Clayton Graveyard's

First Burial and First Death in Dallas County

The first death of a white person in the county occurred in the winter of 1846-7; that of William Coffin, father of Greenbury Coffin, and father-in-law of John Wright.

The deceased was a blacksmith by trade, and though well along in years when he came here, faithfully worked at his anvil and forge set up on the open prairie until a shop was built, sharpening ploughshares, mending broken articles, and doing other small jobs of smithing, to assist in "earning his bread by the sweat of his brow," and by the exercise of his strong right arm, until finally called away from labor to rest. He died in the Stump cabin, of old age, and was buried in the "Clayton grave-yard," in what is now Boone township.

The coffin, or box, in which he was buried, was made of puncheons split out of large logs, and dressed and fitted by Levi Wright, Noah Staggs and other neighboring settlers as best they could under the circumstances, and his remains were lovingly laid in their last resting place with decency and respect by the hands of those who had been friendly and true to him in life.

Thus this memorable Stump cabin was not only the first house built, but also was the place where the first death occurred in the county, and therefore afforded both the first place of entertainment for the living, and preparation of the dead for the silent tomb.

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Dallas County Cemeteries