The following story of the Unknown Traveler at Bent Creek Cemetery was family tradition to descendants of Rev. Caleb Witt and his wife Miriam Horner (daughter of William Horner). It is excerpted from the article "150th Anniversary Of Bent Creek Cemetery," by Howard L. Hill, as published in the Morristown Gazette Mail, 29 May 1960, page 5:
"The anniverary this year marked the erection of a monument over the grave of the first man buried in Bent Creek. The story of that burial has been authenticated without question; we repeat it:
"In early days when people lived in houses sometimes far distant from other houses, travelers, cattle drovers and horseback riding salesmen frequently sought a night's lodging in one of these old homes.
"It happened that the home of one William Horner was located on the old stage road between Knoxville and Abingdon and upon one occasion, a man, riding horseback on his way from North Carolina to Kentucky to buy cattle, was overtaken near nightfall close to the Horner home. He asked to spend the night, and was graciously and hospitably received.
"During the night he was taken seriously ill, and shortly died. In his delirium he spoke of his home town in North Carolina, thus giving the sole clue to his identity. The Horner family buried the stranger in a plot of ground not too far from their home. Later, disturbed by the fact that the man's family did not know what had happened to him, William Horner determined to inform them; he rode his own horse and leading the man's horse, traveled the many miles to the town in North Carolina and made contact with the man's family.
"Unfortunately, in the century and a half since then the name of the man's family has been lost, but his grave was always markied by crude limestone rocks. In 1810, William Horner deeded to the trustees of the "Baptist Society" an acre of land which included the traveler's grave, to be used as a neighborhood graveyard.
"This was the origin of Bent Creek Cemetery..."
Please visit the Unknown Travelers virtual cemetery, a collection of Find a Grave memorials for graves found mostly in North America marked Unknown Traveler or some variation. The stories behind these Unknown Traveler burials often have striking similarities. Many are said to be the first burials in their cemeteries. To get there, please copy and paste this link into your browser address bar: https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/1738671
The following story of the Unknown Traveler at Bent Creek Cemetery was family tradition to descendants of Rev. Caleb Witt and his wife Miriam Horner (daughter of William Horner). It is excerpted from the article "150th Anniversary Of Bent Creek Cemetery," by Howard L. Hill, as published in the Morristown Gazette Mail, 29 May 1960, page 5:
"The anniverary this year marked the erection of a monument over the grave of the first man buried in Bent Creek. The story of that burial has been authenticated without question; we repeat it:
"In early days when people lived in houses sometimes far distant from other houses, travelers, cattle drovers and horseback riding salesmen frequently sought a night's lodging in one of these old homes.
"It happened that the home of one William Horner was located on the old stage road between Knoxville and Abingdon and upon one occasion, a man, riding horseback on his way from North Carolina to Kentucky to buy cattle, was overtaken near nightfall close to the Horner home. He asked to spend the night, and was graciously and hospitably received.
"During the night he was taken seriously ill, and shortly died. In his delirium he spoke of his home town in North Carolina, thus giving the sole clue to his identity. The Horner family buried the stranger in a plot of ground not too far from their home. Later, disturbed by the fact that the man's family did not know what had happened to him, William Horner determined to inform them; he rode his own horse and leading the man's horse, traveled the many miles to the town in North Carolina and made contact with the man's family.
"Unfortunately, in the century and a half since then the name of the man's family has been lost, but his grave was always markied by crude limestone rocks. In 1810, William Horner deeded to the trustees of the "Baptist Society" an acre of land which included the traveler's grave, to be used as a neighborhood graveyard.
"This was the origin of Bent Creek Cemetery..."
Please visit the Unknown Travelers virtual cemetery, a collection of Find a Grave memorials for graves found mostly in North America marked Unknown Traveler or some variation. The stories behind these Unknown Traveler burials often have striking similarities. Many are said to be the first burials in their cemeteries. To get there, please copy and paste this link into your browser address bar: https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/1738671
Inscription
THIS STONE
MARKS THE FIRST
GRAVE IN BENT
CREEK CEMETERY
HERE REST THE
MORTAL REMAINS
OF AN UNKNOWN
TRAVELER WHO DIED
PRIOR TO 1810
IN THE HOME OF
WILLIAM HORNER
DONOR OF THIS LAND
ERECTED IN 1960
BY THE PEOPLE OF
THE COMMUNITY
AND THOSE WHOSE
LOVED ONES REST HERE
IN COMMEMORATION
OF THE 150TH
ANNIVERSARY OF
BENT CREEK
Gravesite Details
Obelisk
