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Show ·"""""'""",,"~'_~V.=.='" ~~-""""C='~= II ;.-nrr;:t~:0G.q Grafton News Fall 2008 Grafton Cemetery 1862-1924 Today, the Grafton Cemetery is an historical monument that provides a unique opportunity for area visitors to learn about early pioneer settlement and Grafton's human history. It serves as a cultural legacy to the many families who are descendents of Grafton settlers. The Grafton Heritage Partnership (Partnership) entered into a cooperative management agreement with the Bureau of Land Management so that the Partnership could manage the site. The agreement allows the Partnership to improve existing site conditions, install interpretive si!:,rnage and maintain the site. Over the years the Grafton descendents have maintained the site. Of concern to the Partnership and descendants is that not all the people buried in the cemetery are acknowledged and the current condition of the headstones. We want to preserve the historic character of all of the remaining headstones as much as possible. The Partnership has discussed alternatives that have included stabilizing existing headstones, installing small plagues, replacement replicas and photographic documentation of individual headstone inscriptions to preserve the information as well as considering adding more dirt mounds to mark more gravesites. Another option is to have a list of everyone buried in the cemetery on the gate. Ron Morris a Partnership board member has done research on who is buried in the Grafton Cemetery and has a list of 86 names. This infolmation has come from existing local and state records and from talking with families. However, some of the graves are unmarked and without a dirt mound that helps identify a grave location. If anyone knows a name of person in an unmarked grave or has information on who added the dirt mounds please let us know. Based on visual observation there are 70 dirt mounds which doesn't account for 86 individuals. There are two rows that don't have mounds or headstones and it is unknown how many people are buried in that area of the cemetery. The Partnership decided to raise funds to complete a survey of the cemetery using ground penetrating radar to survey the places in the cemetery that don't have mounds. The radar survey is similar to an x-ray and can detect subsurface images ten feet down such as skeletal remains or other items that may have been placed in a gravesite. This will assist in identifying any potential gravesites prior to placement of any additional dirt mounds. |
