Info about Hickory Flats Cemetary

[Orion838]

Does anyone know any history or where I can find history about Hickory Flats Cemetary. It's on the AT about 6 miles north of Springer Mtn in GA. Most of the graves are unmarked or marked with only a pointy stone. There are a couple marked graves dating from the early 1900s. There is no town or church nearby. It seems like a strange place for a cemetary. I'm sure there's a story behind it.

[Hikerhead]

What I understand is there was a church there at one time. I believe it burnt down. The time me and Kerosene hiked GA we stayed there and one of the church member named Crosscut was staying there, he was staying there all summer in his camper. They let hikers stay there, or they did back then in 2002 I believe it was. They also had a homemade whirlygig thing I remember well, almost got sick on it. I heard they took it down. But they had a privy and we're very nice folks. The GA trail maintainers stay there a lot too. You're close enough to go spend a night there and ask crosscut himself or someone else.

[Tennessee Viking]

Years ago, Springer and other AT mountains had settlements on them of mountain farmers, timber camps, and hermits. But with the start of the modern age, most of the people came down the mountains to live and farm.

If you go over to Blue Ridge and McKaysville, there is a cemetary on top of Dyer Mountain at Dyer Gap on the BMT that is still being actively used. Its a pretty remote location.

[max patch]

There used to be a handwritten sign with an address for (I think) contributions, but I don't recall seeing it last time I was there. I'll look for it next time I'm there and I'll post the address if it is there.

[max patch]

Hickory Flats

Hickory Flatts

[Dances with Mice]

There used to be a handwritten sign with an address for (I think) contributions, but I don't recall seeing it last time I was there. I'll look for it next time I'm there and I'll post the address if it is there.

Max - there was a contribution box at the privy with the name of a Baptist church, I believe.

There's also a relatively new memorial stone near the picnic shelter with the names of the group that cleaned up, and I assume still caretake, the cemetary. I can't remember if there was any contact info on it or not. Lots of folk name "Long", though. Like the creek.

[budforester]

I searched some of the genealogy sites I knew, without luck. Might get information from the county library or courthouse, there.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I was able to find some info about the area -- it appears Hickory Flatt was an active community back in the mid 1800s and that most members of the community died out during the 1918 flu epidemic. This likely explains the high number of unmarked graves.