The historic cemeteries of Beauregard Parish are great for family outings or exploring as to customs and styles represented. Some are located in forests of pine and oak. Others are urban cemeteries and rural graveyards. All are unique and just as the people and places of Beauregard Parish are unique.
When looking throughout historic cemeteries, one will find carvings on monuments and tablets. Searching for historic graves can be simplified by knowing the definitions of symbols on the monuments.
Angeles -these messengers of God were often depicted escorting the deceased to heaven or mourning an untimely death.
Broken column - although these columns look like someone broke them, they were actually carved this way to symbolize a life cut short.
Flowers - there are many special meanings, the lily represents purity; the daisy means innocence; the poppy represents sleep; and the pansy represents remembrance.
Hands - a hand with the index finger pointing upwards symbolizes the hope of heaven. Hands holding a broken chain symbolizes the death of a family member. Clasped hands symbolize affection after death.
Crowns - a crown represents immortality.
Hourglass - symbolizes the passage of time and the shortness of life.
Lamb - represents innocence. Also represents Christ in his sacrificialrole.
Obelisk - An often used symbol taken from the ancient Egyptians, obelisks commemorated the dead.
Torch - a symbol of life and truth, upside down it represents death.
Weeping Willow - a symbol of sorrow.
"Eight and one half miles west of DeRidder on US Highway 190, DeRidder"
This was established by the Isaac Cooper family as a private graveyard in 1893 and later opened to the general public for internments.
"Beginning at Dry Creek on LA Hwy. 113, follow the Morrow Bridge Road east to Cemetery Road, Dry Creek."
Originally established as Spear Cemetery. Dry Creek Cemetery is distinguished in its layout and size. There is a large open air pavilion for services. Very old markers are in evidence, including examples of very rare cast-iron head and foot markers.
"From LA Hwy 113 at Dry Creek, go north until LA Hwy. 394, turn left and go 1.1 mile and turn left on the road there, drive four/tenths of a mile then turn left for a tenth of a mile, Dry Creek."
Established by Burkitt Lindsey, a Kentuckian, the Lindsey Cemetery still serves the Lindsey family and collateral relations. The earliest marked grave is that of Burkitt's grandson, Luther Miller, who died in 1861. The only known example of a wooden crypt in Beauregard Parish exists at this very rural cemetery.
"From Hwy. 190 west of DeRidder past Cooper Cemetery, turn right and go one half mile on Bob Carsey Road, turn left and go one half mile on Hamp Jones Road, then right and go one half mile on Farris Road, turn left and go three/tenths mile on D. E. Markwick Driveway, turn left again at the two story yellow building and follow road south to cemetery.
The earliest marked grave is that of William Brown Welborn, who died in 1840. This cemetery is distinguished by the markers of five persons, mother, father, and five daughters who were slain in the 1861
Little Cemetery is distinguished by the markers of a family
of five who were slain in the 1860's
"Three and a half miles east of US Hwy. 171 on Magnolia Cemetery Road just north of Ragley, between DeRidder and Lake Charles."
The Masons'Lodge established in 1892 is on the western end of this beautifully landscaped hilltop cemetery. The oldest monuments are on the eastern end of the site. A so called "broken column" monument is located in this cemetery which is rare in this area.
"From Dry Creek go west on LA Hwy 394 to Green Town Cutoff Road, then south seven-tenths of a mile, turn right on Hermon Yancey Road and go one-tenth of a mile, then down Oakland Cemetery Road, Dry Creek."
A small, remote cemetery perhaps here is the only example of a wooden picket plot fence. Oakland Cemetery is surrounded by woodland.
"From LA 112, one mile east of Sugartown, turn south at the Sugartown Pentecostal Church, and follow signs, Sugartown."
Old Campgrounds is the oldest documentable cemetery in the Southwest Louisiana (Imperial Calcasieu region). It served the American settlers who attempted to claim the northern portion of the disputed "Sabine and Rio Hondo" (No Man's Land) region, the boundary which was settled by treaty in 1819. Many of the earliest graves are unmarked due to deterioration of the wooden head boards and crosses, but what remains is a tribute to those early settlers. A memorial plaque and a nature trail are located at the Old Campground Cemetery site.
The new Campground Cemetery is about 60 years younger than the older cemetery and contains a considerable collection of turn of the century monuments.
"Three-tenths of a mile west of US Hwy. 171 on Pecan Avenue, Pleasant Hill community, south of DeRidder.
A well maintained cemetery with beautiful grounds, the oldest graves appear to be on the western edge. The cemetery is sited on an elevated plateau. Many prominent names from the DeRidder community are in evidence in the markers and monuments such as Mel Branch. Mel was a member of LSU's 1958 national championship football team play and All American. He was a professional football player who played for the Dallas Texans, who became one of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1962. He played for the Chiefs before becoming one of the original members of the Miami Dolphins. After a lengthy battle with cancer, he died in 1992.
"Two miles west of LA Hwy. 113 on Mitchel Harper Road just south of East Beauregard School, Dry Creek."
Surrounding the Shiloh Baptist Church, this cemetery is distinguished by the cedar trees and monuments dating back at least to 1887.
"Just north of the intersection of LA Hwy. 112 and 113, Sugartown."
Next to the Sugartown Baptist Church, this well-established cemetery features many unusual monuments including several stone orbs mounted on pillars.
"500 Bilbo Street, west of Pine Street, DeRidder."
A beautiful urban cemetery where many of the pioneer families of Beauregard Parish and of DeRidder are buried. In this cemetery is the J.J. Brevelle tombstone, "Woodman of the World" who was brutally murdered in 1926 by two men who were executed in 1928 by hanging in the atrium of the spiral staircase of the Beauregard Parish Jail (Hanging Jail).
Hwy 112, 13 miles east of DeRidder. On Leo Garner Road, two miles west of Sugartown on Hwy. 112, drive 1-1/2 miles north on Leo Garner Road. Cemetery is located behind a small whitewashed church meeting house on the east side of the road.
Louisiana cypress cribs protect graves in Pine Grove Cemetery. These shelters protected early graves from weathering and depredations of wild animals. Once commonly found in rural cemeteries in this part of the state, these may be the last ones remaining in the state.
Louisiana cypress cribs protect graves in Pine Grove Cemetery.
These shelters protected early graves from weather and depredations of
varments
Provided by: Velmer Lenora Smith, DeRidder historian