Freedom, Frye & Goshen Cemeteries
Mercer County, Missouri



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Goshen Cemetery Goshen Cemetery is located in Harrison Township near the western border of Mercer County (bordering Harrison County). From Princeton, go west on highway 136 to the intersection with state road (blacktop) "A". This intersection is the location of the old town of Goshen. Go on west on 136 to the first gravel road to the right (north) and go one-half mile north to the church and cemetery.

Although the Goshen Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in the area, it is still used for occasional burials and is in remarkable condition. Although there are sure to be burials in the older, eastern side of the cemetery that are no longer marked and some of the stones show normal weathering, the cemetery is beautifully kept and is a treasure of information on the early settlers of western Mercer and eastern Harrison Counties. Information indicates that the old, eastern part of the cemetery was once badly overgrown and neglected. Local residents and the Historical Society should be commended for their efforts in restoring and preserving this cemetery.

Signs near Goshen Church state:

"Historical Site: The Goshen Christian Church was the first church society in Mercer County, organized in 1840. In 1849, the members built the first church building made of hewed logs which was used till it was replaced in 1872. Among those buried in the large cemetery is James Parsons, first permanent settler, and John and Sarah (Mullins) Wolf, parents of the first white child born in Mercer County. The oldest marked grave is that of Sarah Jane Willis, dated Sep 28, 1842."

"The Goshen Cemetery: Around 1840, a family traveling west camped near this present site. Their baby was ill and died that evening. Buried near the northeast corner of the present cemetery, the child became the first white buried there. Some time later, a Negro boy (still in dresses) drowned in a well a mile to the north. He became the first African-American buried in the cemetery. Although the Goshen Church was always associated with the Christian Church, the cemetery has always been and remains non-denominational and open to all peoples."

"James Parsons, 1837: The honor of being the first permanent settler in Mercer County belongs to James Parsons who came here in the fall of 1837. He was born in Tennessee on December 24, 1812 and died December 15, 1885 near his farm which was just west of here. He was a charter member of the Goshen Christian Church and is buried just east of the church. He married Mary Prichard, daughter of Joseph and Mary Prichard, who came to the county in 1838. She was born in Kentucky on June 13, 1824 and died on their farm December 2, 1884."

This survey was conducted by Phil & Kathi Stewart on December 30, 2002.