Thomson Memorial Cemetery
The cemetery was established in 1853 when the Bethany Methodist Church moved from 1 mile north of Thomson and established the First United Methodist Church on the Main Street in Thomson. The land for the cemetery was deeded by James R. Wilson. The earliest marked grave is that of Mary Sutton, who died on June 1, 1855. In 1932 funds were raised to replace the wire fence with the iron one that presently surrounds the cemetery. As of 2008, there are 1086 graves, marked and unmarked, in the cemetery.
The Soldier's Section contains the remains of five men who died in Thomson during the Civil War. They are marked with marble slabs. One marker does not bear a name because the soldier beneath it was too badly wounded to reveal his identity as he was removed from the train at the Thomson Depot.
Before the establishment of the cemetery, white Thomsonites were interred in church yards or family plots. The Thomson Memorial Cemetery represents part of the 19th century "Rural Cemetery Movement" (1830) which advocated moving cemeteries sway from the church-yard into more park-like settings, often on a high rise or bluff - considered prettier & more healthful; cemeteries became sites of recreation, picnics, family outings. Cremation & embalming increased in use as a direct result of the Civil War as bodies often needed to be shipped long distances for burial. However, funeral homes and "funeral directors" are more of a 20th century idea that came about when families were less likely to hold wakes or do the "laying out" of the body at home. Lawn cemeteries or memorial gardens emerged in the 20th century to retain a park-like atmosphere.
Headstone Styles
Tablet stone - slab set up in ground, no base, common in 18th - early 20th century, other types include shouldered, domed, and gothic.
Obelisk - common late 19th - early 20th century; the most "pervasive" form of cemetery art, inspired by archaeological discoveries in Egypt - thought to represent the finger (ray) of the sun, types include standard, truncated, and vaulted Block/pulpit - 20th century to present; square stone with cut not polished faces, set on a base.
Ledger or Slab - common in 19th and 20th century, single polished stone laid over grave.
Box Tomb - common from early 19th - mid-20th century.
Cradle - a denial of death - she is not dead, but merely sleeps.
Pedestal - an obelisk or pedestal with an urn or sculpture above the column.