Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1933-03-03

Rowan County's very earliest set.
tiers, who e~migrated from Pennsyl
wanna, and was naturalized here ir
1855.
DR.. Bernheim, in his book Scr.
man Settlements and the Lutheran
Church in the Carolinas," publish.
ed / n 1872, writes as follows:
Saint Johns Lutheran Church
IN Salisbury, N c. ..... wa,
doubtless the first Lutheran con-
gregation organized in that provi-
dence. -. German citizens OF
that place organized themselve.
INTO a congregation in the days Of
King George, III, and several year.
before the Revolution, when Sails
bury was yet denominared a town
ship, containing but a few dwell
angs and a small number of inhabi-
tants. One of the wealthy
citizens residing there, John Lewis
Beard, a member of the Lutheran
Church, was bereaved by the death
of a young daughter. Whether
the township of Salisbury could
then boast of a regular Goods
Acre is not known, and the pro-
liability is that the mortal remains
of departed ones were at that early
period, deposited without many re-
llgious services in the grounds of
each landlord in whose family, or
family connection, the death oc-
Cured; a custom thus early estab-
lished from the force of circum-
stances, and still reverently obser-
we'd by many in various parts of
this country.
"In the same manner was the
body of Mr.. Boards daughter laid
an the silent tomb, opened on her
fathers town property, in a lot
containing nearly an acre, and well
selected for the quiet repose of the
dead"
In order to protect her resting
place in the years to come, Mr..
Beard decided a tract of land, con-
gaining one hundred and forty four
square poles to the German Luth-
'eran Church, of Salisbury, for the
purpose of establishing a church
and a graveyard. Soon afterwards
a log church was built on this lot,
and about five years later its first
pastor arrived, Rev. Adolph Nuss-
man, who came from Germany.
He served two charges, the Sails
bury Lutheran, and Organ Church,
then called Zion Clutch. The
Salisbury church seems to have
been situated a little TO the left
from the center of the graveyard,
as one enters from the main en-
trance The deed for this plot OF
land is found in the Office OF the
Register of Deeds for Rowan
County. 1t is made to Michael
Brown, Michael More, Casper Gun
ther and Peter Reeb, and it provid-
ed that the trustees above named
might allow the church to be used
by other congregations from time
to time, when not being used by
the Lutheran congregation. Ihu
1t was more or less a community
church and graveyard for TIT
township of Salisbury.
In this ancient city of the deae
are buried many of the pioneer
settlers of Rowan County, of varl
Gus denominations ard faiths
Many graves are unknown at thi
time. Many have no markers a
all; others have tonlbstones who's
inscriptions have become illegible
Some graves are marked by rud
stones; Others by beautiful ant
stately monuments. Some of tn
shafts have been broken by oil
trees. falling during heavy storm
One is marked by a large, broker
column, denoting the resting plac
of the last member of a family
Another striking monument
that of Judge Archibald Hender
son, a very noted lawyer and states
man, whose monument was erecte
by his fellow members of the Row
an County Bar, by whom he wa
held in great esteem and admira
ton There are many crypts, an
large granite and marble slabs, de
noting family graves, sometimes a
many as ten names inscribed there
on, according to a custom Of tn
times. An unusual mon lment
that found at the grave containin
the leg of an old Confederate sold
ier, which was crushed off by
train; he himself is buried at Trad
ing Ford.
In this graveyard are many Rev