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Smith Cemetery, 72-2 Summary Report, page 13
to this area. When Hughy died on April 30, 1857, perhaps his descendants who remained in the area were more concerned about current events and other issues, so they saved money by not providing such an elaborate burial for Hughy. It is also possible that an elaborate grave covering was provided for him at his death, but after the Civil War, perhaps the freed former slaves destroyed the grave markings of the former master - especially if he had been a particularly cruel master. Hughy had over 40 slaves at the time of the 1840 census, and it is thought that the northernmost of the two cemeteries was used for the slaves, since there are no markers in that cemetery.
Additional conjecture would indicate that the master's plantation house would most likely have been near the Whitesburg - Triana Road that passes just south of the cemetery. That portion of the road today is part of Buxton Road on the arsenal. The house, if it was indeed near the cemetery (which would have been the normal practice) could well have been about 150 yards west of the cemetery, where the land rises a bit. That location would have provided a good view of the landscape and an overview of the road, just to the east of where the old Leeman Ferry Road turned south from the Whitesburg - Triana Road to reach the river. Such a view would have enabled the Smith family to see the travelers who crossed the river at Leeman's Ferry and journeyed to Huntsville from there.
The 1860 census showed Stanhope C. Smith (son of Hughy) living alone at age 24. He was listed on page 16 in the Madison Station Post Office area, living close to Burrel & Betsy Jacobs, who are known to have been living on arsenal land near the old Smith Plantation. Stanhope had also been shown as age 24 in the 1850 census, while still living in the household headed by his father Hughy.
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