Fulton in Itawamba County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Historical African-American Cemetery

Photographed by Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022

1. Historical African~American Cemetery Marker (Side 1)

Inscription. It is believed this site began as a burial ground for the enslaved well before the Civil War. On November 19, 1895, an official deed conveyed this section of ground from Pleasant Cates to "George Clifton and others" for the sum of four dollars as a place for the African American community to bury their dead. Many of Fulton's early African-American citizens are buried in this section of the cemetery. In the early years it was not uncommon to mark graves simply with an unmarked stone, tree, or stump. Former markers may have disappeared over time due to weathering or other factors. For this reason many of the graves remain unmarked. No official records of burials were maintained. Fulton resident, Jerushie Stone, who died in 2009 at the age of eighty-two, did maintain a list of African-American citizens buried on this site during her lifetime. The list of names presented to the Itawamba County Historical Society contained seventy-two names. Many of those graves on the list of names are unmarked.

Matilda Clifton and her husband George Clifton occupy two of the unmarked graves. Matilda was born enslaved in Wake County, North

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Carolina. Harriett Pearce Johnson, new wife of Stephen Johnson. chose Matilda for her girl servant from a group of children playing in the yard in 1851. The Johnson family moved to Itawamba County in 1855. Matilda & George had twelve children Matilda lived to be a centenarian passing away in 1939. This site is also the final resting place of Nancy Ann Clifton another centenarian. She was born enslaved in Golden. MS. Nancy recalled being sold three times prior to the Civil War.

In 1940, Fulton author Fred D. Howard included in his book of poems, Scrambled Eggs, a poem about Nancy entitled "Old Aunt Nan." The last stanza reads: Her days on earth are dwindling fast. And when Death takes her soul at last. She'll join her comrades of the past. Old Aunt Nan.

The cemetery remains a quiet testimony to those first African American men and women who braved the hardships of early Itawamba County life and created a community that lives on in the hearts and minds of many.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical date for this entry is November 19, 1895.

Location. 34° 16.398′ N,

Historical African~American Cemetery Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022

2. Historical African~American Cemetery Marker

88° 24.053′ W. Marker is in Fulton, Mississippi, in Itawamba County. It can be reached from East Bankhead Street, on the left when traveling west. Located within the Fulton Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 332 E Bankhead St, Fulton MS 38843, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically ast Mississippi in the North Mississippi Hills. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fulton Cemetery (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Cedars (approx. ¼ mile away); Early Church Site (approx. 0.3 miles away); Aeolian Grove (approx. 0.4 miles away); Vision - Perserverence - Success

Photographed by Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022

3. Historical African~American Cemetery Marker

(approx. 0.4 miles away); Jimmie Lunceford (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fulton (approx. half a mile away); Fulton Grammar School (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fulton.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022

4. Historical African~American Cemetery Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 619 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 5, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.