Riverside Cemetery dates back to September, 1834 when Mary Jane Butler, eight year old daughter of William Butler "Father of Jackson" was buried. The original one acre in the southeast corner came from Samuel Shannon. In the early 1850's land from Samuel Lancaster was added to the west. Then more land from the Caruthers family was added in the 1860's. By the 1870's the larger north section was acquired from Thomas L. Robinson. At this time the population of Jackson had grown from 2500 in 1866 to 7000. In 1878 the original east side gate was moved to the west side then called McClanahan Road. The next year "City Cemetery" was renamed Riverside Cemetery at the suggestion of cotton merchant Benjamin Davidson, since it was near the Forked Deer River. The iron fence on the north edge had originally encircled the Court House from 1883-1889 but installation at Riverside was not completed until 1902. After years of neglect, in 1918 Mrs. Maud King formed the Riverside Cemetery Association which functioned until 1976, when the City of Jackson assumed completer responsibility.
From the website of Malcolm D. Wilcox ( Edited from Johathan Smith Research)