Originally known as Mount Carmel, the community served by this cemetery adopted the name Tennessee because many families from that state settled there. Ancestors of John B. Woodfin (1856-1945) are said to have first set aside land for this burial ground, but early deed records were lost in a 1903 courthouse fire. The earliest dated burial is that of Lizzie Roper (1825-1828). Later additions of acreage from members of the Paramore family allowed needed expansion. Memorial donations provide for the care of this site, which chronicles the pioneers and families who settled and developed this area of Shelby County.