Home Trail Family Cemetery
Submitted by: Lee Trail Lassus LeeL2@sbcglobal.net
 

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

Footstone: OUR SON

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

Footstone: E.M.

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.

Footstone: O.T.

ANDREW T. TRAIL

BORN

JAN. 14, 1852

DIED

JAN. 23, 1877

Tho lost to light, to memory dear

Footstone: A.T.T.

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

Footstone: J.T.

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

January 14, 1934

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.

Footstone: F.J.T.

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

Footstone: D. W. T.

HADDIE E. TRAIL

JAN. 24, 1868

NOV. 18, 1952

ASLEEP IN JESUS

Footstone: SISTER

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

that love God

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

Footstone: “BROTHER”

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.

 

 
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