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Davis Cemetery History
Davis Cemetery was the first “burying Ground in East Walker County and is located on the Davis property behind where the Old White Church (Dora Second Baptist) now stands. According to tradition Daniel Davis gave the land for the cemetery, built a little "chapel" there, and planted ten cedar trees to "guard" it. This cemetery is the oldest known cemetery in the area— gravestones date back to the earliest settlers.
In 1888 "Aunt Louisa" (Louisa Hoover, wife of Daniel Davis) conceived the idea of building a church for the miners who had come into the area after the railroads were
built in 1886. Aunt Louisa gave the land and built the church with her own money, and the church became known as the "White Church" because of the color it was painted. The church was never to be sold or to be owned by any one denomination. When a congregation left it, it was supposed to be left for another's use. (This church still stands today; Methodists, Nazarines, and Baptists have worshipped there.) This church was originally a two-story building with the Masonic Lodge on the second
floor.
When the "White Church" was built in 1888, the members of Shady Grove Methodist Church were invited to move there. Tradition has it that every member moved except Martha Davis Posten (wife of Burwell B. Posten, daughter of Daniel Davis). She stayed because there was a, petition to the effect that there should be no licensed saloons within five miles of the Shady Grove Church. Singlehandedly she. kept the church in existence, to keep town from having a saloon.
NOTE: The above information was copied from the Dora Centinnial Book 1886-1986.

Family Histories

Click here for Davis Family History

Davis Cemetery is on the historical register for Alabama. To see a list of people who were buried in the cemetery from the beginning until 1994, click here. The other names will be added soon.