James McGavock Family Cemetery

James McGavock Family Cemetery. . Inside the fence is a family cemetery. Buried here are James McGavock, his wife Lucinda, family members and descendants. The cemetery was part of 900 acres the McGavocks assembled in the Harpeth River in the early 1800s. During their lifetimes, they distributed parts of the land to their children. James died in 1833. When Lucinda died in 1848, she still had 101 acres and owned 36 slaves valued at $12,945. Monuments of McGavock, Smith and Cotton graves remain. The slave cemetery is located across the street. Graves there are marked with a rock, if at all. These burial grounds are typical of about 800 cemeteries found in Williamson County. After the public cemeteries opened in Franklin, including Old City 1811, Rest Haven 1855, Mt. Hope 1875 and Toussaint L’Ouverture 1884, burial on farms was less frequent. A few old family cemeteries are lovingly maintained to this day., James and Lucinda McGavock’s daughter Amanda married Turner Smith. He is buried here along with Amanda, who died in 1848. In 1865, their daughter Lucinda married Robert F. Cotton, one of the legendary Coleman Scouts, described as the eyes and ears of the Army of Tennessee during the Civil War. After giving birth to a daughter named Amanda after her grandmother, Lucinda died in 1869 and is also buried here. Robert's sister Margaret N. Cotton became Turner's second wife and helped raise Amanda. After Turner died in 1880, Robert and his second wife, Mary Owen raised their eight children on the land. Robert, a farmer, was active in politics and died in 1918. The land was sold at auction in 1920 then passed through several owners. Cottonwood and River Landing subdivisions are part of the original McGavock/Smith/Cotton farms.