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The History of Cowan Montgomery Cemetery
One of Cowan’s most beloved landmarks has nothing to do with trains or automobiles, nor is it a church or a school. It’s Cowan Montgomery Cemetery and it truly has a very special place in our hearts. Although it appears to be one large cemetery, Cowan Montgomery Cemetery is actually two distinct entities that co-exist. Montgomery Cemetery, also known as the “old section”, dates back to the Year 1810 when a Mr. Hugh Montgomery moved to Franklin County from Blount County (in East Tennessee). Mr. Montgomery acquired 160 acres of land from pioneer settler William Russell, Sr. and soon thereafter purchased an additional 60 acres from his brother James. Mr. Montgomery later sold a section of land to his son William H. and another section to a John W. Williams. Part of what he retained for himself is the land that became the cemetery. In the Year 1829, Hugh’s son William H. died an untimely death at the age of 37. We believe that this tragic event prompted the Montgomery family to establish a family cemetery. As expected, William H.’s grave is the oldest in the entire cemetery. Upon Hugh’s death in 1841 the land was transferred to his wife and sons only to be bought by his grandson John C. Montgomery in 1844. John Montgomery died in 1910, but his will stated that he wanted the 200 by 300-foot section of his homestead – the area already fenced in for a cemetery – designated for the Montgomery family’s burial needs. This small section is officially designated “Montgomery Cemetery” and is still considered a private burial place for the Montgomery family. Cowan Cemetery, also known as the “new section”, dates back to the Year 1941 when Cowan’s civic leaders responded to a growing need for a city cemetery. The city purchased two acres of land adjacent to Montgomery Cemetery for $600 from the Hoback family. The location of these two acres as well as their historical significance made this an extremely important investment for the City of Cowan. Today’s Cowan Montgomery Cemetery represents a unique and unusual partnership. The City maintains the cemetery by providing lawn care and general upkeep, including the Montgomery family section, while the Cemetery Association provides regulatory oversight and coordinates special clean-up and repair projects. The lay of the land makes Cowan Montgomery Cemetery a beautiful sight to behold. One can stand at the Bill Miller Community Center (in the vicinity of the home of Cowan’s first pioneer settler) and see each and every grave thanks to the gentle slope that leads from the white brick gates to the cedar lined “old section.” Sewanee Mountain provides a beautiful backdrop against an eastern sky. Cemeteries are a place of sadness, but the people of Cowan find so much joy and life in our local cemetery. Local funerals bring families and neighbors together, and whenever we’re in the cemetery we know that we are “among friends”. We have fond memories of clean-up days, Easter sunrise services, tiny American flags at Memorial Day, and lilies at Easter. Cowan residents discovered decades ago that the cemetery is the perfect place to go for an evening walk in good weather. Most every evening you’ll see friends and neighbors enjoying fresh air and good exercise before sundown. This tradition may seem unusual to an outsider, but for Cowan people it’s just another reason why we love our cemetery so much!
If you ever visit the old section of the cemetery, you may stumble across (literally!) an unusual feature at one of the graves. We’re referring to the tractor seat installed by “Grandpa Brakefield” following the death of his wife, Rachel, in 1939. Each and every day for hours at a time, Mr. William W. Brakefield would visit the grave of his beloved. The tractor seat provided a comfortable place for him to sit and rest in his time of grief. According to his relatives, Grandpa visited the grave each and every day up until a few months before his death in 1944. The tractor seat remains at the Brakefield grave and reminds us of Grandpa’s undying love for his wife. The two of them are together now, resting in peace. Two Marble Plaques on the Cemetery Gates Our cemetery is not without a few little quirks. A marble plaque on one side of the cemetery gate reads “OLD CEMETERY ESTABLISHED BY HUGH AND WILLIAM MONTGOMERY 1774” while the plaque on the other side reads “NEW ADDITION BOUGHT BY CITY OF COWAN AND CONSOLIDATED WITH OLD 1940”. Both of these plaques are in error. There were, after all, no white settlers in this part of Tennessee until at least 1800, and as far as we know there were no burials in this cemetery until at least 1829. Also, the new addition was bought by the city in 1941, not 1940 as the plaque reads. Information for this article was gathered from the published research of Jim and Jenny Lou Brock and from a series of writings by Mrs. Agnes Pearson.
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