Little remains of the Messick Cemetery in the Whiteville area

What remains of the Messick Cemetery is located on Baxter CR 6 (Tucker Cemetery Rd) approximately 2/10th mile East of CR 710. It is located on private property owned by the Albrights. The cemetery is in an open field approximately 150 yards South of the roadway. There is no access by vehicle. You have to walk across the field to it. The remnants of the cemetery are enclosed by a wire fence, completely overgrown and virtually impenetrable. There is only one head stone remaining, that of John W. Messick Born 1814 and Died 1893.  It is sunken half way into the ground. There is also what appears to be a small concrete slab at the Southwest corner, on the outside of the fence. The cemetery is very old and, according to the Baxter County Cemetery book, contains 32 graves from the Messick, Lewis, and Young families.  The cemetery must once have encompassed considerably more area than what is now fenced.  The marker for one other person, Mahala Frizzell (1809-1861), was still there during a 1968 survey by the Whiteville Extention Homemaker's Club, but it is apparently gone now. 

In her book "History of Baxter County", Mary Ann Messick tells the story that "Old Granny Messick", said to be a witch, is also buried here and periodically haunts the place !

                                     What's left of the Messick Cemetery, as it now appears

                                                 The gravestone of John W. Messick