Elmwood, The East Selma Grave Yard

In 1854 the City of Selma purchased a large section of land On the east side of town for the East Selma Graveyard now known as Elmwood Cemetery. Part of the cemetery property is on the previous site of the Selma Race Course. In 1865 Selma’s Jewish community purchased land adjoining the north side for their cemetery.

Elmwood Cemetery is bounded on the west by Race Street and on the north by Medley Street. It runs south along Race Street to just beyond the junction with Shelly Street. The east and south boundaries adjoin private property. Anne Cooper Street separates the Jewish section on the north end from the main body of the cemetery.

In 1860 several black people died of small pox and were among the first buried. In the spring of 1864 the largest number of Confederate soldiers killed in Selma were buried there but today no Confederate markers are to be found. Since around 1900 it has been mostly used by the black or African American community.

Presently the cemetery is kept in immaculate condition by the City of Selma but it has obviously gone through long periods of neglect. In the older section there are several bordered family areas having no markers. Also in the older section there are large spaces with no markers or borders at all except a few that are broken, strewn and overturned.

Many of the older markers are made of concrete and have eroded to the point that they cannot be interpreted. Most of the legible markers were placed after 1900.

The Jewish section has also gone through long periods of neglect. Most of the remaining markers are circa 1890.



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