Beulah Cemetery
LocationJunction of Openwood St. and Old Jackson Rd.,
Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Coordinates32°21′27″N 90°50′59″W / 32.35750°N 90.84970°W / 32.35750; -90.84970
Area52 acres (21 ha)
Built1884
NRHP reference No.92001404[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 23, 1992

Beulah Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.. It is a National Register of Historic Places listed place since 1992, and is significant as one of the most intact historic sites associated with the growth of the African-American community of Vicksburg.[2] It is still an active cemetery.

History

Beulah Cemetery
Beulah Cemetery

Beulah was established in 1884 by the Vicksburg Tabernacle No. 19 Independent Order of Brothers and Sisters of Love and Charity, a fraternal order that had wide support among Blacks.[3] It was Vicksburg's only cemetery for African-Americans.[3] The 52 acres (21 ha) of land for the cemetery was purchased by Harvey and Lucy Shannon for US $1000.[3] Prior to the development of Beulah Cemetery, Black people were buried in church cemeteries or in private yards.[3] Beulah Cemetery is abutting the Vicksburg National Military Park.

There are more than 5,500 graves in the 52 acres (21 ha) cemetery.[3] The majority of the graves date from 1884 to the 1940s.[3] The back of the cemetery was known as "paupers field", a place for the burial of unknown, or indigent people.[3]

Notable burials

  • Rosa A. Temple, educator and namesake of Rosa A. Temple High School in Vicksburg[3][4]
  • Robert Banks Marshall (1873–?), first Black postal employee in Vicksburg[3][4]
  • G. M. Mclntyre, principal of the Cherry Street School (an early Black high school)[3][4]
  • William H. "Tillmon" Jones (1848–1906), Grand Chancellor of the Colored Knights of Pythias[3][4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Beulah Cemetery". NPGallery, Digital Asset Management System.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Beulah Cemetery". National Park Service. October 23, 1992. Archived from the original on 2023-12-14.
  4. 1 2 3 4 African American Historic Places. National Register of Historic Places. John Wiley & Sons. 1995-07-13. p. 313. ISBN 978-0-471-14345-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.

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