Taylor Graveyard restoration celebrated in ceremony

Celebrating the heroes of Lawrence County’s past was the order of the day on Saturday, March 15, at Taylor Graveyard, northeast of Mt Vernon. Alexander McNair Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated their work in restoring Taylor Graveyard with a ceremony including several chapters of DAR, the Ozark Mountain and Ariel Nims chapters of Sons of the American Revolution, and special guests were approximately 15 descendants of Thomas Hash, Revolutionary War ancestor buried in Taylor Cemetery.
Thomas Hash was born Feb 13, 1756, in Virginia.  He fought in the Revolutionary War in Enoch Osborne’s militia along with his father and one brother. After the death of his wife, he moved with his son Philip in the mid-1830s. He died on Christmas Day, 1848 and was buried in Taylor Graveyard. Philip’s son, named after his grandfather, Thomas, is prominently connected with the founding of Mt. Vernon. He went to Springfield as agent of the County Court to enter the 80 acres for the town site and for the contract to clear the virgin timber from the town square. The first addition to the town bears his name – Thomas Hash. Grandson Thomas is buried in the Mt. Vernon City Cemetery.
Alexander McNair celebrated the event with landowner, Brent Wilmoth, who supported their 3-year project to remove debris, locate and repair broken headstones, repair fences and grave markers. The celebration included performances by Adrianna Fine, singer from Branson, rifle salute by SAR, and ancestors celebrating their history. Regent, Maella Blalock, stated that “this was a hard project for our chapter but well worth it when you see the results. History needs to be remembered and definitely we need to celebrate those who sacrificed so much for what we enjoy today. It has been our honor to celebrate Lawrence County’s and America’s history today.”