William Archibald Maherg was born to Archibald & Rebecca Bolt (Rebecca's maiden name has been disputed). William married Katherine "Kitty" Favor on January 10, 1826 in Ashville, St. Clair Co., AL. This is were his parents lived. He and his family moved to Coosa Co., AL and was probably the first recorded resident in Marble Valley about 1824. This was before the Creek Indians had been removed. There were other families such as John Looney who settled in Coosa County in 1836, John B. Blankenship who settled in Weogufka in 1836 after having moved there from Shelby Co., The Thomas White and Hosey families arrived there about 1836. Other families moved into Weogufka in the mid to late 1830's from the Cherokee lands of South Georgia.

William and Kitty gave birth to twelve known children. They included: Cleopatra Patricia b. 1/22/1827; James Shackleford b. 8/7/1828; Griselda Catherine b. 7/7/1830; Susan Turner b. 8/8/1831; William Malcolm b. 8/20/1834; Rebecca (Rebekah) b. 7/14/1836; Willis "Archibald" b. 10/15/1838; Lucinda "Elizabeth" b. 11/22/1840; Chelona V. (Chelona's middle name was probably Viola) b. 6/4/1843; Julia b. 8/13/1845; Mary Frances b. 1/13/1848 and John Alex b. 4/14/1850.

According to Brewer's History, Vol I/96, he served on the Coosa County Road Commission in 1836.

The earliest census records show that the William Maherg family were in the Jordans Pct, Coosa Co., AL in 1840; the Hatchet Creek Dist. in Coosa Co. on 11/18/1850 and in the Mt. Olive Dist. of Coosa Co. on 12/10/1860. The 1850 census is shown below.

1850 Coosa Co., AL Census, Hatchet Creek District
HH 359, Ln 16-27, 18 Nov 1850, p. 56
Mahurg, William, Head, VRE: $400, 55, M, Farmer, born SC; Citty (Favor), 47, F, born GA; (3) Griselda, 20, F, born AL; (4) Susan, 18, F, born AL; (5) William, 16, M, Farmer, born AL; (6) Rebecca, 14, F, born AL, attending school; (7) Willis, 12, M, born AL; (8) Lucinda, 9, F, born AL; (9) Chelona, 7, M, born AL; (10) Julia, 6; F, born AL; (11) Francis, 3, F, born AL; (12) John, 1, M, born AL
(1) Cleopatra married John Garrison Hosey 5/16/1844 in Rockford, Coosa Co., AL and (2) James Shackleford married Judith Hosey 9/30/1850 in Fayetteville, Talladega Co., AL.

1860 Coosa Co., AL Census, 2nd Subdivision (Mt. Olive), HH 757
Mehearg, Wm., Head, 64, SC; Kidy, Wife, 54, AL; (7) Archable, Son, 21, AL; (9) Chelona, Dau., 13, AL; (10) Julia, Dau., 12, AL; (11) Frances, Dau., 10, AL; (12) John, Son, 8, AL
(3) Griselda married John Jefferson Casey 8/16/1852 in Coosa Co.; (4) Susan Turner married Jonathan Hawkins Hosey 2/20/1855 in Coosa Co.; (5) William Malcolm married Mary Ann Robinson 5/25/1856 in Coosa Co.; (6) Rebecca married Sanford Roberson 8/9/1855 in Coosa Co.; and (8) Lucinda Elizabeth married David C. Honeycutt 1/6/1860 in Coosa Co.

William Maherg chose the site and donated a portion of his land for the cemetery. It would just so happen that he would be the first to be buried there. Holly Springs Baptist Church would later be built on the land as well. This cemetery was developed by his family in the Hatchet Creek District of Coosa County, Alabama, also known as Holly Spring.