CEMETERIES

of

Gallatin County, Illinois

 

BOOK 1

1973-4

 

INTENDED FOR PERSONAL GENEALOGY AID

NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE

Thanks to the Miner family for making them available on line.

 

DISAPPEARED

 

Cemeteries that have disappeared ...        page 84

 

 

 

 

84

 

CEMETERIES that have disappeared:

 

Gold Hill Township.

 

Devous Cemetery was located in W side of Section 7 on a sandy ridge on the Joseph

Devous farm, now owned by the heirs of the late Mathias Drone. Jacob Willis entered

this farm in 1835 from the U.S. government. G.A.R. records of the early 1890's mention

that three of their comrades were buried there. I have been told that a Devous heir

moved the 12 or 15 stones across the road to a wooded area in Equality Township, which

I searched without success.

 

Asbury Township.

 

Along State Route #142 on the N side of Section 22 there was a cemetery near the site

of an old Methodist church. County records show the land was deeded by Robert and

Katherine Webb in 1854 to the trustees of the church, who were Lewis S. Bayley, Amos

H. Colbert, John S. Albin, Rev. Jesse Johnson and Philip F. Orr. I have been told that

some of the markers were moved during the highway construction. The Knight family home

now sets on the two-acre site.

 

Another old cemetery was located in the SE corner of the NW 1/4 of Section 35. The

site is now in cultivation and owned by the Downens. I remember a marker for a Mr. William Marshall who died in 1858 if my memory is correct. I was also told that there were two other markers for a Mr. Newman, Newcomb or Newkirk and the other for a Mr. Peters. One of these men came to this area from Carrier Mills, Illinois.

 

North Fork Township.

 

The NE 1/4 of Section 15 was owned by Joshua Harget, manager of the poor farm, and

served as the burial place for many of the paupers, as they were called. Harget

followed John Kaufman of near Hickory Hill in Equality Township, who was the keeper of

the poor in the 1860's. I believe the last poor farm was located 1 1/2 miles W of

Omaha, well within my memory, but discontinued many years ago. The occupants were

usually few during summer but increased as the weather became colder. The Omaha burial

ground was down the hill from the house. No markers were found at any of the three

sites, though I have been told there were a few at the Omaha and Harget farms at one

time.

 

New Haven Township.

 

In the N part of Section 3, along the high bank of Burdick Pond or Slough, in Lower

New Haven Township there were several markers, all of which had disappeared by the

1950's.

 

Shawnee Township.

 

John Reid on Feb. 25, 1814 entered the NE 1/4 of Section 19, a short distance north of Old Shawneetown, and there established his home called Sugar Grove. The Reid and Rowan Cemetery was nearby. His daughter Sarah A. (Mrs. Steven Rowan) born in Lyons County, Ky. about 1804 was probably the last interred there. She died in 1890. I have heard that the bodies were removed to Westwood Cemetery a few years later. Two long shafts, now on the side of a field, had these inscriptions:

 

Dr. John Reid who departed this life 2-6-1847 age about 75 yrs.

Doctor James Reid b 12-25-1801 d 1-8-1831

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Shawnee Township continued:

 

From the county records I find that Daniel O'Leary, born in 1843 and died in 1878 was

buried in the Sexton family cemetery near Big Lake.

 

 

Ridgway Township.

 

Near the mid 1950's, soon after I began my inquiry on old cemeteries, I was told by an older man of 2 markers in Section 10 near the home of the late W.B. Williams. The markers were of the flat thin type popular about 1860 to 1870. They were located in the 1890's in the orchard where they had stood for many years, as no one showed any interest, the farmer decided to got them out of his way, and taking his son (who told me the story) as well as shovels, they dug a hole at the head of the graves, laying the stones flat, buried them two or more foot deep. The names were John Glasscock and his wife and both were old. Census records confirm that he and his large family were here by 1840. Land grants show a John W. Glasscock (he or his son) entering 200 acres of this land in 1852-56. In the 1860 census lists John as age 70 yrs. and his wife as age 66 yrs. Both John Glasscock's wives were named Elizabeth, but the wife of the son was born in 1814 and died in 1901 and is buried at Cottonwood Cemetery.

 

 

Stories somewhat similar could be told of many of the early family cemeteries as well

as those at country churches, which later closed their doors after serving the community as a center. All that I could find of one cemetery were the flat stones

serving as a walkway to the back door of a farmhouse. The stones of another were in a washout under a fence. I only wish I could have been so fortunate on some of the others. We, the public must share the blame along with the friends and relatives, especially the latter, who often failed to provide grave markers from the estate left

or care for those all ready up. Destruction came only to the neglected cemeteries it seems. The first settlers came to a solid forest in this county, and by long years of hard work left the public churches, schools, cleared fields and improved roads. Probably most of them went to unmarked graves, as markers were not available, many because of hard times on the frontier. Prior to 1850 there were probably less than 5% of the graves marked except with field stones, which were seldom cut.

 

 

The isolation of many cemeteries, when the roads were straightened to follow the surveyed land lines contributed to the loss of many of the cemeteries. As a school boy at New Market School, 1912-1920, I, with other students sometimes played at the old cemetery which was located 1/4 mile NW of the school which in turn was located near the center of what was left of the old town of New Market. I often wondered why they placed the burial place near the center of a large field. Later inquiry revealed that this was the second location of the first church in this county, and was on the main road from New Haven to the Equality salt works. Most roads then followed the shortest and best drained route to the stream crossings and most roads led to Shawneetown or Equality. Three stretches of the old road are still used, near St. Joseph Cemetery, near New Zion and a 1/2 mile stretch between. When New Market was platted in 1854 the road was changed to the land lines and the old cemetery was isolated. The oldest county commissioners book, Book C., of the 1870's has many requests for changing roads to land lines. Once isolated, without access roads, the fields were often fenced for pasture and the livestock became the vandals as they sought shade under the cedars, which were usually a part of the old cemeteries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cemeteries that have disappeared:

 

In 1878 the county clerk began keeping death records, though not complete. By this time the better located cemeteries had taken the place of most of the small family sites.

 

From the court records I find the following:

 

Slocum, Oliver 1848-1882 buried on family farm in Bear Creek Precinct

Allison, Icyvilla 1863-1882 of White Oak Precinct b in Farmers cemetery.

Mayberry, Mrs. Benjamin (Celia) 1814-1879 on farm Sect. 24 T8 R9.

Finn, Ezra an infant buried in Finn family cemetery

Connor, George 1857-1889 buried on Richeson Hill.

 

Also mentioned were the Talbott cemetery and the Roberts Grave yard. The last four family burial grounds were in the South half of the county.

Finn entered the E 1/2 of SW 1/4 of Section 23 T10 R8 Eagle Creek Township on 2-8-1853 and adjoining tracts on S and W soon after. None of the above burial sites have been located. More of the family cemeteries are preserved in the hilly or less valuable

areas than in the level and more easily farmed localities.

 

NEW MARKET or DILLARD CEMETERY was located in Ridgway Township on a ridge on the E side of SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Section 29 near the Dillardstown C P Church. This church was organized about 1818; in 1830 the church was moved to Crawford and in 1882 to Ridgway. The church and cemetery were west of the small town of New Market. The only complete stone from this cemetery known to exist is in the possession of Dr. Joseph Bryant and was from the cultivated field where the cemetery was located:

 

Wood, Nancy K. b 4-15-1858 d 2-18-1862 dau of ? & A.M. Wood

Part of a stone has been recovered by Glenn Miner and states:

------ ------ dau of---- d 1828 age 20 yrs, died and left husband and small children.

 

County Court records list the following as being buried here:

Elliott, Theodore d 1887 age 35 yrs. left wife & children.

         Laura age 9 yrs. 4 mo. d 1887

         Adolphus age 7 mo. d 1887

Hutchinson, Fred age 9 mo. d 1887

Hemphill, Maud M. age 4 yrs. d 1887

Dillard, James Jr. 1812-1858, wife Elizabeth

James Sr. 177?-1848, wife Rachel d 1852

 

BRYANT CEMETERY located in Section 11. On a ridge and partly in present road, in the NE corner of SW 1/4 of the section. Some 6 or 12 stones were located but most could not be read.

 

Bryant or Bryan, Henry------?

Henson, William b 1833 ---- ? The g-grandfather of Walter Henson is known to be buried here. Also some members of the Inman and Bryant families. For several years the stones were piled against a fence, and in the mid 1930's were hauled away.