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Submitted: 8/14/08 • Approved: 1/30/20 • Last Updated: 2/2/20 • R43789-G0-S3
History of the
Burnt School House Cemetery
The cemetery has gone by the name of Burnt School House Cemetery for many years. Apparently, a school building was originallly at the site, and it was burned at some point. No one is certain when the school bruned or what school was located there. It is highly probable that it was the Cockrum School because there once was a Cockrum district in the area south of White River, and there once were a number of Cockrum families in the area. A news item in the February 9, 1906, issue of The Baxter Bulletin tells of the burial of Claude Hudson at the Brunt School House Cemetery. Obviously, the school building had burned prior to 1906, and quite probably in the 1800's. Around 1921, a small building was built on the cemetery grounds to serve as a church and a place to hold funerals. School was never held in this building which still stands and is inside the cemetery fence. Several graves are wintin a few feet of the building.
Mary Ann Messick, in her 'History of Baxter County', stated that "It has been said that more men who died with their boots on are buried at Burnt Schoohouse than any other two cemeteries in the county." The only man from Baxter County to be put to death in the electric chair is buried there.
The oldest marked grave is Oliver H. Perry, born December 13, 1820 and died October 28, 1871. It is possible that there are older graves than 1871, since much of the older part of the cemetery had numerous graves that were marked with only a rock and no identification.
In recent years a cemetery organization has undertaken a renovation of the cemetery, church building and grounds. They have expanded the cemetery by obtaining land from the Forest Service adjoining the cemetery on the east. The additional land has been cleared and a roadway has been made thorugh it. Among other items in the renovation, the committee has been placing small granite markers at many of the graves that had not previously been marked. A portable aluminum pavillion has been moved adjacent to the south end of the church building and a permantent pavillion has been constructed west of the church building.
A glass encased directory has been attached to the Burnt School House building listing the contacts from Burnt School Couse Committee members. On June 3, 2011, the contact committee members and their telephone number were as follows:
Louie (Pete) Acklin 870-499-5020
Eric Payne 870-499-5354
Joyce Lantz Haverner, Secretary/Treasurer
870-424-3243
Mail for the committee should be directed to
2576 Highway 5 South
Mountain Home, AR 72653
(From the files of Max Parnell.)
Contributed on 8/14/08 by ashaw444
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Record #: 43789