Vidalia in Toombs County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
McMillan Burial Ground
An early settler to the area that is now Vidalia was Malcolm McMillan, who pitched his camp near this site circa 1800, and built his pioneer home. In the following years, he and his cousin, the Rev. Murphey McMillan, established a Presbyterian church and cemetery on this site. For the next 100 years, this served as the principal cemetery for the loose community of farmers, loggers and sheepherders that populated this area of what was then eastern Montgomery County.
The McMillans are believed to be buried here in now unmarked graves. Many of the older wooden markers which were once prevalent here no longer exist. The large open areas of the cemetery are not vacant of graves, only markers.
One of the first towns established near this site was Sterling in 1850, and many of its residents are buried here.
With the coming of the railroads in the late 1880s, this cemetery served the nearby communities that sprang up along its route, including: Aimwell, Appleton, Bandanna, Jenkins Station, Stacers, Straw and Tosh.
After the founding of Vidalia in 1890, these early towns gradually ceased to exist. With the creation of Pinecrest Cemetery in 1907, this site ceased to serve as this area's primary cemetery, and has often been known as the Church Street cemetery, the Primitive Baptist cemetery, and the Old Vidalia City cemetery.
Erected by General Robert A. Toombs Camp 932, Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Sons of Confederate Veterans/United Confederate Veterans series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1800.
Location. 32° 12.977′ N, 82° 24.851′ W. Marker is in Vidalia, Georgia, in Toombs County. Marker is on Church Street just south of East 2nd Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located near the sidewalk on the east side of the Old Vidalia Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Vidalia GA 30474, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. To Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (within shouting distance of this marker); Unknown Confederate Graves (within shouting distance of this marker); Peterson-Wilbanks House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Minenwerfer (approx. 0.3 miles away); Erected by Works Progress Administration (approx. 0.3 miles away); Paul Anderson (approx. 1.3 miles away); Home of the Vidalia Sweet Onion (approx. 3.1 miles away); Toombs County (approx. 5.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vidalia.
Also see . . . Vidalia, Georgia. The town was incorporated on January 1, 1890. The original name for the town was Jenkins Station after a local landowner, Warren T. Jenkins. Like many towns in the region, Vidalia grew up around a rail yard that served farmers in the area who grew such crops as pecans and tobacco. The area's famous onions were not an important crop until much later. (Submitted on November 4, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 278 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 4, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.