Discover 200 years of Livingston County history on this Walking Tour of the Smithland Cemetery. The self-guided tour provides visitors with a sampling of the rich history the early settlers brought to Smithland and Livingston County.
This 12-page walking tour booklet includes a map of the cemetery and a short biography of the persons whose graves are featured on the tour. The entrance inscription dates the establishment of Smithland Cemetery to1810.
The cemetery is located at the top of Level Street and Cemetery Road in Smithland, Kentucky.
The tour was prepared by The Smithland Cemetery Committee, who maintains the cemetery solely with donations. There are many noteworthy burials in the cemetery, but the committee has focused mainly on early settlers who brought so much diversity to Smithland and Livingston County. There are immigrants buried here from Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, England, France, Germany, as well as Prussia, Nova Scotia, and the early states of the union.
The tour also includes insightful information on monument symbols of the early to mid-nineteenth-century cemeteries.
The tour starts at the top of the hill beside the water tower. Numbered paragraphs in the booklet correspond with the numbered gravesites on the map section. Mature trees and river views add to the picturesque setting of the cemetery. You can set your own pace as you walk or even drive this tour.
Adjacent to the cemetery is the site of Fort Star. Part of Ft. Smith, Fort Star was an important supply depot and staging area for General Ulysses S. Grant’s campaigns against Forts Henry and Donelson. The fort was garrisoned throughout the war by various regiments, including the 13th US Colored Heavy Artillery. Several of these soldiers were buried in Smithland Cemetery Hill.
Where to Find The Walking Tour Booklet
Purchase the Smithland Cemetery Walking Tour Booklet at the Log Cabin, 117 State Street, Smithland, Monday through Friday from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. Tour books may also be purchased at the Smithland City Hall, 310 Wilson Avenue, Smithland, Kentucky, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM.
A suggested donation for the booklet is $5. The Smithland Cemetery is maintained by charitable contributions, all of which are very much needed and appreciated.
Want to learn more about the history of Livingston County, KY?
Add this cemetery tour to our Scenic History Drive of Livingston County Kentucky.
Discover more Livingston County History on our Historic Places page.
And find the Livingston County Historical and Genealogical Society on Facebook.
