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Trail Family
Cemetery
Spartanburg
County
South Carolina
Visited, Surveyed, and Recorded by
Benjamin B. Morgan and E. Charles Hollins
The Trail Family Cemetery is
located on Walnut Grove-Pauline Road. Take Interstate 26 out of
Spartanburg and get off at Exit 28, which is Highway 221. Turn left
under the overpass and go down ¼ mile to Stillhouse Road and turn
right. You will see two historical markers in a pull-off which refer
to the colonial history of the area. Continue on Stillhouse Road
until it comes to a T-junction with Otts Shoals Road. Turn right and
go down ¼ mile to the Walnut Grove Plantation. At the Plantation
entrance turn left on to Harrison Grove Road. Go 1.1 miles down
Harrison Grove Road and you will see the Harriet Trail House on the
left. Continue on to the T-Junction with Walnut Grove Road and turn
right. You will pass the Walnut Grove United Methodist Church on
your left (where John Benjamin Trail and his family are buried) and
you will pass the Mount Calvary Presbyterian Church on your left.
Immediately after the cemetery past the Mount Calvary Presbyterian
Church turn left on the first road (at the corner of the cemetery).
Go down the road toward Pauline for about three miles and the Trail
Family Cemetery will be on the left side adjacent to the road.
The Trail Family Cemetery is
approximately two-thirds filled with graves. It is in generally
fair repair, but a few holly trees and boxwood bushes may obscure
some tombstones. It is approximately 50 ft. by 80 ft. The
tradition is that the cemetery started as an Indian burial ground
and/or slave cemetery. It is interesting that though all the
bodies lie to the east of their headstones, the older headstones
face west while the newer ones face east.
John T Trail is buried in a
bordered family plot with his parents Virgil S. Trail (Father) and
Pearl L. Trail (Mother).
The inscription reads:
JOHN T. TRAIL
Son of
MAR 12, 1940
Virgil & Pearl
DEC 29,
1958 Trail
Budded on earth
To bloom in
heaven
TRAIL
PEARL
L. VIRGIL S.
1915-1984 1910-1969
Footstone:
“MOTHER” Footstone: “FATHER”
ELEANOR MORROW
This grave lies somewhat to itself
at the end of what was probably the original row of graves. The
headstone is in somewhat deteriorated condition, so a rubbing was
taken to obtain the inscription.
IN
MEMORY OF
ELEANOR MORROW
WHO WAS BORN
December 10th
1784
AND DIED October
22, 1821
AGED 36 YEARS 11
MONTHS AND 21 DAYS
OLIVE TRAIL
This headstone has fallen and
broken. A rubbing had to be taken to make out the epitaph. Olive
Trail is not buried next to her husband John Trail because the
graves in her row were laid in order of death from left to right
looking east.
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
OLIVE TRAIL
WIFE OF
JOHN TRAIL
DEPARTED THIS LIFE Nov
14. 1895 AGED 84 YRS.
We trust our loss will be
her gain, and that with Christ
she’s gone to reign.
ANDREW T. TRAIL
BORN
JAN. 14, 1852
DIED
JAN. 23, 1877
Tho lost to
light, to memory dear
OLIVE C. TRAIL
BORN
NOV. 28, 1846
DIED
JULY 3, 1862
Gone, but
not forgotten
JOHN TRAIL
This may be the oldest grave in the
cemetery. It is broken and eroded, so a rubbing was made.
JOHN TRAIL
Dec. 14, 1786
DIED
Feb. 1, 1859
VAN. E. TRAIL
The marker appears to be a War
Department gravestone like those found in veteran’s cemeteries. It
bears a star of David, indicating the Jewish faith. Only the date of
death is given.
VAN. E.
TRAIL
SOUTH CAROLINA
PVT 1 CL
MED DEPT
FATIMA JAMES
Fatima James was the wife of David
W. Trail, who rests next to her. This stone is more ornate than most
in the cemetery, and bears the device of a crown. The James family
lived nearby in the area.
FATIMA JAMES
wife of
D. W. TRAIL
BORN
DEC 29, 1839
DIED
JAN 6, 1912
AGED 71 YEARS 8 DAYS
Heaven retaineth now our
treasure, earth the lonely
casket keeps,
And the sun
beams love to
Linger--where our sainted
Mother sleeps.
DAVID W. TRAIL
His tombstone bears the initials
C.V. at the top, which indicated his status as a Confederate
Veteran. The story told by the family is that David W. Trail had to
walk home from Virginia after the surrender “every step of the way”
as did many of the paroled Confederate soldiers.
C.V.
DAVID W. TRAIL
JAN 25, 1842
DEC 19, 1930
An honest
man’s the noblest work
of God
FATHER
HADDIE E. TRAIL
JAN. 24, 1868
NOV. 18, 1952
ASLEEP IN JESUS
TRAIL
MAUDE
L. BOYCE T.
1907-1978 1906-1975
Footstone:
MOTHER Footstone: FATHER
EFFIE BISHOP TRAIL
Effie Bishop Trail was the wife of
John Robert Trail and is buried next to him in a bordered family
plot.
EFFIE BISHOP
TRAIL
1879-1949
Footstone: Curved and shaped like
a residential mailbox
JOHN ROBERT TRAIL
JULY 2, 1869
MAY 15, 1947
We know that all things work
together for good to them
DAVID C. TRAIL
David C. Trail is buried next to
his brother and near his nephew.
DAVID C. TRAIL
OCT 22, 1879
AUG 7, 1939
LORD, MY LORD
AND MASTER
SERVED IN UNITED STATES ARMY 3
YEARS
There are three unknown graves.
Unknown grave #1 has a marker of
native rock and only two inches high. The surface is rough and
eroded. The grave is provided with a footstone of similar material.
Since the footstone is only 4½ ft, from the headstone the grave must
be for a child.
Unknown grave #2 has a marker made
of fieldstone. All that can be made out is perhaps the numeral 87.
It is an adult grave.
Unknown grave #3 is also an adult
grave.
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