Famous Residents
Linwood is the final resting place for thousands of individuals.
It is estimated that there are between 14-18 thousand gravesites at Linwood. The cemetery's varied occupants include soldiers, mayors, governors, business leaders, pioneers, writers, and trailblazers. Many of the buried individuals at Linwood are associated with names recognizable from various parts of Columbus, such as parks, streets, neighborhoods, and businesses. It is a serene location that accommodates individuals from all walks of life, encompassing wealthy magnates and those with modest means, individuals of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, influential figures and those of modest standing, as well as military personnel and civilians.
Resident of the Month
William H. Young
William H. Young was a pioneering industrialist who founded Eagle Mills in the mid-19th century in Columbus, Georgia. In 1860, he expanded the operation by absorbing the nearby Howard Factory, making it the second largest mill in Georgia. During the Civil War, Eagle Mills played a critical role in producing Confederate uniforms and goods. After the mill was destroyed by Federal forces in 1865, Young rebuilt it in 1869, renaming it Eagle & Phenix Mills to symbolize its rise from the ashes. Under his leadership, the mill became one of the largest and most technologically advanced textile operations in the South. Young’s vision laid the foundation for what would become a major industrial enterprise in the region.
For many years, the mill provided jobs to around 75% of Columbus’ workforce. As new technologies emerged, however, the mill became outdated and closed its doors in 2002. Today, the historic buildings have been repurposed into apartment lofts, preserving the legacy of Young’s industrial vision while continuing to serve the community in a modern capacity.
Jan 22, 1807 - May 7, 1894
Notable Residents
W.C. Bradley
One of the most prominent names in Columbus, Bradley was a jack-of-all-trades: an industrialist, a wholesale merchant, and an investor who served as Chairman of the Board for Coca-Cola for over twenty years.
Dr. Edwin L. DeGraffinreid
A physician and city Commissioner, deGraffinreid played an instrumental role in the early planning of Columbus, even choosing the river bluff on which the town was placed.
Noble Leslie DeVotie:
A Baptist minister and newspaper editor, DeVotie was the main contributing founder of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the first national fraternity to be established in the Deep South.
Lizzie Rutherford Ellis
Lizzie was the leader of a local group of ladies who established the observance of Confederate Memorial Day, a practice that spread throughout the South in which every April 26th the graves of fallen Confederate soldiers were decorated.
Thomas Gilbert
Both a printer and a newspaper editor for The Sun, Gilbert is responsible for the first history of Columbus.
Louis Haiman
Originally from the Polish province of Posen, this Jewish tinsmith forged swords for the Confederacy during the war, and agricultural apparatus afterward.
H. Augusta Howard
As the woman who founded Georgia's Women Suffrage Association, Howard's headstone is emblazoned with the word "Martyr."
Tom Huston
Both an inventor and artistic photographer, Huston was the creative force behind Tom's Peanuts.
Johnnie Pearl Patrick Johnson
The mother of Hollywood screenwriter Nunnally Johnson, Johnnie was a driving force in Columbus' educational development, founding the local PTA organization and becoming the first woman to serve on the school board. In honor of her achievements her name was given to Johnson School.
Tabitha Lamar
Tabitha was the wife of Mirabeau Lamar, the man who not only founded the Columbus Enquirer, but also served as the second President of the Texan Republic, following the term of Sam Houston.
Georgia Mustian
Though much of her story remains a mystery, her beautiful and elaborate headstone speaks volumes about how deeply she was cherished by her loved ones. A sleeping child, a dove, and rose blossoms mark the final resting place of this twenty-five-year-old married woman, a lasting tribute at Linwood Cemetery.
Dr. John S. Pemberton
A pharmacist who was wounded in the last land battle of the Civil War here in Columbus, Pemberton would go on to concoct the secret formula to Coca-Cola.
Brig. General Paul J. Semmes
A local businessman and one time president of the Coweta Falls Textile Mill, Semmes answered the call of duty but fell on the field of battle at Gettysburg.
Francis Joseph Springer
A local grocer who took his savings and invested it in the construction of the theater that would bear his name, the Springer Opera House.
Dr. Francis Orray Ticknor
A full-time physician and part-time poet, Ticknor wrote the Civil War poem "Little Giffen."
Margaret Traylor
This woman's grave bears the image of an obelisk and willow tree in a single icon, a symbol believed to have traveled to Charleston, SC from Germany before finding its way to Linwood in 1849.
James Warner
A naval engineer who oversaw the Confederate Navy Yard in which the ironclad C.S.S. Muscogee was constructed, Warner was accidently killed in a row between locals and black federal troops during Reconstruction.
John Winter
An antebellum industrialist, former mayor, and staunch Unionist, Winter fled his homeland in 1861 but requested that his body be brought back to Columbus for burial.
J.W. Davis Woodmen of the World Marker
Having been a member of the fraternal insurance organization Woodmen of the World, J.W. Davis received the stylized tree trunk headstone associated with the fraternity's legacy.
William H. Young
During the mid-1800s, Young was one of Columbus' most prominent businessmen, responsible for starting the Eagle and Phenix Mills.
Notable Lots
Chappell Family Lot
The Chappell's were a family filled with civic pride, with A.H. Chappell serving as congressman in the 1840's, L.H. Chappell a six-term mayor, and Miss Loretto Columbus' most beloved librarian.
Confederate Soldiers
Two sections of Linwood, on both the southeast and southwest corner, are dedicated to the many men who died in Columbus hospitals during the War Between the States.
Fishburne Lot
This lot presents a fine example of the intricate cast-iron fences erected to enclose family plots.
Garrard Lot
Memorialized by one of the tallest obelisks in Linwood Cemetery, L.F. Garrard at one time served as Speaker of Georgia House of Representatives and was responsible for developing the Weracoba neighborhood around Lakebottom Park.
Jones-Benning Lot
This family plot is occupied by Seaborn Jones, a lawyer in the early days of Columbus and the builder of the St. Elmo mansion, and his son-in-law Henry L. Benning, himself a lawyer as well as the Confederate general from which Fort Benning took its name.