Notes of Ethan Geer: This cemetary has been ravaged by the hands of time and vandals. There are more than 20 burial sites and scattered remains of tombs. It also contains many of the first white settlers of this part of Whitfield co. Washington Gordon was the son of Zachariah Gordon, a wealthy planter and preacher from Upson county Ga. He was also the brother of the famed and illustrious son of Georgia Senator, orator, and Gov. John Brown Gordon. The family settled in Gordon Springs by 1839. Where upon Zachariah founded Friendship Baptist Church. He would circuit ride as a preacher to the many neighboring communities as far as Peavine Baptist in Rockspring, Ga. Zachariah also operated a 40 room resort based upon the many mineral springs and their medicinal qualities that flow from this lovely valley to form the headwaters of the east Chickamauga creek. The name of this resort was called "A Watering Place". There is evidence that people in the 1850s traveled as far away as Memphis TN., Charleston, S.C. and Nashville TN. to partake of the waters here. Later John Brown Gordon would move to Dade co. Ga. to start a coal mine operation. But much of his childhood was spent in Gordon Springs. This is something that is lost on many in the area, and only came to me by the devoted work of Sybil Reed Tate.