Parker Family Cemetery in East Bernstadt, Kentucky

About

Get directions East Bernstadt, Kentucky, USA

Coordinates: 37.29528, -84.09772
Cemetery ID:

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About these numbers These percentages indicate the number of Find a Grave memorials that have a grave photo or GPS coordinates. We don't know the total number of burials in a cemetery, so we cannot calculate a percentage of those with memorials, photos or GPS coordinates.

Photos

Directions:
Cemetery is on private property. From London, traveling North on US 25, turn right onto KY 490. Go 8.6 miles and turn right on KY 1228. Go 0.1 mile and turn right on Mt Zion Road. Go 1.6 mile and turn left onto River Hill Church Road. Go 0.1 mile and park, as the cemetery is to the right in a field. The cemetery is in a grove of trees beside a pond.

Description:
The cemetery is inactive. Information on the burials is taken from historical records from Laurel Co Historical Society cemetery guides. Over a number of years, the gravestones and markers have been damaged or trampled by cattle. In addition to the known markers, there are approximately 30 unmarked graves and/or sunken graves.

Parker Murders:
The unknown graves of Pleasant L. Parker, his son, Daniel Parker, Willis Parker and William Shelton are here. These men were murdered by a lynch mob and placed in unmarked graves because it was feared their bodies would be desecrated or moved if they were found.

The 4 men were accused of shooting and injuring J.M. Bullock and killing his son, Peter Bullock over a land dispute and inheritance. The 4 men, believing in their innocence, turned themselves in to authorities. An eyewitness, Alex Parker, would later tell authorities that the men didn't kill Peter Bullock.

On May 13, 1870, a mob estimated between between 30 and 70 men, forced the jailer to turn over the 4 men. The mob took them to the forks of Manchester Street and McWhorter Roads and hanged them. The location of the hanging is on the east side of the East 4th Street and McWhorter Roads, where a hardware store was later built and stood for years.