Little Cypress Creek Cemetery

Beebe, Arkansas

Sam Holloway’s hoe rests on a grave marker.

This Cemetery is also known as: None known.

Legal description:

SE, NW, N, Sect. 3, T5N, R10W

GPS Location: Unknown

Arkansas Archeological Survey site #: Unknown.

Number of Marked Graves: None

Number of Unmarked Graves: Unknown

Photo by Scott Akridge



The last complete survey of this cemetery was: March 2004. By Sam Holloway.

Current status of cemetery: This cemetery is no longer in use.

Point of contact for cemetery. No known contact person.

This pioneer cemetery was reported to the White County Historical Society in March 2004 by Society member Sam Holloway of El

Paso. His report was particularly exciting to the WCHS because the graveyard apparently dates to the early 1800s and is very

close to the area where the Royall Colony of early settlers is believed to have existed. Early reports tell of a "Royal Cemetery" but

its location has been lost. Following is Holloway’s report:

"This cemetery is on a farm owned by Jimmy Austin approximately 1 ½ miles off Highway 64, nine miles west of Beebe… Mr.

Austin bought this land in 1971 and was told of the cemetery by a Mr. Finley. Mr. Austin found the cemetery (consisting of) 20 to 25

graves. All were marked with rocks (or) bricks.

"Approximately three-quarters of a mile south of this cemetery was a school and church with about 20 to 25 houses with families

who lived between Little Cypress Creek and Big Cypress Creek. This was known as Bugscuffle. Preacher Fleming owned the two

acres (where) the church and school were built. The name of the church was Church of God in Prophecy. Mrs. Higgins was the last

known schoolteacher at the school. The two acres of land are still in the Fleming family.

"Approximately three-quarters of a mile north of the cemetery was a small settlement called Royal Colony. They had a post office.

The postmasters were David Thornton from November 9, 1854, until October 27, 1857, then James Temples until (the post office)

was discontinued July 9, 1866.

"The 1819 survey map shows part of a road going past this cemetery called Little Rock Ferry Road. This road was probably called

the Batesville Road years later. This road came over Bull and Cadron mountains going south by the Royal Colony, the Cemetery

Bugscuffle and crossed Big Cypress Creek into Lonoke County. This road ran by the Sixteenth Section Church and Cemetery and

crossed the Buffalo trail or Lewisburg Road. It continued on south to the Magness Academy then turned west to Little Rock.

"I talked to James ‘Dude’ Colbert on 1-14-04 of Naylor, Arkansas, who was born one mile north of this cemetery on Gravel Road 60

which is now Highway 64. Mr. Colbert is 92 years old and he stated they always thought this cemetery was a black cemetery. He

said it was an old cemetery when he was a young boy. He further stated that he had never seen a tombstone in the cemetery. It

had rocks and bricks for markers. As a young boy he remembered 30 or more graves in this cemetery."

Another White County Historical Society member, Scott Akridge of Bradford, who is an archeologist, visited the site with Holloway

August 27, 2004. He called the graveyard "Little Cypress Creek Cemetery." He filed the following report: "I can confirm that it

appears the cemetery is only yards away from the Southwest Trail/Old Military Road which passed east of the cemetery. I did see

four hand-made bricks planted upright being used as grave markers. Another dozen or so had rocks marking graves. There were no



tombstones. Only a couple of graves were slightly sunken. The cemetery is on a very slight knoll on the north side of Little Cypress

Creek. Visibly, there are 15 to 20 graves here in about four rows but the knoll is not large enough to hold more than 30 graves. It

appears to be nineteenth century and the possibility exists that it is early nineteenth century."

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 are unknown.

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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 on

the square in Searcy. WCHS P. O. Box 537 Searcy, Ark. 72145.

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

(Obit)-means that the Historical Society has, or has access to the Obituary for this person.