This Culbreath Cemetery is a multi-generational burial ground established by early settler James Culbreath; James, his wife Harriet and some of their descendants and spouses of descendants are buried in the family cemetery.  

     The Culbreath family, like many of the early settlers in southwest Tennessee, was from Mecklenburg County, Virginia.  The Public Ledger of Memphis on April 1, 1881 copied an article from The Mason Call, stating "Mr James Culbreath has a gourd in his possession which was given to him by his grandmother in 1830.  It was grown by his grandfather in Mecklenburg County, Va., before the revolutionary war, and used by him to carry shot while hunting."  It is possible that his grandmother gifted the gourd around the time James was leaving Virginia. The 1920 death certificate for Dicy Ann Knox, daughter of James and Harriet, states she was born December 22, 1833 at "Beasley's bend on Tennsse [sic] River." Beasley's bend is located on the Cumberland River in Smith County, Tennessee, just north of Rome.  

     Though he may have made earlier purchases, on July 1, 1840 James Culbreath purchased in Tipton County 22 acres (Deed Book F, page 75) and on April 6, 1841 by land grant, Entry No 59 he obtained a 178 acre property that surrounded the 22 acres on the north, east and south sides.  He established the cemetery on this property, though the date of the first burial is uncertain; there are several markers without any engraving which may represent burials prior to the October 1875 death of "Little Mack." 

     James Culbreath died intestate Oct 6, 1887 in Tipton County, Tennessee, and according to the Court Minutes concerning the partition of the 200 acre property, his only surviving heirs at law were:  his children Dicy Knox, JM Culbreath, Jack Culbreath and Mattie Green plus his grandchildren Cordelia Culbreath the only heir at law of his deceased son Irwin Culbreath, and WS Culbreath and James Culbreath the only heirs at law of his deceased son H D Culbreath.  However, two more were enumerated in his household in US Census: William S Culbreath, a Confederate Soldier who was captured Feb 16, 1862 and died Aug 6, 1862 in prison at Camp Butler in Illinois where he was buried.  Also, a Mary F Culbreath, born about 1840 was enumerated in the 1850 US Census but not listed in James Culbreath's household in 1860, possibly because she died between 1850 & 1860; if perhaps she had married and was living in her own household  in 1860, neither she or any issue were alive in 1887.  There is also the possibility that Harriet and James Culbreath had more children who died young without being enumerated in the census.  In addition, William Culbreath owned property adjacent to James' 200 acres;  members of the extended family could be buried in the Culbreath Family Cemetery.