Rogers Family African American Graveyard (Fox Chase)

Rogers Family African American Graveyard ( was Unnamed Cemetery (Fox Chase)) - Location: 4911 Hickory Hollow Drive (N 38 2.9419 W 85 41.3340); Elevation: 516 feet; Date Visited: 5/17/2008; Available Pictures= 4 [Cem #250]

Directions: Take Highway 61 North about 5 miles and turn left onto West Hebron Lane (1526) go less than a mile and turn left on to Fox Chase Drive. Then turn left onto Hickory Hollow Drive and then turn left again into the driveway for 4911 Hickory Hollow Drive. The cemetery will be in the left side of the front yard of the house.

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History:

John T. Rogers Sr. was born about 1804 in Culpepper, Virginia and came to Kentucky before 1850. In 1850 John and his family were living in Franklin County, Kentucky. At that time, according to the 1850 Census, John owned 12 slaves, both male and female, ranging in ages from 9 to 35 years. On May 12, 1852, John bought 400 acres of land from John Anderson in Bullitt County where he and his wife and their two children, Lewis and John Jr., came to live.(Bullitt County, Kentucky Deed Book M:286&287) In 1852, 1853, and 1854 John had 3 adult slaves die of typhoid fever according to Bullitt County death records. The first slave named Joe, age 22 years, died on September 22, 1852. I believe this was the start of this slave cemetery. According to the 1860 census John had 14 slaves, both male and female, ranging in ages from 3 to 60. His son, Lewis, had 3 slaves and his youngest son, John Jr., had 1 slave. John Sr. passed away sometime between 1860 and 1870 and the land and slaves passed to his two sons. Lewis passed away in August of 1876 leaving his entire estate to his brother John. (Bullitt County, Kentucky Will Book J: 8) John Jr. died September 1886 and according to his last will and testament he left his estate to his wife, Susan Phillips Rogers, and his daughter, Lillian Rogers. (Bullitt County, Kentucky Will Book J: 103) Susan would go on to live another 42 years and die at the ripe old age of 90 on February 23, 1929. Susan would be buried with her husband at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. Susan Phillips Rogers leaves her estate to her daughter, Lillian Rogers Netherland, and her granddaughter, Lillian Netherland. (Bullitt County, Kentucky Will Book K: 130) The land was still in family hands and would be so for another 45 years. The land would change hands yet again after the death of Lillian Rogers Netherland on April 5, 1953. Lillian Rogers Netherland leaves her estate to her daughter Lillian Netherland Chase. (Bullitt County, Kentucky Will Book L: 342) In August 19, 1974, the land would finally leave the family hands. Lillian Netherland Chase, the great granddaughter of John T. Rogers Jr., sold 239 acres of her land to Leigh & Meredith Reality Company for $188, 574.37. This land was to be developed to what would become Fox Chase Subdivision. (Bullitt County, Kentucky Deed Book 180:194) Leigh & Meredith Reality Company then sold the land to H.B.M. Inc. on July 2, 1982. (Bullitt County, Kentucky Deed Book 251:421) The lot the cemetery sets on was called lot 5 after the property had been divided for development.

H.B.M. Inc was owned by Harold Meredith. Harold discovered that on Lot 5 there was a cemetery and he believed this to be an abandoned slave cemetery. So, Harold went to the Bullitt County Fiscal Court and asked for permission to have the cemetery moved so that lot 5 could be developed. What follows is a timeline showing the results of his action:

July 15, 1986 - Walter Sholar, lawyer for Harold Meredith, presented a request to the Bullitt County Fiscal Court to relocate an abandoned cemetery on Lot 5, Fox Chase Subdivision. Source: Fiscal Court Order Book 021: Pages 583-588

July 21, 1986 - Bullitt County Fiscal Court passed Resolution 86-11 giving Harold Meredith permission to relocate an abandoned cemetery on Lot 5, Fox Chase Subdivision. Source: Fiscal Court Order Book 021: Pages 589-593

July 23, 1986 - Pioneer News Reports on relocation of abandoned cemetery

September 1986 - Bullitt County Magistrate R.L. Carter asks Bullitt County Fiscal Court to reconsider its action on Resolution 86-11, the relocation of an abandoned cemetery on Lot 5, Fox Chase Subdivision. He states the report presented by Walter Sholar on behalf of Harold Meredith was erroneous. No action was taken at that time. Source: Fiscal Court Order Book 022: Page 15

September 9, 1986 - Bullitt County Judge/Executive Haley presents a petition from the Fox Chase Mayor and City Councilman to prevent the removal and relocation of an abandoned cemetery on Lot 5, Fox Chase Subdivision. Source: Fiscal Court Order Book 022: Page 30

September 17, 1986 - Pioneer News reports that relatives and city officials oppose moving an old cemetery referring to an abandoned cemetery on Lot 5, Fox Chase Subdivision.

September - October 1986 - Bullitt County Judge/Executive Haley informed the court, due to sickness, the relocation of an abandoned cemetery on Lot 5, Fox Chase Subdivision will be set aside until October 20, 1986 at 9:30. Source: Fiscal Court Order Book 022: Page 85

October 20, 1986 - The relocation of the abandoned cemetery on Lot 5, Fox Chase Subdivision is set aside. Source: Fiscal Court Order Book 022: Page 112

What Harold Meredith didn't know was that the cemetery was not abandoned and that it had been used as recently as 1964. An African American family had been using this cemetery. This family was the Sloan family. Charles Ayers was the great grandson of Aaron and Sallie Sloan who, according to Charles and Bullitt County Death records, were buried in this cemetery. Charles and his family, friends and residents of Fox Chase Subdivision signed a petition to prevent the removal of this cemetery and Bullitt County Fiscal Court agreed and the cemetery was not moved and is still there today.

Eddie Raymer and his wife, Rita, live next door to the cemetery and are just two of the many residents who signed the petition to save the cemetery. On February 21, 1997, Eddie and his wife bought lot 5 from H.B.M. Inc. (Bullitt County, Kentucky Deed Book 436:776) According to Eddie's sister, Eddie did this to protect the cemetery.

In summary, I believe this cemetery is about 157 years old. I believe that it started as a slave burying ground and that descendants of those slaves continued to use the cemetery after slavery ended. In researching this cemetery and reviewing the many Bullitt County death records you have to be aware of the ownership changes of the property in order to determine who is buried where. The earliest death records for burials in this cemetery indicate that the deceased was buried on the Rogers Farm. Then you find some later records indicate that the deceased was buried at the Netherland Cemetery and finally the latest burial records indicate the Chase Farm. If you will look at the ownership of this property that is laid out above, you will see that when the land changed hands the name of the cemetery changed.

According to Walter Sholar and Harold Meredith there are 35 graves and some sunken areas. The Bullitt County Genealogical Society Cemetery Committee visited this cemetery on May 17, 2008, and found 17 field stones and no noticeable sunken areas. The cemetery is a well mown lawn and the field stones are flat in the ground so that the cemetery is easy to mow.

I talked with Charles Ayers on January 17, 2009, by phone and he indicated that his great grandparents whose names he could not remember were buried in this cemetery. He also indicated that his uncle, Jesse Samuels, was buried in this cemetery. Through research of the available records I have put together the following list of those we believe are buried in this cemetery. There are still many we have not been able to identify.

Burials:

Note: According to Bernie Brown who lived next to this cemetery for 25 years there was a funeral home marker and at least two tombstones in this cemetery. They have since been removed.

Joe
Age: 22
Birth Place: Woodford County, Kentucky
Owner of Slave: John T. Rogers
Dated of Death: September 22, 1852
Place of Death: Bullitt County, Kentucky
Cause of Death: Typhoid Fever

Carter
Age: 20
Owner of Slave: John T. Rogers
Dated of Death: August 20, 1853
Place of Death: Bullitt County, Kentucky
Cause of Death: Typhoid Fever

Gabriel
Owner of Slave: John T. Rogers
Dated of Death: July 1854
Place of Death: Bullitt County, Kentucky
Cause of Death: Typhoid Fever

Aaron Sloan
B. November 1826
D: January 11, 1911
Burial Place: John Rogers Farm

Note: I believe that Aaron's wife Harriet is most likely buried here as well but I have no death record at this time to prove it.

Aaron Bond Sloan
B: June 1860
D: February 12, 1943
Burial Place: Netherlands Cemetery

Sallie Tilford Sloan
B: November 15, 1864
D: July 4, 1944
Burial Place: Colored Cemetery on Rogers Farm

Miles Sanders Sloan
B: May 1899
D: October 15, 1945
Burial Place: Bullitt County Cemetery
Note: Miles is the son of Aaron and Sallie and I believe that he is buried in this cemetery even though his death certificate was not specific.

Jesse Samuels
B: June 23, 1913
D: September 30, 1964
Burial Place: On Chase Farm
Note: Jesse Samuels was the chauffeur for the Chase Family who owned the farm where Jesse was buried.