Our History

Directly across the street from the cemetery once stood Mt. Zion Church.  It was likely built in the 1840's by a Presbyterian congregation and used by them until it was sold to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1855.  

As seen in the sketch above, the church was a simple wood structure without a steeple.  Of the two entrances, women entered on the left and men entered on the right.  

Over the years, membership dwindled and by 1940 the church had been abandoned, vandalized and demolished.  

During those years, a regrettable amount of vandalism and thievery took place.  There appears to have been a morbid interest in the three above-ground vaults, particularly that of Margaret Elvira Thompson. There was a legend that this lady came back to life after being pronounced dead. When she actually did die, her family objected to having her interred, and the coffin was placed in the above-ground vault.  Fox hunters shoved the heavy lid aside one night to get a sight of what was inside. It was said that the body was perfectly preserved. 

As with many cemeteries of the time, neglect and vandalism took its toll on the grounds.  Early in 1971, Orrie Rust gathered a group of concerned survivors of those interred at Mt. Zion Cemetery.  Efforts were organized to restore and protest the property.

The Currie family replaced a worn out wire fence with a more effective cyclone fence; the Cushman's assumed responsibility for clearing and maintaining the grounds; the Sharp's installed culverts to provide parking.

In May 1972, a second meeting was held where official Articles of Incorporation were drafted and signed by representatives of the following families:  Barnes, Cushman, Rust, Sharp, Solomon.

It was recently discovered that two veterans of the War of 1812 are buried in Mount Zion Cemetery.  The graves of Rev. Jesse Burch and Brickle Bridges, who was in the Battle of New Orleans, were "marked" with medallions by the U.S. Daughters of War of 1812. Louisiana Louisiana Chapter.

During November of 2019, representatives of the Daughters of War of 1812 joined local high school color guard cadets and members of the Association to honor the veterans with the laying of a wreath.