Forgotten Appalachia: Hidden Pioneer Cemetery on Clover Street of Harlan County

This is the First in the Forgotten Appalachia series exploring the stories and places lost to time in Appalachian mountain communities.

Tucked away in downtown Harlan, Kentucky, an unassuming patch of grassy ground at 206 East Clover Street conceals one of the county’s oldest and most intriguing burial grounds. Once hidden behind the walls of a crumbling Ford dealership building, this “secret cemetery” has only recently come back into public view—and with it, the faded chapter of Harlan’s early settlers and their storied feuds. Today, thanks to local efforts and a dash of fate, the Turner family cemetery stands as both a tangible link to Harlan’s frontier days and a testament to how easily history can be forgotten when modern life builds up around it.

A Century Hidden Beneath Brick and Steel

For much of the 20th century, the corner of East Clover Street and South Main in downtown Harlan bustled with the commerce of a Ford Motor Company building. Few suspected that beneath the structure’s shadow lay a modest family burial plot dating back to the 1800s. Locals sometimes called it the “Secret Cemetery,” because aside from a handful of Turner descendants and longtime residents, no one realized there were tombstones behind the brick façade.

By the early 2020s, the once-busy dealership had fallen into disrepair, eventually transferring into county ownership. When it was demolished for redevelopment, a dramatic scene emerged: Old headstones—some broken, some illegible—lay scattered in the grass amid building debris. In that moment, Harlan’s pioneer past came sharply into focus, captivating locals and reminding everyone that this land once cradled the earliest generations of Appalachian settlers.

Early Settlers: The Turners and the Founding of Harlan

The Turner family name is woven into the very founding of Harlan County. Along with other pioneering clans—like the Howards, Middletons, Napiers, and Hensleys—the Turners arrived in this rugged corner of Appalachia around the late 1700s and early 1800s. They settled along the Cumberland River, carving homesteads from the dense wilderness and forging the roots of what would become Harlan.

It is believed that William Turner (1812–1881) is the only clearly identifiable grave on the site today. His headstone stands as a solitary clue to the many others who may be buried here. William’s father (and perhaps uncles and siblings) were among the original Turner settlers who helped shape the frontier outpost that became Harlan Town. In the 19th century, when public cemeteries had yet to be established, families commonly buried their loved ones on private land. Thus, the Turner homestead’s side yard on Clover Street served as a final resting place for multiple generations.

Feuds, Frontier Hardships, and Appalachian Lore

Yet the Turners’ legacy isn’t limited to simply founding a settlement; they were also key players in one of Kentucky’s fabled mountain feuds. By the 1870s and 1880s, the Turner family and their rivals, the Howards, were locked in a violent conflict that reportedly claimed dozens of lives depending on the source. Local folklore recounts shootouts on what is now Clover Street, including a legendary tale of a gut-shot Turner son turned away from his mother’s door to “die like a man.” While it can be difficult to separate fact from exaggeration in these oral histories, there is no denying that the Turner homestead and its cemetery stood at the epicenter of bloody family discord.

Many in Harlan believe some feud victims lie buried in the Clover Street plot, their lives ended by frontier justice and clan rivalries. If true, it underscores the site’s cultural resonance, tying together the grit and heartbreak of an older Appalachia. Over the years, rumors of apparitions or restless spirits have circulated, adding another layer of legend to a place that already teems with historical importance.

Rediscovery in the Heart of Downtown

For decades, the Turner cemetery was hidden. The old Ford dealership and later an auto parts store walled off the small courtyard behind its storefront, obscuring the gravestones from anyone passing by. Only a few families and local officials kept the secret alive, aware that part of Harlan’s 19th-century heritage was hidden in plain sight. But in 2022, when the county took ownership and tore down the decaying building, the cemetery came into full public view for the first time in living memory.

Local media outlets like WYMT covered the story, astonished by how seamlessly modern structures had built around this relic of a bygone era. Judge-Executive Dan Mosley noted that the graves were not going anywhere—on the contrary, they would be preserved and respected. Soon, regional historians and curious residents alike flocked to see the weathered stones, hoping to glean any last inscriptions or clues before time erased them entirely.

Preservation and Public Memory

With the curtain now lifted, the community resolved that the Turner cemetery would no longer be neglected. Harlan County officials and historians came together to develop a preservation plan. Proposals included installing protective fencing reminiscent of a 19th-century cemetery and erecting informational signage or a historical marker. Efforts have also been made to clear rubble and perform ground surveys, possibly with ground-penetrating radar, to determine precisely how many graves lie beneath the soil.

By Summer 2021, a historical wayside marker titled “The Early Settlers and an Unmarked Graveyard” had been placed near the site. It recounts the Howard and Turner families’ arrival and how the only legible stone belongs to William Turner, Jr. (who, despite the “Jr.” inscription, is often referenced in local records as William Turner, Sr.). This small but significant effort ensures that visitors can pause on Clover Street, read about Harlan’s pioneer origins, and pay their respects to the people whose stories shaped the region’s identity.

Looking Ahead: A Lasting Monument to Harlan’s Roots

Today, the Turner family cemetery at 206 E. Clover Street stands unhidden. Freed from the walls that once confined it, this once-forgotten yard serves as a profound reminder of Harlan’s origins. Families who trace their ancestry to the Turners or other early settlers have found fresh connections to their heritage, and local authorities are determined never to let these graves fade back into obscurity.

There is talk of expanded heritage tours, including “haunted history” walks that trace the old Turner-Howard feud routes through downtown Harlan. Others envision educational programs and hands-on cleanup days that invite the public to preserve these stones and the stories they hold. After nearly a century of neglect, the cemetery has reemerged as a locus of community pride—an anchor point that invites us to reflect on how Appalachia’s early pioneers carved out their lives in the rugged wilderness, and how easily their footprints can be lost to time.

Standing on Clover Street today, it’s hard not to feel the weight of history pressing in from every side: the great migrations, the violent feuds, the everyday struggles of survival, and the eventual modernization that quite literally built right over the graves. Yet with the cemetery now reclaimed, the future of this tiny, hallowed ground looks bright. It will remain a part of downtown Harlan’s living tapestry, a silent but enduring witness to the region’s tumultuous past and its enduring spirit.

Sources & Further Reading

Author’s Note: This piece is part of the Forgotten Appalachia series, an ongoing exploration of once‑thriving mountain communities—places where generations found work, camaraderie, and identity, only to see it fade as times changed. Follow along for more stories of resilience, reinvention, and the powerful lessons these hills still hold.