THIS IS A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY of all those who were buried in the now destroyed Baird Cemetery.

The original Baird Cemetery was established on land owned by John Baird in Milan, Gibson County, Tennessee. John Baird died in 1851, and was buried on his land. John's son, Charles Gould Baird, inherited the land that included the cemetery. In his will dated May 17, 1860, Charles Gould Baird bequeathed to his wife Nancy (Hayns) Baird . . . "all my real estate that I may die seized and possessed of except one acre of land containing the grave of my father, which shall be reserved for a burial ground of my family connection."

Another land deed for a later sale dated March 26, 1908, gave the legal description followed by this exception, ". . . the land known as 'the old Baird Graveyard' . . . will be used perpetually for grave yard purposes and none other."

By the 1960's land development for this prime farm land eventually led to the destruction of the family cemetery which had become overgrown and choked with weeds and trees. But the old stones were still standing. Reportedly, at one time, there were about 40 gravestones in the cemetery.

The land was sold and divided, subdivided and developed. The cemetery destruction began with the building of a swimming pool. It was finished off when other houses were built on the cemetery land. The old stones were pulled up and tossed aside.

In 1978, after an attempt was made by some of the local Baird heirs to halt the destruction, the remaining few stones listed here were moved to their present location in the Oakwood Cemetery in Milan, Gibson County, Tennessee.

John Baird and Sarah, his 2nd wife, were buried on their land and the one-acre plot was designated as the Baird Cemetery. This old Baird Cemetery was completely destroyed in the 1970's. However, all the memorial Tombstones were relocated to their present location in Oakwood Cemetery, in Milan, TN. LW