Burton Ford Homeplace

Crittenden County, like all other counties, have old  homestead houses sitting empty and deteriorating with time.  As time goes on these old homes are fast disappearing from the landscapes.  Some people may see them as an eye-sores to the area, but I see them as someones  home where they lived, raised a family, worked hard for a living off the land, and was a part of our past history.   

This is the old home place of Burton and Cynthia Ford.  It is located about 7 miles from Marion off of the Fords Ferry Rd.  It is on the right as you turn on to Pickering Hill Road.  The small family cemetery is located just to the right of the home.  (Picture made April 2010)

Burton bought this land in 1867, from the Williams family, and the family lived here until 1893 when  Burton died.  Cynthia returned to Caldwell Co. to live with a married daughter.  Burton is buried at the home place and Cynthia is buried at Bethlehem Cemetery near Crider in Caldwell Co.  The land today is still in possession of descendants of Burton and Cynthia. 

The family cemetery is located very close to the house.  Although there are only 4 engraved markers, and 3 sandstones visible, it is known that several more are buried there without markers.

Burton's obituary dated Nov. 23, 1893 reads.  Mr. Burton Ford, one of the old and well known citizens of the county died at his home 7 miles north of Marion Thursday, Nov. 16th.  Thursday morning he was up as usual but complained of feeling unwell, later in the day he grew worse, but it was not thought that he was very ill.  Suddenly he grew worse and died in a few moments.  It is supposed that he died of heart disease.  He was in his 87th year; about 1865 he moved from Caldwell Co. to the farm upon which he died.  Burton has a marked stone.

Others buried there without markers:  

• Gale Ford, an old and respected citizen of the Fords Ferry neighborhood, died Friday night after a few day of illness of pneumonia. Born Jan. 14, 1832,  Died Nov. 8, 1901, son of Burton and Cynthia.
• Mrs. Mary Ford, Born Oct. 14, 1876. Mrs. Mary Ford of the Crooked Creek section died Monday, March 14, 1926.  She was 45 years of age and was the daughter of Levi an Isabel Gass Brown.  Besides her husband, James Mansfield Ford, she is survived by one son, Oliver, who is ten years old.
• James Mansfield Ford, 75, died at his home near the foot of Pickering Hill on the old Fords Ferry Road, Aug. 23, 1943, after being in failing health for some time.  For many years he had resided in this county and in the spot where he died.  Interment in the Ford Family Cemetery.
• Mrs. Lucy Ford, departed this life Saturday, Sept. 29th, 1906.  Mrs. Ford was a good Christian woman and leaves a family of four sons and two daughters to mourn their loss.  Her funeral was preached at the residence  and she was laid to rest at the family graveyard.
• Joseph Ford, born abt. 1881 and died about 1906 and Ross Ford, born about 1887 and died about 1903-04, both of typhoid fever.  Sons of Gale and Lucy Harrold Ford.  (information from Glen Leslie, a cousin of mine that I haven't heard from in many years.)