A private burial place in the wilderness of Freedom Hills, Alabama has now become a Coon dog burial site and tourist attraction.
In 1937 Key Underwood sadly buried his faithful coondog, Troop. They had hunted together and been close friends for more than 15 years.
The burial spot was a popular hunting camp where coon hunters from miles around gathered to plot their hunting strategies, tell tall tales, chew tobacco and compare coon hounds. Those comparisons usually began and ended with Troop…he was the best around.
Underwood knew there was no place in the world Troop loved more than that camp. It was only fitting, he decided, that Troop spend eternity there.
On that dreary Labor Day of 1937, Underwood said good-bye to his legendary coonhound. On a rock from an old chimney, with a hammer and a screwdriver, Key chiseled out Troop’s name and the date. A special marker was erected in his memory.
Out of one hunter’s devotion to his faithfull coonhound, was born the “Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard,” which has became a popular tourist attraction and is the only cemetery of its kind in the world.
Other hunters started doing the same when their favorite coon dogs died. Today more than 185 coon dogs from all across the United States are buried in this spot in Northwest Alabama.
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Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard
Coon dogs – Find out more information about Coon Hounds.