News stories published January 16, 2014 reported that construction workers building a new parking garage on South Broadway in Tyler, Smith Co, Tx uncovered a monument with the name William T. Son of C. T. & J. E. Swinney, Born Aug 8, 1883, Died Oct 30, 1883.

Historical records show that a marble company used to be located at this site in the 2nd block south of the Smith County Courthouse. No grave was found.

C. T. Swinney was Charles Thomas Swinney born Sept 1864 according to census records.

J. E. Swinney was Josephine "Josie" Elizabeth Sanders born Aug 1866 although she appears on several census records as Josephine or Josie Saunders. Her death certificate has not been located.

Charles and Josie married 03 Apr 1882 in Smith Co. He was 19 and she was 17. It is believed that William was their first child. No death certificate has been located and his burial location is unknown.

Charles and Josie are buried in Linden Cemetery #1, Linden, Cass County, Texas.

Note: It is not known for certain that William was buried in Bascom Cemetery East. However, in a news story published in the Tyler Morning Telegraph on March 31, 2014 William's headstone has been returned to family members who have stated they plan to place the headstone near the tombstone of his grandfather Thomas Troup Swinney [FindAGrave # 30904355] who was buried in Bascom Cemetery East in 1896 according to the enumeration for this cemetery although the year of death on the picture of the tombstone appears to be 1890.

Also according to the 1910 Census Charles Swinney and his family lived in "Swinneytown" located east of Chapel Hill toward Arp past Lake Tyler East probably on Swinney Rd [CR 230]. The Census also indicates that Charles and Josephine [Josie] had been married about 28 years with 11 children with only 10 living. Seven of those children lived in the home of Charles and Josie and it appears the three oldest had married and lived nearby.

Sometime after 1910 but before 1918 Charles and Josie had moved to Cass County. The 1920 Census has Josie, a widow, living with several children in JP Precinct 4, Cass County. Charles died in 1918 and is buried in Cass Co.
Based on these census records it is very likely that William is indeed buried in an unmarked grave in Bascom Cemetery East near his grandfather.

On April 17, 2014 I observed what I believe to be an unmarked grave on the south side of Thomas Swinney's graveside. I dowsed this grave site and obtained a positive reading for a male child. This may be the burial location of Thomas' grandson William T. Swinney who died in 1893. On the north side of Mr. Swinney's grave I also obtained a positive reading for an adult female in an unmarked grave. This is probably Caroline's grave. She died in 1915.