Deep in the Devils Nest, nearly hidden in the bluestem grass native to
the area, stands two tombstones. The graves are located high on a hilltop.
Standing at the gravesite you can look to the north and enjoy a panoramic
view of the Missouri River. It is the final resting place for five members
of the Webb family.
The Webb family located in the Devils Nest, Knox County by 1885, coming
here from New York after the Civil War. They homesteaded 160 acres in
Herrick township and settled into a life of farming. The grass was lush and
the water plenty, but typical of many early pioneers, they experienced
hardships and misfortunes. In 1889, both father and son laid their wives to
rest, only a month apart.
Buried in this family plot are Asahel and Caroline Webb, their son and
daughter-in-law Lucius and Martha Webb, and an unmarked grave of an infant.
The child is the son of Romaine and Antha (Webb) Barber. Antha is the
daughter of Asahel and Caroline.
Cemeteries were often started on ground owned by the family of the
deceased. Far from any public cemetery, the pioneers would choose a hill or
secluded place close to the home site. A place they could easily visit when
the need arose. Some later became public burial grounds but others like the
Webb Cemetery hold only the family. Often the families have moved away and
no descendants are left. Some of the living descendants of the Webb family
that are still in Knox County are: Stewart, Hilfiker and Kuhl.
