William Splawn Jane Waldrop graves
Photos taken by Nicki Splawn Baca on October 7, 2003
Splawn Family Graveyard
Polk Co. NC

Click on photos to see larger version.

William Splawn born May 27, 1800 died July 10, 1884 "Our Mother Jane, Wife of William Splawn, Born December 2, 1824, Died July 24, 1885, Gone But Not Forgotten"






I visited the family cemetery where William and his wife Jane are buried on October 9th. It is very hard to locate as it is now in a very forested area. I used the directions that are found in the notes on William on Woody Splawn's website [Woody's database has been uploaded to Mike Splawn's website splawn.com], but couldn't locate the cemetery. The High School mentioned in the directions is now a Middle School, but still carries the name Polk Central. I went to the school office and asked if they may knew of a family cemetery close by. After several phone calls the custodian for the school, Roger Byars, said he knew where it was and he could show it to me if I didn't mind walking through the woods. Roger lives on the school property in a house behind the school and that is where you start the hike up the hill to the cemetery.
 
There are many graves that are only marked by standing stones. I would say 25 to 30 are clearly graves, some are not so clear, they may just be stones laying on the ground.  The way some are marked, they may be slave graves as they are very characteristic of the way slave graves are marked in Georgia (where I currently live). William and Jane's are the only ones marked with a headstone and there is a foot stone for William. There are a couple that are cut standing stones that are located beside William's, but there is no inscription on them and look like they may never had an inscription. Roger says he has never found another one with an inscription on it.
 
William's is broken and laying on the ground, but the inscription part has been leaned up against a large pine tree that is growing directly on top of his grave.  Jane's is still standing and both are readable at this time, but they are clearly eroding. Roger says he comes during the winter months and tries to clean up the debris so that you can tell it is a cemetery, but he does not own the land where the cemetery is located, he just has permission to ride his motorcycle on it. The property is owned by a family by the name of Walker. 
 
He also showed me the location of what once was a house. It is also hidden in a woody area. There is just a fireplace now (picture in attachment) and a pit that may have been the well. But I believe this is the house mentioned in the notes on Woody's site as the home barely standing in 1984.  This is the only home place Roger knew of on the property.
 
The condition of the cemetery is poor and will be reclaimed by nature before much longer. I'm glad I was able to see this part of our family history before it is completely gone.

Nicki (Splawn) Baca



The directions, according to Woody Splawn's database on Splawn.com are as follows:
Family cemetary, off NC #9, just north of Polk Central High School. Has Tombstone. There is an adult grave, without a tombstone on William's left side marked 1849. Today (1984) William's house is gone. A huge oak marks its spot. Barely standing is a house that one of his sons lived in before he went to Texas. There is also a very readable will for William Butler. Reference "Book F. pg 243". 
If anyone has a copy of this will, please contact me at tamara#bearsandhares.com (replace # with @)

Children of William and Jane:
  1. Has No Children William Butler Splawn b: 5 JAN 1852 in NC
  2.     John T. Splawn b: 3 APR 1855 in NC
  3. Has No Children Walter S. Splawn b: ABT 1858 in NC
  4. Has No Children George W. Splawn b: ABT 1861 in NC
  5. Has No Children Plato D. Splawn b: ABT 1872 in NC
Children of William and his unknown first wife (who might be named Polly Capshaw)
  1. Has No Children Abecca Splawn b: ABT 1829 in NC
  2.     Margaret Splawn b: 16 MAR 1831 in NC
  3.     A.Graham Splawn b: 18 OCT 1834 in NC
  4. Has No Children Nancissa Splawn b: ABT 1835 in NC
  5. Has No Children Litha Ann Splawn b: 1838/1843 in NC
  6. Has No Children Mary Splawn b: ABT 1840 in NC
  7. Has No Children Lathia Splawn b: ABT 1842 in NC
  8. Has No Children Martha Splawn b: ABT 1844 in NC
  9. Has No Children Ellen Splawn b: ABT 1848 in NC