About Lines Cemetery
Lines Cemetery, sometimes recorded historically as Line Cemetery, is a small but deeply significant burial ground in southern Faulkner County, Arkansas. Just off Scenic Hill and Round Mountain Roads, it sits on a gentle rise of land above Gold Creek — the same creek early settlers once forded on their way to new lives.
The cemetery is home to at least 34 marked graves, many from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and an unknown number of fieldstone-marked or unmarked burials. While the number may seem small, the history buried here is rich. These graves tell the story of early Arkansas families who built their lives near the now-vanished communities of Preston and Gold Creek.
A Cemetery with Deep Roots
The land was donated by Joseph W. Line and his mother, Charity Hendershott Line — part of a larger effort by the Line family to serve their growing community. Joseph’s homestead was near a creek crossing that came to be known as Line’s Ford. In fact, the very placement of the cemetery reflects thoughtful care: positioned on a ridge, safe from flooding, and easy to access from surrounding farms.
Many other early families are buried here as well — including the Adams, Barley, Goad, Higgs, Lind, Shira, and Tabor families. Some had already intermarried before moving to the area; others became connected through generations of life in this part of Arkansas.
Though the cemetery lies near Preston and Gold Creek, two historic African-American communities, its development appears to have been independent. Still, its proximity to these settlements adds further depth to the area's layered history.
The stones in Lines Cemetery are modest but meaningful. Most are simple tablets, but a few stand out with distinctive iconography:
Books – Often symbolizing a completed life or a heart open to God
Oak Leaves – Representing strength, endurance, and the Christian faith
Treestones – Resembling tree trunks; common among Woodmen of the World members
Upward Pointing Hands – Signifying the soul’s ascent to heaven
Masonic Symbols – Seen on the graves of Charles Adams, Walter Lyman Shira, and George W. Barley
The largest monument belongs to Lee Barley (1894–1917), whose Woodmen of the World marker features stacked logs, a lily, and a scroll.
Funeral Art & Symbolism
Faulkner County was established in 1873, with Conway becoming a central hub after the railroad arrived. But before that, early settlements like Cadron and ferry sites like Toad Suck were home to traders, trappers, and homesteaders.
Lines Cemetery’s burials reflect this settlement era. Nearly 80% of the known graves date before 1960 — with the earliest being three-year-old Nancy A. Shira in 1878. Her father, Walter Lyman Shira, and brother Marton are buried beside her. Their mother, Christiana Barley Shira, eventually left Arkansas and died in California.
Other notable family histories include:
George and Mahettibel Line Barley, who moved from Indiana in the 1880s and are buried here with several of their children.
Addison Shannon Lind, a Civil War veteran and community leader, who helped establish a local school and donated land for public use.
Millard F. Higgs and Bessie Viola Lind Higgs, part of a later generation who continued farming and family life in the area.
Historical Context
In 1977, the title to the cemetery was entrusted to trustees under the name “Lions Cemetery” (a clerical error that stuck for years). Richard Bell — a descendant of those buried here — later founded the Lines Cemetery Association in 2015 to help preserve the grounds and clarify its rightful name and history.
The cemetery is well cared for today, thanks to the efforts of families and community volunteers. Though some stones have been damaged or replaced, the site retains its original layout, and modern burials are rare. Visitors will still find fieldstones hinting at undocumented burials, offering a quiet reminder of the many lives woven into this land.
Preservation & Stewardship
Lines Cemetery is more than a resting place — it’s a record of community, migration, hardship, and resilience. It holds the stories of settlers, soldiers, parents, and children who helped shape southern Faulkner County.
In 2018, the cemetery was added to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places, recognized for its role in documenting local settlement patterns and family histories. It remains one of the few remaining physical links to the rural communities that once lined the banks of Gold Creek and Big Lake (now Lake Conway).
Significance
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