14 replies to this topic

[allege]

Above my house on the hill there was an old cemetery. Most of the stones were just rocks that people had etched a name and date into and placed by the grave. Growing up my friends and I would see this graveyard often when we would go exploring on the hill. I would go there sometimes alone just to sit and enjoy the peacefulness of the place.

When we all got into high school we stopped spending so much time on the hill and eventually stopped going all together. Well a couple years ago I went on the hill looking for vines that I could weave together to make something. When I went to the graveyard i noticed it was completely gone. Nothing is left of it. Not even the peaceful feeling it envoked. I even dug around in the leaves to see if maybe the old stones had just been covered up, they handn't.

Now it would have been impossible for the graves to have been moved without me or one of the neighbors (all of whom I have asked about this) noticing, because you would have to park behind one of our houses and walk across our yard to get to the hill

[peepers]

allege, who owns "the hill" with the missing graveyard?.... the owner may be able to shed some light on the matter.... (and Happy Birthday!!! )

[allege]

I talked to him about it. He doesn't know what happened to it. Each person on our little "street" owns partway up the hill, and then one guy owns the rest of the hill, up to the ridgeline. I guess I should note that most people would consider this "hill" a mountain, but to us its just our back yard. Literally, our front yard is a hill, our back yard is a hill, and we sit on a small shelf midway up.

[peepers]

Wow.... this sounds like an interesting "mystery".... please keep us informed on your findings.....

[GhostCat]

How many stones do you remember to have been there? Are you sure you are checking in the exact spot?
I only asked that last question because I thought I knew of a "vanishing" cemetery, lol. I used to pass by this cemetery that was way back off the road with a big field in front as a teenager, and is was so old and intriguing, my friend and I would visit many times. Now 25 years later, I tried to find it and couldn't. I finally did, all the "open fields" in front were overgrown so it was no longer visible from the road. Also, after 25 years and new construction all over, I really had forgotten the exact location. I did finally find it, and all intact, and surprisingly maintained.

Is the cemetery on a map? Would anyone from your town know anything? Good question Peepers....Who owns the property? (you can find that out at town hall). How big were the rocks? If they were regular smaller ones, they may have sunk into the ground over many years. Sounds like a mystery and good luck. Let us know if you find anything.

[Redhead]

You can also get information on old country cemeteries by contacting local churches - they keep old records on funerals and burials as well. Another avenue for you to check is your local public library. Go to the reference desk and ask to see the old editions of the local newspaper. They're probably on micro-fiche or compact discs but still easy to access.

[allege]

Already check the library and the historical society. And contacted the decendants of the people buried there. They didn't care about the cemetery or what happened to it. Historical society and library also proved no leads. There was about 20 or so stones there, all were just old rocks with names carved into them. As I remember correctly none all of the stones was from the 1800's. The cemetery was in a small clearing surronded by large oak trees and there was remnants of a barb wire fence around it. There was no grass over the cemetery is was in stead moss covered.

[peepers]

Already check the library and the historical society. And contacted the decendants of the people buried there. They didn't care about the cemetery or what happened to it. Historical society and library also proved no leads. There was about 20 or so stones there, all were just old rocks with names carved into them. As I remember correctly none all of the stones was from the 1800's.

Wow... sounds like you really made the effort and did your foot work!!! I'm impressed.... it's sounding like the stones may have had some unsolicited help "walking off" the property......

The cemetery was in a small clearing surronded by large oak trees and there was remnants of a barb wire fence around it. There was no grass over the cemetery is was in stead moss covered.

.... and you are sure you have found this exact location recently?

[allege]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this, first life got really busy then my computer died.

Yes I am very sure that I have located the exact spot. I have walked the hill from one side of the ridge to the other, up and down. (its not really all that big of a hill).

[axlfoley]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this, first life got really busy then my computer died.

Yes I am very sure that I have located the exact spot. I have walked the hill from one side of the ridge to the other, up and down. (its not really all that big of a hill).

Maybe something happened during the years like some flooding or other natural calamities that erased any evidence of the cemetery. Mind you I'm not familiar with your area and the weather phenomena there.

[allege]

Heavy rains could have pushed them into the ground. But considering this is on a hill it couldn't have really and truely flooded.

[Mark London]

Sounds to me that they were stolen, are there any indentations where the stones once stood ???

Im hoping something paranormal happened there however !

Mark

[Mistteak2]

have you adked your friends to go with you? You may find that each of you has a differing of opion as to where the graves where / the more people eho know, thoe more people you can get to search .. the batter chance you will have of finding

[welsh]

at all possible with it being moss covered ground...and ya had some heavy rains... we all know moss is kind soft and grows like crazy with alot of water...is it possible.... they could have sank in the ground...and with the rain ...the moss grew over the rocks.... after the years

[allege]

Well they could have been stolen but that is doubtful because the thiefs would have had to park behind the houses and walk up the hill using one of only 2 paths to get back to that cemetery. And considering for years we had a neigborhood prowler the people that live around us are hypersenstive when it comes to watching the neigborhood. I have several neighbors that are either stay at home wives or retired persons so there is never a time when someone isn't home watching the houses.

I thought of the stones sinking and getting moss covered so I took a small spade and a shovel up there and dug in the area. Peeling back moss and digging into the ground. Nothing.

And on a side note, the local historical society had decided to start GPS maping all the cemeterys in the county. It will be a big project but much needed.