Forrest City Cemetery Explained

Forrest City Cemetery
Location:SFC Rd. 702, south of U.S. Route 70, west of Margaret Dr., east of Union Pacific RR,
Forrest City, St. Francis County, Arkansas, United States
Added:September 21, 2021
Refnum:100007000

Forrest City Cemetery, also known as City Colored Cemetery and Purifoy Cemetery, is a historic Black burial ground in Forrest City, Arkansas, United States.[1] It is thought that this burial ground was founded around, by members of the Spring Creek Baptist Church. The last burials here were in the 1960s, and over time it became overgrown and abandoned. It was rediscovered in 2012, and contains the burial sites for several prominent early African American leaders and politicians.[2]

Notable burials include Josiah Homer Blount (1860–1938), the first Black person to run for governor of the state of Arkansas in 1920.[3] [4] R. A. Williams, founder of the Supreme Royal Circle of Friends,[5] and Wallace Leon Purifoy, principal at "Colored High School" in Forrest City and founder of the Black fraternity the Imperial Council of Jugamos are also buried at this cemetery.[6]

It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2021.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Clancy . Sean . January 25, 2021 . A buried past: Overgrown cemetery holds little known history of once prominent Black Arkansans . 2024-09-24 . . en . 1060-4332.
  2. Web site: January 19, 2021 . Purifoy Cemetery, Forrest City . 2024-09-24 . . en . 1060-4332.
  3. Web site: Josiah Homer Blount (1860–1938) . 2024-09-24 . . en-US . 68194233.
  4. Web site: The Road to Civil Rights in Arkansas . 2024-09-24 . Arkansas.com . en.
  5. Web site: Forrest City Colored Cemetery . 2024-09-24 . Black Cemetery Network . en-US.
  6. Book: Richardson, Clement . The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race . June 7, 1919 . National Publishing Company . 1 . Montgomery, Alabama . 91 . Google Books.