The Black Pioneer Cemetery is a one-acre burial ground situated between the Euharlee Presbyterian and Euharlee Baptist Churches. This sacred space served as the final resting place for enslaved individuals in Euharlee prior to the Civil War and for African American residents of the area through the early 1900s. Most graves were originally unmarked, and by the 1990s, the cemetery had become overgrown and largely forgotten.

In the late 1990s, the Euharlee Historical Society, the Etowah Valley Historical Society, and the City of Euharlee began the important work of reclaiming and documenting the cemetery. Carl Etheridge, a member of EVHS, conducted a thorough investigation using dowsing rods and probes to identify the locations of over 300 graves.

Of the 333 known burials, only two individuals were identified by name: Jim Scott, a local man, and Het Powell, a freedwoman and midwife. In August 2002, a permanent marker was installed to honor all those laid to rest in the cemetery. In 2007, Eagle Scout John Daniels and his troop placed wooden crosses at each grave as a gesture of remembrance and respect.

The memorial that stands today originally listed Het Powell’s year of death as 1890. However, through continued historical research—including census records—we now know that Het was alive as late as 1920, living with her daughter. Further investigation has revealed that Het was not buried in the Black Pioneer Cemetery, but instead with her family in the Drummond Hill (Goode Family) Cemetery, located nearby.

This correction illustrates the vital importance of ongoing research. Although Het is not buried here, her legacy remains significant—she serves as a powerful symbol for the many unnamed individuals interred both here and at Drummond Hill.

Today, research continues through the transcription of historical church minutes from Euharlee Presbyterian Church, which include the names of enslaved individuals who once worshipped there. Each name recovered brings us one step closer to honoring the full humanity of those buried in these sacred spaces and ensuring that they are nameless no more.