Cobbite Cemetery
Clay, Arkansas
There are no pictures of this cemetery available.
This Cemetery is also known as: None known.
GPS Location: Unknown
Arkansas Archeological Survey site #: Pending.
Number of Marked Graves: None
Number of Unmarked Graves: Unknown.
The last complete survey of this cemetery was: None made, Because the Exact location of this cemetery unknown.
Current status of cemetery: This cemetery is no longer being used
Point of contact for cemetery. No known contact person.
The Cobbites were a fanatical religious group involved in a murder in 1877 that led to their banishment and destruction of this
cemetery at Clay. They organized at Clay but later moved just south of Searcy. Here, they committed a murder and some of the
members were killed. Others returned to Clay and remained there until they could collect their membership, supplies and oxen,
then move to Missouri. They did not associate with the community, so they started their own cemetery about a half mile north of
the store at Clay.
When Cloie Presley of the White County Historical Society visited the site in 1996 the gravesites had "been destroyed and the only
name I have been able to learn is Katy Nelson, a retarded girl whose mother was a member of the group." Additional information
on the sensational story of the Cobbites may be found in the 1966 and 1972 editions of White County Heritage. (See "Heritage
Index" elsewhere on this web page.)
According to Mrs. Presley, whose husband Leister was raised at Clay, probably the first cemetery at Clay was just south of the
Baptist Church. "Some of the Caruthers family were buried there. Several years ago the stones were removed and used to build a
storm cellar and no sign of the graves remain." She also recorded that "Anthony Smith is buried in an unmarked grave on Sharp Hill
(between Dewey and Clay). This is the only grave there and is just out of the road ditch."
 cobbite
If you have corrections or additions to this list or other information on this Cemetery, Contact the White County Historical Society,
P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145. Or phone 501- 278- 5010
Following is a list of known burials in this cemetery.
The names of the persons buried in this cemetery is not known
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Legend: Copyright-Aug.23, 2016-Paul V. Isbell-Webmaster:
Most of the cemetery information listed was collected by Leroy “Lee” Blair Former member of the White
County Historical Society Board of Directors. Now working at the White County Historical Society office
If you have any additions or corrections to the burial listing please contact the Historical Society. Phone 501-
278-5010 or Email me at
lblblair74@gmail.com
or wchs1962@gmail.com
I will be posting more burials later. The Searcy Daily Citizen donated all their Micro Film and Ledgers dating
back to 1953. After reviewing them, if I find a death of a person that we do not have I will to add to the
cemetery listings.
There are some graves listed as unmarked that may have had a tombstone set since the listing was made.
I may have missed some graves when I prepared the listing. Some cemeteries are very hard to get an
accurate listing due to how some graves are scattered
The following Abbreviations are used in the listings
.
FM-Funeral home marker DS-Double tombstone TS-Triple tombstone
 cobbite
(Obit)-means that the Historical Society has, or has access to the Obituary for this person.