Beard Cemetery, Midway

Surveyed December 26, 2008 by Angela Cassidy and Donna Warlick.

Directions: From Tallahassee, go west on U. S. Hwy. 90 and cross the Ochlockonee River (Gadsden
County Line). Continue one mile and turn right onto a paved street that leads to a fairly new liquor store and
Best Western Inn. Go past the motel and take a right into a paved cul-de-sac. Drive straight through the
cul-de-sac and onto a dirt track road. Stay left and enter the tree line. Stay left at the fork, finally winding
right and come upon a chain link fence with no name on it.

From Quincy, go east on U. S. Hwy. 90 and pass Midway, Interstate 10, and the Pilot Truck Stop. Just
after the Pilot is the paved street to the liquor store and Best Western Inn. It does not have a name yet. Turn
left (north) onto the street.

Map to cemetery from U. S. Hwy. 90.

This is a white cemetery, with all families being from the Midway area. It is near the site of the old (gone now)
brickyard owned by the Davis family. There are 3 sections to this cemetery, with the Beards in one, the Davis family
in another, and everyone else in the largest section. The Lawrence family has a gated section within the large section.
Some census records on these people have been provided by Barbara Boynton and Angela Cassidy in the following
paragraphs.

1910 U.S. Census-Gadsden County
Beard, William A., head of household, White, Male, age 57, Marriage #2, Married 32 yrs, Occupation-Farmer
Self born FL, Father born GA, Mother born GA
Beard, Ida E., wife, White, Female, age 47, Marriage #1, Married 32 yrs, mother of 8, 6 living
Self born FL, Father born FL, Mother born FL
Beard, Loula, dau, White, Female, age 23, Single, born FL
Beard, Alex W., son, White, Male, age 19, Single, born FL
Beard, Ora V., dau, White, Female, age 16, Single, born FL
Beard, Lillian, dau, White, Female, age 7, born FL

1930 U.S. Census-Gadsden County, Midway
Beard, Wiliam, head of household, White, Male, age 76, age at first marriage 24
Self born GA, Father born Ireland, Mother born Scotland (notice discrepancies since 1910)
(This is William Beard b. 12-19-1853, d. 1940 "Father" on grave)
Beard, Ida, wife, White, Female, age 67, age at first marriage 15
Self born FL, Father born FL, mother born FL
(This is Ida., b. March 28, 1863 d. Feb 15, 1934, Mother on grave.)
Austin, Mary, dau, White, Female, age 40, b. 1890, divorced, age at first marriage 20, born FL
(This is Mary Beard Austin, b. Nov 13, 1885 d. Feb 7, 1961 on grave.)
[Woodrow Austin, buried in the small section with the Beards, is presumed to be Mary Beard Austin's son, but
since he was born in 1914 and died in 1918, he does not show up on a census.
Hale, Ora, dau, White, Female, age 33, widow, age at first marriage 23, born FL
(This is Ora Hale, b. Dec 29, 1896 d. May 1, 1974 on grave.)

1930 U. S. Census, Gadsden County-Midway
Eugene, Jr., age 11, son, in household of Eugene and Mary P. Davis
(This is Dr. Eugene M. Davis, b. April 20, 1919 d. March 19, 1993, on grave.)

1900 U. S. Census, Gadsden County
Harris, Andrew, Head of household, White, Male, age 63, born Feb.1837
Self born NC, Father born NC, Mother born NC
(This is Andrew J. Harris, Co. G. 2nd Fla Inf CSA, on grave.)
Harris, Sarah, wife, White, Female, born Feb. 1851, married 31 yrs., mother of 3, 3 living
Self born FL, Father born VA, Mother born SC
Harris, Joseph J., son, White, Male, age 24, widower, born Sep. 1875, in FL
(This is Joseph J. Harris, b. Sept 29, 1875 d. Apr 3, 1943, whose 2nd wife was Mamie Matthews Harris)
Harris, Frederick M., son, White, Male, age 22, Single, born July 1877 in FL

1920 U. S. Census, Gadsden County-District 61, Mt. Pleasant
Matthews, Mamie, Head of Household, White, Female, Widow, age 44
(This is Mamie Matthews Harris, 2nd wife of Joseph J. Harris.)
Matthews, Viola, dau, age 16
Minnie, dau, age 12
Corbit, son, age 4

1900 U. S. Census, Gadsden County
Harris, James, head of household, White, Male age 38, born July 1861, married 11 years, Occupation-Farmer
Self born FL, Father born GA, Mother born GA
(This is James M. Harris, b. July 22, 1861 d. June 21, 1945, Father on grave.)
Harris, Frances L., wife, White, Female, age 28, b. Feb. 1872, married 11 yrs, mother of 4, 3 living
Self born FL, Father born FL, Mother born FL
(This is Frances L. Harris, b. Feb. 9, 1872 d. Apr. 23, 1963, Mother on grave.)
Harris, Fannie L., dau, age 7, b. 9-1892
Harris, Mattie A., dau, age 4, b. 10-1895
Harris, William J., son, age 1, b. 10-1898
Note: 3 small markers with no text by this woman, possibly the above children.

1880 U. S. Census, Gadsden County, Prec. 5
Lawrence, Weeks, head of household, age 32, Occupation-farmer
Self born FL, Father born Maine, Mother born Unknown
Lawrence, Mary, wife, age 33, Self born FL, Father born FL, Mother born FL
Lawrence, Mary, dau, age 5, born FL
Lawrence, Electes(?), dau, age 2, born FL

A search of census records from 1900 through 1930 in Gadsden County did not reveal any of the others in the cemetery.

Cemetery Sign: Private Keep Out. This is the entrance to the largest section.
Landscape View showing Harris in foreground and Lawrence in background.
Landscape View showing right side of large section.
Davis section of the cemetery with its own fence
Gate to the Beard section of the cemetery
View of Beard Section, covered in undergrowth and downed limbs
View of Main Section with Harris, Norwood, Lawrence, Shelfer graves