Taylorsville, KY: Researching my family history, Old Pioneer Cemetery

Taylorsville, KY is an old community, established in the late 1700's by the earliest pioneers of the territory. My 2GGrandfather, Samuel T. Gilbert and his father before him, were part of those early pioneers.

The Old Pioneer Cemetery, as they call it, is up on a hill that used to be on the outskirts of the old town. Now the town has grown out around it and you can hardly get to the old cemetery. In fact, you have to park at the bottom of the hill, and walk up a dirt track that looks like you are going into someone's backyard.

At the base of the hill are a bunch of apartments, small houses and some empty buildings, and no place to turn around if you drive through there, as I discovered when locating it this trip.

Burials here go back to the early 1800's. So many of the stones are crumbling, or have fallen over and are partially buried in grass and dirt. Many are unreadable with moss, lichen and the grim of ages.

Old Pioneer Cemetery, Taylorsville, KY

This always saddens me to see a beautiful, old cemetery deteriorating like this. At least they are keeping it mowed and trimmed. Still you have to watch your footing because of all the partially buried stones. To my knowledge there is no plot map but there is a listing from the Spencer County Historical and Genealogical Society of the people that were buried here.

Samuel T. Gilbert

Susan Wallace Ward Gilbert

Samuel A. Gilbert, 5 yr. old son of Samuel T. and Susan

There is another Gilbert buried in this cemetery: Nancy Jane Gilbert, 11 year old daughter of Samuel T. Gilbert and 2nd wife Nancy Gill. She died 20+ years before Samuel or Susan and does not appear to be buried near them. We could not find a stone for her but without a plot map, it is next to impossible to find the grave location without excavating the entire cemetery!

Since I am descended from the 2nd wife, Nancy Gill Gilbert, I really wanted to find her burial place. She is not listed as being the Old Pioneer Cemetery and I did not find any reference to her burial place at all. I did find a reference to the Gill family cemeteries, where I am supposing she may have been buried. Since both of the Gill family cemeteries are destroyed, it seems unlikely I will ever find her stone.