Tucked behind a row of storage buildings off Balch Road in Madison sits a quiet patch of land that predates the city around it, the railroad that once spurred its growth and even Alabama’s statehood.
Gray Cemetery, established in 1822 when Alabama had only been a state for a couple of years, is believed to be the oldest community cemetery in western Madison County and eastern Limestone County. For years, it has quietly held the remains of pioneers, veterans and early settlers of a long-gone community called Providence.
Now, a growing coalition of local historians, veterans’ groups and volunteers is working to ensure the cemetery’s stories are not lost to time…