The name Phifer is synonymous with the history of Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties and sitting now in
Cabarrus County is a cemetery that is in poor shape due to years of vandalism and neglect that holds many graves of this family. On your travels you will find the name Phifer spelled in different ways..
Martin Phifer was a Swiss immigrant to this country and arrived in Pennsylvania around 1738. In 1745 he married Anna Margaretha Schwarzwalder who was an immigrant from Germany.
Together they had three sons who played an important part in the history of the region.
Both Martin and Anna were said to be buried in the Red Hill Cemetery.
John Phifer b. 22 March 1747, d. between December 1776 and January 1777
His family resided at "Dutch Buffalo" Creek, at the Red Hill, known to this day as "Phifer's Hill”. It was on the plantation of John Phifer, three miles west of Concord, that the gallant band of "Black Boys" headed by Captain 'Black Bill Alexander' of Sugar Creek, aided by the Whites and others from the neighboring congregation of Rocky River, effected their memorable achievement in 1771, of destroying the king's powder, which was on its way from Charleston to Hillsboro, to be used by a tyrannical Governor. The reader should bear in mind this blackening of faces, to prevent detection, was in the spring of 1771, when the patriotic sentiment of this country had not ripened into that state of almost entire unanimity which characterized it, and the State generally, four years later.
John Phifer helped draft the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and on May 20th, 1775 and was one of 27 signers of this declaration.
In December 1775 at the Johnston Court House, North Carolina, United States, John was appointed a Lieutenant Colonel (under Colonel Adam Alexander) of the first battalion of "minute men" in the Salisbury District.
Before his death he was listed as a colonel and tavern owner in fact, along Martin Phifer they had many guest including Governor Tryon and George Washington.
Red Hill Cemetery, Concord, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States, it states that he "filled an early grave and lies buried at the "Red Hill" on the Salisbury road, where a decaying headstone, scarcely legible, marks the last resting-place of this true patriot".
Caleb Phifer b. 8 April 1749, d. 3 July 1811
Caleb was a Colonel in the American Revolution and served in the North Carolina House and Senate.
He later moved to Bedford County, Tennessee and was granted a 5,000 acre tract on the south fork of Falling Creek.
After his death he was returned to Cabarrus County and was buried in the family cemetery.
Martin Phifer b.25 March 1756, d. 12 November 1837
He declared in his statement of service that he was ordered by the State of North Carolina to raise the second troop of Light Dragoons in the year of 1776. After he raised them he was ordered to march his troops to Charleston, SC, and arrived there two or three days after the British attack on Sullivan's Island. He and his company were stationed under General Lee (Martin thinks) for some months before being detached from the southern Army and ordered to join the Northern Army. He remained in the Northern Army until the spring of 1778 principally engaged in "waiting on Congress sitting at Little York" sending dispatches. Martin was discharged in 1778 after serving his two year term of service. Martin PHIFER also swore under oath that he signed his name during his time in the army as Martin PFIFER. There is no mention of being at Valley Forge as some have suggested.
A leading patriot, Martin Phifer, his comrade in arms, John Paul Barringer, along with many others, began to seek the formation of a separate county for the Rocky River Country. After years of effort, the Assembly was persuaded to form a new county from northeastern Mecklenburg on December 29, 1792. It was named Cabarrus, in honor of the popular Speaker of the House of Representatives, Stephen Cabarrus of Chowan County. A dispute over the location of the public buildings continued until 1795, when a site was agreed upon and a town to be named Concord was laid off on a 26 acre tract of land near the old Indian trading path. There a courthouse for the new county was built in the intersection of its primary streets named Corbin and Union. The Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, first governing body of the county, was composed of three of the Justices of the Peace for the county. It met quarterly to deal with administrative and minor judicial matters. The Justices governed the County until 1868 when the County Commission form of government replaced the old form.
In 1803 John Reed joined three other men- Frederick Kizer, Reverend James Love, and Martin Phifer, Jr.- to form a mining partnership in search of gold in the creek. Peter, slave of Reed's partner Reverend Love, discovered the largest nugget ever found at Reed’s. The nugget weighed approximately 28 pounds.
The veins of this mine were discovered in 1831 and yielded a large quantity of gold.
My guess is the Red Hill Cemetery listed in many burial records is the one I have know as Phifer’s Graveyard all my life. If I am wrong and you know any different please let me know. My Uncle Charlie lived less than 600’ up on the hill from this cache until his death several years ago and was very knowledgeable to the local history. I wish I had talked with him more.
As you can see the Phifer’s had a lot to do with the history of the region. I hope when you find this cache you will take the time to research and learn more about this fascinating family. We made it fairly easy because we want as many fellow geocachers to visit this site as possible. On your travels you will find the name Phifer spelled in different ways.
PLEASE NOTE: Treat this area with the utmost respect that it has been deprived of in the past. If I see any evidence that this cache is putting a negative impact on the area I will remove it and archive the cache immediately.
Now to the cache!
Stage 1 Go to: 35 24.871 80 36.780
You don not have to get out of your car in fact I would advise against it.
There is a two digit number at the top of the plaque:
Take that two digit number and subtract it from 497 - _____ = _________
XXX
Put that number here: 35 25.________XXX
Take that same two digit number _____ X 7 = _____ then add 35 = ___________.
YYY
Put that number here: 80 37.________YYY
PLEASE BE CAREFUL: THERE ARE SUNNKEN AREAS AND HOLES SO WATCH YOUR STEP AND SMALL CHILDREN. PLEASE DON NOT VISIT THIS CACHE AT NIGHT.
PLEASE TRADE UP OR EVEN. WE FILL OUR CACHES WITH GOODIES SO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE ONES THAT FOLLOW!!!
THERE IS A COLLECTOR TAG FOR ALL THAT FIND AS WELL AS A “FTF” PRIZE.