Tripp Cemetery
This old abandoned cemetery is located about 2 ½ miles Northeast of Lawrenceburg on Gimlet Road in the pasture of the Niedergeses farm. When traveling east from Lawrenceburg on Highway 64, after passing the stoplight at Springer Road, go down a big hill and up the next hill. Just after that, McLean Creek crosses the Highway. Gimlet Road is the next road to your left. Follow the road to just past the first curve and turn left onto Beuerlein Road. You will cross a creek, then go between two houses. Just a short piece past this you will see a cemetery on the right side of the road on a small rise. This is the McLean Cemetery. At this point, you will have to park on the side of the road and walk past the McLean Cemetery to the Tripp Cemetery beyond. The Tripp Cemetery is located about ¼ of a mile east on top of a small hill in the woods. It appears to have once been a fairly large cemetery, covering possibly half and acre. Most stones are either nonexistent at this time or broken and unreadable. Cows have grazed through the cemetery in the past and still do.
When the W. P. A. did their survey in 1936 for the Historical Records Project, it was surrounded by an old rail fence, and there were eight other graves in the cemetery marked with fieldstones. On 20 October 1936, Martha Potts and Dexter House gave the information on the three graves.
Peter Counts, born 15 March 1791, died 21 July 1868
(NOTE: Peter Counce is also listed as being buried in the Counce
Family Cemetery, but the directions would bring you to the same place. There are
no other stones listed as being in the Counce Cemetery, leading me to believe
that the stone of Peter Counce was found, the other stones were covered by
brush, etc. at the time, so someone mistook this for the Counce Cemetery)
James and D. T. Wasrop, born 1861, died 1863 (NOTE: This was misread and is actually Harlan according to 1967 info.)
Claudy Ann Wilkerson, born 18 October 1869, died 20 April 1871
When the "At Rest" Cemetery Records of Lawrence County, Tennessee was compiled by Irene McBane Alexander and Carrie Hardwick Gresham 5 November, 1967, the information below was found on stones that were readable at the time.
Peter Counts, born March 15, 1791, died 21 July 1868, 77 years, 4 months, 6 days
James T. D. T. Harlan, born 20 April 1861, died 20 March 1863
Mary E. D. (?) Harlan with only one date on her stone – the 10th 1823 or 1828. The date was very hard to read and the D. was turned backwards on the stone.
Claudy Ann Wilkerson, daughter of J. W. & M. L., born 19 October 1869, died 30 April 1871
One footstone with M. E. and one headstone with M. E. B. (?) were also found.
Doyce Shaddix visited this cemetery in 2008 and found the graves below still with readable markers, although most were on the ground. There were possibly some smaller stones with dates. There were a couple of concrete stones a few feet back that could have been markers with no names or it could have been something else. The exact boundaries of the cemetery could not be determined. There might have been a couple of tombstones behind the trees to the left.
Looking to the left, when getting closer to the cemetery, there are three white oak trees. Just to the right of the largest one, third from left, slightly back behind it is the Peter Count headstone lying on the ground.
Peter Counts, born March 15, 1791, died 21 July 1868, aged 77 years, 4 months, 6 days
To the far right, in the foreground, is the Claudy Ann Wilkerson headstone lying broken on the ground.
Claudy Ann Wilkerson, daughter of J. W. & M. L., born 19 October 1869, died 30 April 1871