Back in 2004 I shared this trying to get interest in restoring the Old Cemetery. The state of Indiana is home to thousands of abandoned or neglected pioneer cemeteries, the oldest of which now approach 200 years. The goal of this project is to identify, protect, restore and preserve as many of these cemeteries as possible. This project was founded on the belief that we owe our pioneer ancestors a better monument than a forgotten grave amid bramble and thicket. The Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project was begun in October 1997 as an effort to generate public awareness about the neglected pioneer cemeteries of Indiana. Many volunteers have joined this effort. Public awareness: To make this project a success it will be necessary to involve as much of the general public as possible. Local media cooperation will be sought to help spread the word. The more people who know about this project, the more volunteer researchers and custodians we will have. This will also help encourage the cooperation of local land owners when their property must be crossed to gain access to a remote cemetery. Record creation: Most of these old cemeteries have no known plat records available. One of the top priorities is to research those records if they exists, or create a plat record when possible. All available plat records will then be posted to this web site as well as submitted to the local library. Site Restoration: These cemeteries are in various states of neglect and decay. Through volunteer effort, each cemetery will be cleared of debris and weeds, depressions filled, and toppled markers returned to an upright position. With expert volunteers it may be possible to repair some of the broken or vandalized monuments. Restoration volunteers can be individuals, families, or groups, or churches and other organizations such as Boy/Girl Scouts. Workshops are available to help everyone interested in learning skills. Site Preservation: After a cemetery has been restored, project volunteers should continue to monitor to guard against further deterioration or vandalism. Efforts need to continue to educate others. Restoring the Past- Old Cemetery Thorntown- A few years ago I was taking pictures of our family cemetery in Eastern Kentucky, when my battery went dead. I thought I would go back later and complete the job, but that would never happen. A cousin called that Fall to inform me all the grave stones had been destroyed by vandals. The total disregard for the historic value that this small family cemetery has for my family was never a consideration of those who choose to destroy a part of my family history. They had a total contempt for our family cemetery which was a unique genealogical, historic and cultural record of my family. This small cemetery was a place where I could walk in the footsteps of my ancestors. This was the place where the memories of my family heritage were stored. This was the outdoor museum filled with history and irreplaceable artwork of my family. Gone forever! You ask, what does this have to do with me? In Thorntown we have a cemetery that is the oldest in the county. It is in disrepair and is being destroyed everyday by invasive plants, trees and erosion. Grave stones are broken, fallen over, buried, and moved. Trees along the fence row are invading graves. This is not the way to remember those who trusted us to preserve their memories. The way we take care of the dead is a direct reflection on how we take care of the living. The Old Cemetery is the final resting place for veterans of the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I and II. It is where the founding families of our town ended the labors of their life. It is where local ancestors choose to mark their journeys end and erect a memorial to their memory. But, we are losing this cemetery. When a cemetery is lost our shared history and collective heritage will be lost with it. I cannot bring my family cemetery back nor restore the historic and cultural record of my family, but I can help preserve and restore Thorntown’s Old Cemetery and other like it in Boone County. Let’s save our history and preserve the future for our community. If you are interested in helping to restore the Old Cemetery or would like to start a restoration project please contact Larry Truitt at 765-436-7151 or email at larry@truitt. Click the link below for more information about the Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project rootsweb.ancestry/~inpcrp/
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:49:40 +0000
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