The first known survey of this cemetery was done by Dr. Allan E. Marble on July 1, 1976. He did not give the cemetery a name but, per his usual practice, he assigned it an identifying number, in this case 130, and a location, Nictaux Falls.

At a later date Genweb volunteers transcribed his original survey notes and made them available online. At that time, the volunteers gave this cemetery the name, "Methodist Cemetery", and a location, Nictaux Falls.

Dr. Marble surveyed 4 headstones from which he transcribed 10 inscriptions, all belonging to one of three family surnames: Martyn, Allen and Watson. Genweb volunteers incorrectly transcribed an 11th for James Hallett, but Hallett is a middle name not a surname. He was James Hallett Martyn, son of Hallett Martyn, as indicated in the inscription itself.

In Dr. Marble's notes, he wrote "Mr. Egbert Martyn, who directed me to this cemetery, stated that there are about 40-50 graves here, but only 4 markers…lost in woods…Methodist." We may never know the identities of those buried here who have no markers. Dr. Marble states that he was told that the cemetery was Methodist by Vernon Spurr, now deceased, who spent many years researching the families in the Nictaux area.

Indeed, the ten names on the four markers were all Methodists, but this was not a cemetery connected to any particular Methodist Church. The only Methodist church in Nictaux Falls was the Zion Methodist Church on Hwy 10, which had its own cemetery. For whatever reasons, the four Methodist gentlemen who established this cemetery in the woods decided that they wanted their own Methodist burial ground rather than utilizing the Zion cemetery.

There is a deed dated November 1, 1892 which is a contract between property owners David G. Ritcey and Solomon Drew (whose property line the 1/3 acre of cemetery land straddles) and four local Methodists, James Allen, Edwin D. Baker, Edward Martyn and Michael A. Martyn. The deed makes clear that the purpose for the purchase of the land was to provide a burial place for these men, their families and their heirs. An access road was to be provided to the cemetery, which still exists but is not much more than an overgrown path now, the cemetery having been inactive for many years.

DIRECTIONS: The cemetery is located on the west side of Bloomington Road, across from the large property at Civic #2180. The path to enter is just north of the field. The cemetery is set well back out of sight - lost in the woods, as Dr. Marble expressed it.