WILLIAM H. MARTIN CEMETERY

This tiny family cemetery is located in No. 9 Township, Cleveland
County, N.C. one mile south of Thomas Gardner Cemetery on same general
ridge between Double Shoals and Piedmont High School on the east side of
First Broad River, on the lands owned by Clyde Cornwell, formerly A.
Dick Spangler. It is situated under a giant cedar tree and having
honeysuckle vines growing in profusion, being between Magness Creek and
First Broad River.

Owner of Cemetery: Clyde Cornwell

Approximate number of marked graves: 4
 Before 1914: 4
 After 1914: None
 Unmarked graves: 20

Earliest marked graves: "1728-1811" - No name given

General condition of cemetery: Graves sunk in and shows no care or attention.

Date of survey: Jan. 21, 1939
Worker: Anson G. Melton

 Data by P. Cleveland Gardner, County Historian:

"Since Thomas W. Gardner married a Miss Olive Martin on Catawba River
between Lincoln and Rowan Counties. It is my present opinion that this
Martin's father was the father-in-law of said Thomas W. Gardner, and
that they came to this immediate section and settled following the
marriage of Thomas W. Gardner and wife, Olive Martin. I have no data as
yet as to this, other than family tradition. Also, we find names of
descendents of these families common to both families. Early records of
old Tryon and Rutherford Counties should throw some light on this.
Anyway, this Martin and Gardner families were the first of their name to
settle in what is Cleveland County.

"Dr. Oliver Martin was a descendent of this Martin family. Between
1840 and 1850 there stood a schoolhouse between Ham Williams and Crocket
Peeler's old homesteads, just East of this cemetery. This Schoolhouse
was known as the Martin Schoolhouse. It is said that a family by the
name of martin originally resided at said Ham Williams old home place,
and there was a graveyard behind the barn at this old Williams place,
and that some of the Martins were buried here.

"Said William H. Martin was the grandfather of the late Philip Martin of
Shelby, and of George Martin, near Zion Baptist Church.

"According to family tradition, Thomas Gardner came from Scotland and
married Olive Martin on Catawba River; that her father and family
settled on West side of Magness Creek near this cemetery, and said
Thomas Gardner and wife settled on southeast side (opposite) Magness's
Creek."

Inscriptions:

Martin, William H.
D. Jan. 4, 1845
Aged: 45 years

"A. G. Ag. 95001822"

"E. A. 1755-1817"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This cemetery is among the many Cleveland cemeteries included on the Cleveland Count WPA Cemeteries CD,
copyrighted 2008, by Ann K. Propst and Derick S. Hartshorn.
All listings and cemeteries listings were made prior to 1940 and represent the conditions of that time.
All information has been donated to the NCGenWeb Project but authors retain copyright protection under law.
It may be referenced and briefly exerpted under the universal fair use doctrine.
For a copy of the complete Cleveland County WPA Cemetery Survey CD, see http://www.hartshorn.us/CWPA.htm