, Chickasaw County, Mississippi. 4. iii. MARY BOON, b. 1802, Pickens County, South Carolina; d. March 09, 1891, Pickens Co., SC. 5. iv. SARAH BOON, b. November 18, 1803, South Carolina; d. January 25, 1881, Seneca City, South Carolina. v. DAUGHTER UNKNOWN NAME BOON, m. ELIJAH S. FOSTER. Notes for DAUGHTER UNKNOWN NAME BOON: ******************* THE FOURTH DAUGHTER OF NATHAN BOON ******************* Family history has four daughters of Nathan Boon who were singers, (perhaps a quartet). Foster descendants of South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, share a family history which confirms a unknown Boon to be Mrs. Elijah S. Foster. By: Unknown Person o----------o Note for: Nathan Boon, AFT. 1775 - BEF. OCT 1848 Index Burial: Place: Boon-Curtis-Carey Family Cemetery, Hwy 130, Pickens County, S.C. Note: Web Page & URL: Descendants of Nathan Boon of Keowee River, Pendleton Dist. S.C. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/2298/boon4.html Estate of Nathan Boon, Esq. adm. 30 Oct.1848 by Mrs. Sarah Curtis. Heirs viz: Sarah Curtis, Wm Curtis, Mary Alexander, Elijah S. Foster, and Thomas Boon. 13 May 1850 paid Thomas Alexander $396.98. Sarah Curtis and Mary Alexander were daughters of deceased. Pickens Co. Wills Box 16 Pg 209. Boon-Curtis-Carey Family Cemetery at the Pickens Presbyterian Church, Hwy 130, Pickens County, S.C. Boon-Curtis-Carey Family Cemetery, originally in Oconee County, SC then moved to Pickens County, SC. Highway 130 runs parallel to Lake Keowee's eastern bank in a North to South direction. The Cemetery is a small family cemetery within the Pickens Presbyterian Church Cemetery, located on Main Street of Seneca, S.C. and south of the Keowee Dam (Clemson University is nearby). Information and Sources: Marriages & Death Notices from Pendleton, S.C. Messenger 1807 - 1851 Pg. 10 Nathan Boon, Esquire married a couple Issue of Oct. 25, 1820 Pg. 20 Nathan Boon, Esquire married a couple Issue of Feb. 23, 1825 Pg. 25 Nathan Boon, Esquire married a couple Issue of June 20, 1827 It happened in Pickens County, 1959, by Pearl Smith McFall Nathan Boon appointed as one of Commissioners to have public buildings erected in Pickens Co. Dec. 20, 1826 TOMBSTONE TRANSCRIPTION NOTES: ------------------------------ a. = age at death b. = date-of-birth d. = date-of-death h. = husband m. = married p. = parents w. = wife There are two field-stone grave markers that are being covered by a large tree. Approximately 100' away and to the right, is a double-adult grave that is surrounded by a 1.5' high stone fence. At least Fifty percent of the stone fence has been knocked down. Within 50' of the above grave, is another single grave that is surrounded by a 1' high stone fence. At least Fifty percent of the stone fence has been knocked down. Carey Family - moved to C149 Old Pickens Presbyterian Church(?) : ----------------------------------------------------------------- (Probably at the Old Pickens Presbyterian Church - can't locate graves) CAREY, Caroline, infant CAREY, J.W.L., b. 16-nov-1822, d. 1-aug-1860/6 CAREY, Martha Matilda Curtis, b. 1825, d. 1906, h. j.w.l. carey, p. john carey & sarah boon FOSTER, Francis, d. 31-jul-1833, slave Boon Family - moved to Highway 130 & SC 37-9(?) : ------------------------------------------------- (Probably at the Old Pickens Presbyterian Church - can't locate graves) BOON, Frances, d. 1848, h. nathan boon BOON, Nathan, b. 1775, d. 1848, w. frances CURTIS, John, b. c1800, d. 25-mar-1826, m. 30-oct-1822, w. sarah boon CURTIS, Sarah Boon, b. 18-nov-1803/4, d. 25-jan-1881, h. john curtis, f. nathan boon