Trail
Family Cemetery
Spartanburg
County
South Carolina
Visited, Surveyed, and Recorded by
Benjamin B. Morgan and E. Charles Hollins
The
Trail Family Cemetery is located on Walnut Grove-Pauline
Road. Take Interstate 26 out of Spartanburg and get off
at Exit 28, which is Highway 221. Turn left under the
overpass and go down ¼ mile to Stillhouse Road and turn
right. You will see two historical markers in a pull-off which refer
to the colonial history of the area. Continue on
Stillhouse Road until it comes to a T-junction with Otts
Shoals Road. Turn right and go down ¼ mile to the Walnut
Grove Plantation. At the Plantation entrance turn left
on to Harrison Grove Road. Go 1.1 miles down Harrison
Grove Road and you will see the Harriet Trail House on the
left. Continue on to the T-Junction with Walnut Grove Road and
turn right. You will pass the Walnut Grove United
Methodist Church on your left (where John Benjamin Trail
and his family are buried) and you will pass the Mount
Calvary Presbyterian Church on your left. Immediately
after the cemetery past the Mount Calvary Presbyterian
Church turn left on the first road (at the corner of the cemetery).
Go down the road toward Pauline for about three miles and
the Trail Family Cemetery will be on the left side
adjacent to the road.
The Trail Family Cemetery is
approximately two-thirds filled with graves. It is in generally
fair repair, but a few holly trees and boxwood bushes may
obscure some tombstones. It is approximately 50 ft. by
80 ft. The tradition is that the cemetery
started as an Indian burial ground and/or slave
cemetery. It is interesting that though all the bodies
lie to the east of their headstones, the older headstones
face west while the newer ones face east.
John
T Trail is buried in a bordered family plot with his
parents Virgil S. Trail (Father) and Pearl L. Trail
(Mother).
The
inscription reads:
JOHN
T.
TRAIL
Son of
MAR
12,
1940
Virgil & Pearl
DEC
29,
1958
Trail
Budded
on earth
To
bloom in heaven
TRAIL
PEARL
L.
VIRGIL S.
1915-1984
1910-1969
Footstone:
“MOTHER”
Footstone:
“FATHER”
ELEANOR
MORROW
This
grave lies somewhat to itself at the end of what was
probably the original row of graves. The headstone is in
somewhat deteriorated condition, so a rubbing was taken
to obtain the inscription.
IN
MEMORY OF
ELEANOR MORROW
WHO WAS BORN
December 10th
1784
AND DIED October
22, 1821
AGED 36 YEARS 11
MONTHS AND 21 DAYS
OLIVE
TRAIL
This
headstone has fallen and broken. A rubbing had to be
taken to make out the epitaph. Olive Trail is not buried
next to her husband John Trail because the graves in her
row were laid in order of death from left to right
looking east.
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
OLIVE
TRAIL
WIFE OF
JOHN TRAIL
DEPARTED THIS LIFE Nov
14. 1895 AGED 84 YRS.
We
trust our loss will be
her
gain, and that with Christ
she’s
gone to reign.
ANDREW T. TRAIL
BORN
JAN. 14, 1852
DIED
JAN. 23, 1877
Tho
lost to light, to memory dear
OLIVE C. TRAIL
BORN
NOV. 28, 1846
DIED
JULY 3, 1862
Gone, but not
forgotten
JOHN
TRAIL
This
may be the oldest grave in the cemetery. It is broken
and eroded, so a rubbing was made.
JOHN TRAIL
Dec. 14, 1786
DIED
Feb. 1, 1859
VAN.
E. TRAIL
The
marker appears to be a War Department gravestone like
those found in veteran’s cemeteries. It bears a star of
David, indicating the Jewish faith. Only the date of
death is given.
VAN. E.
TRAIL
SOUTH CAROLINA
PVT 1 CL
MED DEPT
FATIMA
JAMES
Fatima
James was the wife of David W. Trail, who rests next to
her. This stone is more ornate than most in the
cemetery, and bears the device of a crown. The James family
lived nearby in the area.
FATIMA JAMES
wife of
D. W. TRAIL
BORN
DEC 29, 1839
DIED
JAN 6, 1912
AGED 71 YEARS 8 DAYS
Heaven
retaineth now our
treasure,
earth the lonely
casket
keeps,
And
the sun beams love to
Linger--where
our sainted
Mother
sleeps.
DAVID
W. TRAIL
His
tombstone bears the initials C.V. at the top, which
indicated his status as a Confederate Veteran. The story
told by the family is that David W. Trail had to walk
home from Virginia after the surrender “every step of the way”
as did many of the paroled Confederate soldiers.
C.V.
DAVID W. TRAIL
JAN 25, 1842
DEC 19, 1930
An
honest man’s the noblest work
of
God
FATHER
HADDIE E. TRAIL
JAN. 24, 1868
NOV. 18, 1952
ASLEEP IN JESUS
TRAIL
MAUDE
L.
BOYCE T.
1907-1978 1906-1975
Footstone:
MOTHER Footstone:
FATHER
EFFIE
BISHOP TRAIL
Effie
Bishop Trail was the wife of John Robert Trail and is
buried next to him in a bordered family plot.
EFFIE BISHOP
TRAIL
1879-1949
Footstone: Curved and shaped like
a residential mailbox
JOHN ROBERT TRAIL
JULY 2, 1869
MAY 15, 1947
We
know that all things work
together
for good to them
DAVID
C. TRAIL
David
C. Trail is buried next to his brother and near his
nephew.
DAVID C. TRAIL
OCT 22, 1879
AUG 7, 1939
LORD,
MY LORD AND MASTER
SERVED IN UNITED STATES ARMY 3
YEARS
There
are three unknown graves.
Unknown
grave #1 has a marker of native rock and only two inches
high. The surface is rough and eroded. The grave is
provided with a footstone of similar material. Since the
footstone is only 4½ ft, from the headstone the grave must
be for a child.
Unknown
grave #2 has a marker made of fieldstone. All that can
be made out is perhaps the numeral 87. It is an adult
grave.
Unknown
grave #3 is also an adult grave.