Owsley County Kentucky:  Cortland Cemetery

Anne Baker
abaker@searnet.com

CORTLAND CEMETERY
Owsley Co., Ky

In the head of Cortland Fork of Laurel Fork of the Left Fork of Upper Buffalo,near the Breathitt Co., line near the Morris Fork in Breathitt Co., Ky. Directions include going about 15 miles from Booneville to top of cemetery at head of Buffalo Creek. Pass Indian Creek on the way. Off Rt. #28 to junction 2024 and take a right.  Follow it till blacktop stops..if going in very dry
weather one can travel on a unpaved road used by coal trucks. At the crest
of the hilll bear right.  There is a large lake with a water fall  beside the cemetery.  In the early 1980's Louise Rice & others took tools and chain saws and cleaned this cemetery out.

It was supposed to be named for a missionary lady named Cort  who camed to Owsleyand opened a school near the cemetery and remained there 14 years.  There arebetween 400 - 500 graves. Many are old fieldstones, handcut and the inscriptions
have worn away.  The old home of Robert "Julius Bob" was in this area.