Big Woods Cemetery Calcasieu Parish

Photo taken by flickr user Blue Eyes and Blue Bonnets, Calcasieu Parish, Big Woods Cemetery November 4, 2007.

Abandoned chapel cemetery

This photo taken by flickr user, Must Love Real* on December 10, 2007 who states this abandoned chapel is in Louisiana. Where I wonder and in what parish?


flickr user nancycno April 14, 2009

See more photos of headstones in the cemetery behind the chapel here.

UPDATE - 01/05/2010 St. James Parish St. Lukes Chapel cemetery

La-cemeteries.com has updated photos taken in November 2010

Photos

World War I headstone photo


La-cemeteries.com has updated photos taken in November 2010
See Also:
Tri Parish Times August 2008
PDF FILE Forgotten people

How to submit a cemetery report

How to submit a cemetery report

If you have found a cemetery that is NOT listed with the Louisiana Cemetery Board as an ACTIVE cemetery and that contains graves 50 years of age or older, and is unkept, abandoned or neglected or otherwise UNKNOWN, a  report should be filed with the Regional Louisiana Dept. of Archaeology, the Louisiana Attorney General, and the local Sheriffs office. You may find a list of contacts here. Recent updates to Louisiana cemetery law require reporting within 72 hours.

If the cemetery is ACTIVE and is accepting burials, then it falls under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Cemetery Board. The Louisiana Cemetery Board can be contacted online, in addition to the local police, Sheriff, and Louisiana Attorney Generals office.

The online form for submission through Louisiana Cemetery Preservation website can be found here or you may send an email to louisianacemeteries@yahoo.com
  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Please answer as many of the following questions as possible when making a submission via email:
Cemetery Name    
Parish    
Driving directions    
Condition description    
Earliest record    
Your name, address, email    
Organization    
Todays date    
Alternate cemetery name    
GIS GPS Location    
Does the cemetery have a sign?    
Is the cemetery access road public or private?    
Are burial records available?    
Source of burial records:    
Source of photo:    
Approximate number of internments    
Overall condition of markers    
Most common surnames found
Other comments

See examples: Saving Graves Louisiana Archived Reports.

http://louisianacemeteries.x10hosting.com/index/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=35:cemetery-reports&Itemid=62&layout=default

*updated links to include current cemetery reports in Louisiana and archived Saving Graves Louisiana cemetery reports.

Clean up at Carollton and St. Mary Cemeteries

Clean-up at Carrollton and St. Mary Cemeteries


Save Our Cemeteries, in conjunction with Tulane University CACTUS members and the Central Carrollton Assocation, will be having our next cemetery clean-up on Saturday, August 29th, from 9 am to 2:30 pm at Carrollton and St. Mary cemeteries.

The cemeteries are next door to one another, at 1701 Hillary Street, between Spruce and Cohn Streets, uptown New Orleans.

We are asking volunteers to please bring gardening supplies, gloves, etc. if you have them. We will be providing these items, but supplies are limited.

To volunteer, please call Programs Coordinator Lora Williams at (504) 525-3377 or e-mail her at programs@saveourcemeteries.org.

See you there!

[x posted from Facebook]

Istre Cemetery Houses Acadia Parish

Istre cemetery houses were added to the National Historic Register in February 2008. The Louisiana National Register offers a pdf file and several jpg photographs of these cemetery houses in Acadia Parish, Louisiana on Swift Rd. near the Vermilion Parish line. This photograph is from the database of Acadia Parish, Louisiana National Register. You can view a Flickr photo stream of Istre cemetery here. USGenWeb LAGenWeb Archives does not have current cemetery transcriptions online for this cemetery, however, there is one transcription available on RootsWeb. It is unclear as to how current this transcription may be. Martin Gautier's LA Cemeteries provides this information: "Acadia Parish has one of the most complete cemetery transcriptions. The transcriptions are available for purchase in 5 books from Acadia Genealogical & Historical Society." Find A Grave lists two Istre cemeteries in its contributed data. One entry determines over 300 internments and the other listing has less than 40 internments. There are also color photos of the same "cemetery house" available on Find a Grave.

Events and News

Events

Magnolia Memories VI will be held March 6th, 7th and 8th in the historic Magnolia Cemetery in Baton Rouge and the Governors Mansion. Read more

Save Our Cemeteries
SKELETONS IN OUR CLOSET: 1850’s New Orleans Personalities

A look at the lives and final resting places of the developers, architects, builders, politicians, plantation owners and other assorted characters from 1850’s New Orleans.
A lecture by Pat Dupuy, Tour Guide Extraordinaire

Saturday, March 7, 2009 6 1:00 pm
Louisiana State Museum Arsenal
600 St. Peter Street
New Orleans, LA 70116

Free for SOC members, $5 for non-members

Sunday, March 29, 2009
11 am - 3 pm

Destrehan Plantation
13034 River Road
Destrehan, LA

A day of fun featuring a gourmet brunch, cocktails, live entertainment, an egg hunt, an arts and crafts tent, face painting, egg races, a raffle, and games with the Easter Bunny!

Advance tickets: $15 for kids under 12, $20 for SOC members, $25 non-members

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (504) 525-3377 or go to:
http://www.saveourcemeteries.org/calendar/index.htm

News

A recent article concerning a cemetery clean up in the city owned potters field, Holt cemetery in Mid City, was published this week. Holt cemetery has been reported as neglected to Saving Graves in 2001 and was the subject of a previous clean up project in 2008. Oddly enough the funeral service and mortuary science program of Delgado Community College abuts the overgrown cemetery. "It's our calling in life not to just take care of the dead when they die but to give them perpetual care," said Bobbiann Lewis, an instructor in Delgado's program, whose students have been required to do cemetery upkeep since late last year.

In Shreveport, Louisiana the Interstate 49 planning between I 49 and I 220 could affect local cemeteries. Baton Rouge-based Providence Engineering will partner with Franklin Industries and conduct an 18th month long study. "The most important thing we need to get is citizen input," said Perry Franklin, head of Franklin Industries. No contact information concerning Franklin Industries or Providence Engineering was available in this article.

Chalmette National Cemetery

Prairie Thistle Life's blog about restoration efforts at Chalmette National Cemetery was a wonderful find. She has posted a few photographs, too. You can read more about restoration efforts from the Times Picayune by Chris Kirkham and a bit more from way back in 2004, by Julie Major. You can see what appears to be a pre Katrina photo of the wall that Chris Kirkham's article referenced in Julie Major's article from 2004.

The National Park Service surveyed this cemetery and created a pdf file of all of those interred. The pdf file is nearly 300 pages long. There are a few unknowns buried at Chalmette. It can be downloaded at the Louisiana Cemetery Preservation wiki in the files. The file gives the Section, Grave, Name, Death date, War fought, and a comment area.

The cemetery was closed after Katrina in August 2005 until May 2006 when 2,000 volunteers helped place flags at the cemetery. The cemetery opened for two days only, "that Sunday and Memorial Day", according to archived newspaper reports.

One of the most famous interments is Lyons Wakeman see p. 267 of 290 Section 52 Grave No. 4066. A photo of this tombstone can be seen on Prairie T's blog and in the article by Julie Major.

Ancestry had this to say about Wakeman.

"...The 153rd was transferred to the field in early 1864 and Wakeman engaged in her first battle on 9 April 1864 at Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. She wrote her last letter home five days later from Grand Ecore Landing on the Red River..." Ancestry

There is also a limited preview on Google of this book title. An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, Alias ...‎by Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, Lauren Cook Burgess, Lauren M. Cook - Philosophy - 1995 - 128 pages.

Kenner and Kugler Cemetery

Historic Name: Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries Archaeological Dist.
Other Names: 16SC50 and 16SC51
Address:
City: Norco
Parish: St. Charles
State: LA
Zipcode: 70079
Status: National Register
Date Placed on National Register: 10/16/1987
Level of Significance: National
Area of Significance: Archaeology, Ethnic Heritage, Religion, Social History
Property Type: Archaeological Site; Cemetery
Architectural Style: No Style
Architect:
Theme: Archaeology, African-American Heritage
Documents 45003001.pdf
Pictures - None (see pdf file for above photo)
Maps - None (see spillway Bonnet Carre)





The archeological district consists of two discontiguous, but historically associated, historic
cemeteries. The cemeteries, named Kenner and Kugler, are Black burial plots which appear to date from the early 1800's to 1929. The sites are located on former adjoining nineteenth and early twentieth century sugar plantations in St. Charles Parish. According to oral histories, both
cemeteries were dedicated burial plots on the back side of their respective plantations. The Kenner Cemetery, located on the former Roseland Plantation, was reported to be marked by iron and wooden crosses during its period of use. No such markers were confirmed archeologically, but one granite headstone was recovered from the site. The Kugler Cemetery, located on the former Hermitage Plantation, was reported to contain iron crosses and a metal fence. One such iron cross and remnants of what could have been the fence were recovered during the 1986 archeological investigations. At present the sites are indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape. This is due to the extensive landscape modification that has taken place since construction of the spillway. The site areas have been subjected to scour and sediment deposition during several spillway openings and extensive sand dredging after such openings. Both sites were partially damaged during trench excavations in 1975. However, the 1986 archeological research revealed that both retain a high degree of archeological integrity.
The information related to the period of use of the cemeteries is largely limited to the oral
histories collected from elderly residents of the area and the archeological interpretations. The only confirmed date of interment is for Sanders Royal who was buried in Kenner Cemetery in April 1895.

This information was traced from the partial headstone recovered at Kenner Cemetery (National
Archives, not dated). The informants agree that both cemeteries were in use until the land was
acquired in 1929. Analysis of the morphology and construction of the coffins examined during the
1986 fieldwork indicates that the coffins date from 1830 to 1929.

The historical research indicates that Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries probably were
established during the antebellum period as slave cemeteries for Roseland and Hermitage
plantations. The limited fieldwork did not confirm this probability and the historic record is too
incomplete to conclusively assign this period of use. What can be said with certainty is that the
cemeteries were in use from 1895 to 1929. Equally certain is the cultural/ethnic association of the sites. Both are cemeteries of the rural black communities residing in the area.
Kenner Cemetery was initially discovered in 1975. After slipping into obscurity when use
was discontinued in 1929 and subsequent spillway openings masked its location, the site was
inadvertently damaged by excavation of a drainage ditch in early 1975. Several burials were
disturbed and human and coffin remains were later discovered along the banks of the ditch.
Archeological fieldwork coupled with historical literature research and oral history collection was
conducted in 1986 to investigate the nature of the remains. This research was part of the first phase of a cultural resources inventory of the Bonnet Carre' Spillway conducted by R. Christopher Goodwin and Associates, Inc., under contract to the New Orleans District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (Yakubik et al., 1986).

The 1986 archeological fieldwork included a variety of methodologies. These included
magnetometer survey, topographic survey, excavation of five 1m X 2m units, backhoe trenching,
and augering. The magnetic and topographic surveys were the first methods used and were
intended to define the extent of the site. The survey was followed by probing and shovel testing of anomalous features. Excavation of 1m X 2m test units followed to examine individual burials. It's important to note that all artifacts were left in situ and no coffins were opened. Next, backhoe trenches were excavated along the assumed perimeters of the site to confirm the horizontal extent of the site. Finally, a line of auger tests were placed through the site along an east-west axis to further investigate the stratigraphy. In total, only 1.1% of the total site area (33.6 of 3,106 square meters) was excavated during the 1986 fieldwork. Any cultural remains encountered in these limited excavations were left undisturbed.

The fieldwork determined a total site size of 3,106 square meters (0.77 acres) for the
Kenner Cemetery as shown on the site map (Attachment 2). Due to the surface disturbance which has taken place at the site, the depth of the site below present land surface is variable. Vertical extent is estimated at 1 to 2 meters based on burials examined at the site.
Extensive disturbance to the surface of the Kenner Cemetery has occurred since 1929
when the site was abandoned. The spillway has been opened seven times with resulting sediment deposition in the site area. Sand dredging to remove the sediments over the site area has been accomplished in several discrete episodes. Although this work has altered the cemetery's physical setting, it has not significantly affected the burials themselves. The disturbance which did damage a portion of the site and lead to its discovery occurred in 1975. Early in that year a shallow drainage ditch was excavated through the site area. Based on analysis of skeletal remains recovered later in the year, a minimum of five individual burials were disturbed. Although two spillway openings and sand dredging since 1975 have obscured the extent of the ditch through the site, its location is approximated by the 0.8 meter contour line shown on the site map (Attachment 2). Use of this contour line indicates that 29.1% of the total site area (903 of 3,106 square meters) was affected by excavation of this ditch. However, it can not be concluded that the disturbance was total since 6 of the 11 intact burials identified at the Kenner Cemetery are located in the portion of the site which was impacted in 1975.
The archeological investigation of the Kenner Cemetery identified 11 intact burials. An
estimate of 108 to 156 individual graves was generated based on density figures from similar sites and a minimum size estimate for the site utilizing the distances between documented graves. The similar sites utilized in the estimate were the nearby Montz Cemetery with its density of one burial per 6.92 square meters (Franks et al, 1986) and the Cedar Grove Cemetery with a density of one burial per 10 square meters (Rose, 1985). This estimate is considered conservative since only documented graves were utilized to estimate the number of burials.
The Kugler Cemetery was identified during the oral history research for the Kenner
Cemetery. Informants noted the existence of a second cemetery in the spillway and identified its
general location. After initial locational difficulties, exposed burials were identified in a cattle ditch.

The methodologies employed at this site were similar to those described for the Kenner Cemetery. One addition, however, was the inspection of six burials exposed in the cattle ditch. In total, only 1.6% of the total site area (53.4 of 3,300 square meters) was subject to excavation. Again, cultural remains were left in situ.

The fieldwork determined a total site size of 3,300 square meters (0.82 acres) for the Kugler
Cemetery as shown on the site map (Attachment 3). The vertical extent of the site is estimated at 2 to 3 meters below present ground surface based on the burials exposed in the cattle ditch.
Similar to the disturbance which has occurred to the Kenner site, the Kugler Cemetery has
been subject to extensive surface disturbance resulting from spillway openings and sand dredging.

Also similar to the Kenner site, Kugler Cemetery was damaged during excavation of a ditch in 1975. The purpose of the ditch was to control the movement of cattle which were present in the spillway in 1975. me area of disturbance can be identified as the continuance of the cattle ditch shown on either side of the site on Attachment 3. The topography was recorded after the cattle ditch had been filled in to protect the exposed burials. The portion of the total site area affected by this ditch is 7.8% (257 of 3,300 square meters). The remains of burials dislocated in 1975 were not recovered during the 1986 fieldwork. It is likely that they exist in the spoil bank of the ditch along the southern margin of the site.

The 1986 fieldwork identified 14 burials at the Kugler Cemetery. Using the same method
employed at the Kenner Cemetery, an estimate of 100 to 144 individual graves was derived. Again, this estimate is considered conservative.

The artifacts recorded from these sites include the 1975 disturbed remains from the Kenner
Cemetery and those examined during the 1986 fieldwork at both sites. The artifacts included coffin furniture, coffins, grave markers, cultural remains, and human remains. Coffin furniture included 53 items in three classes of remains; handles, lid fasteners, and decorative elements. Of the 25 burials confirmed during the fieldwork, 12 could be placed in broad date ranges based on morphology, construction details and furniture. Grave markers found at the sites included one iron cross, a white marble tombstone, and a cast iron beveled marker. Since no coffins were opened, no clothing, jewelry or grave goods were recovered. A button was found near one of the disturbed burials at the Kugler site.

During the 1986 investigations, no human remains were recovered . However, remains from
the 1975 disturbance of Kenner Cemetery were examined to ascertain their condition. All the
remains are in an excellent state of preservation. Long bones are intact, as are cranial and
mandibular elements. Epiphyses are present at most diarthrodial joints. The collection displays a
number of pathological conditions, including a healed fracture, and osteoarthiritis of diarthrodial
joints.

Portions of both sites have suffered a loss of integrity as a result of direct impact. As noted
earlier, approximately 29.1% of the Kenner Cemetery and 7.8% of the Kugler Cemetery were
disturbed by dredging activities in 1975. However, even in portions of Kenner and Kugler
Cemeteries where direct impact has occurred, significant research potential remains. A number of relatively intact coffins were observed at both sites within the impacted zones, and human remains are expected to be in an excellent state of preservation.

Integrity of setting has been reduced as the result of spillway construction and operation.
However, integrity of location and workmanship has been maintained. Except for the portions of the sites affected in 1975 ditch construction, dredging activities have not disturbed the stratum
containing burials. Coffins and coffin hardware were observed to be in good to excellent states of
preservation. Burials retain their east-west orientation in discrete locations relative to adjacent
interments. Artifactual and human remains have retained their initial pattern of deposition and,
therefore, have the potential to provide information contained in the distribution of features and
artifacts. In summary, the major portions of both sites retain sufficient integrity of location, materials, and workmanship to allow the recovery of important information in the framework of an appropriate research design.

Data provided by oral informants and the limited documents available (National Archives,
nd) suggest that for purposes of mortuary and skeletal analysis, individuals interred in Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries represent members of a single population. However, if they do not represent the same population, they are strongly related to each other; historically, culturally and ethnically.

Significant dates N/A
Architect/Builder N/A
Criterion A & D
State significance of property, and justify criteria, criteria consideration, and areas and periods of
significance noted above.

The district is significant under criteria A and D because the two cemeteries can yield
important information relative to events which have made a significant contribution to the broad
patterns of our history. Specifically, the cemeteries are associated with slavery, the Civil War,
emancipation, and reconstruction. The limited archeological and historical research conducted at the two sites has revealed the potential to yield important information about demography, variations in mortuary practices, morbidity, mortality, nutrition and quality of life of an antebellum and reconstruction-era rural Black population. The information recoverable from these remains is generally unavailable elsewhere. The cemetery district qualifies under criteria consideration D because of its association with historic events that illustrate broad patterns of history and because few known documentary sources have survived to provide information about the history of this group.

The Louisiana Comprehensive Archeological Plan (Smith et al., 1983) has defined historic
contexts for the state and three are relevant to the district. These are Antebellum Louisiana
(1803-1860), War and Aftermath (1860-1890), and Industrialization and Modernization (1890-1940).

Several of the themes and research goals identified in the Louisiana CAP can be addressed by
multi-disciplinary scientific investigation of the district. For the Antebellum period context, the
Louisiana CAP lists plantation archeology and ethnic enclaves as important themes. A specific
research goal pertinent to the district is "what was the nature of Louisiana slave life?" (Smith et al., 1983: 254). This is a broad research topic which can be addressed if the cemeteries began use as slave burial plots as hypothesized. The district is potentially eligible on a local and state level in this context. Although plantation sites in Louisiana have been subject to numerous archeological investigations, study of plantation cemeteries in the state are rare. Such studies offer the opportunity to provide important information on the quality of slave life, nutrition, morbidity and mortality for comparison with the documentary record and with data from other regions of the South.

The Louisiana CAP also lists plantation archeology and ethnic enclaves as important
themes for the next historic context, War and Aftermath. Specific research goals for this period
include "how is the change from slave to tenant reflected in the archeological record?" (Smith et al., 1983: 274). The Louisiana CAP also notes that because the Louisiana society and economy were destroyed by the Civil War, the archeological deposits of this period offer an ideal opportunity to study human adaptation (Smith et al., 1983: 296). The two cemeteries represent a population which resided continuously in the area from the Antebellum period to 1929 and, thus, can provide data to study this issue. The size and quality of the data set available in the district can be utilized to address many aspects of this turbulent period which are not available in other sources. These include the impact of emancipation on the diet, morbidity, mortality, mortuary practices, patterns of personal property, and economic status of the Black population of the area.

Finally, for the historic context entitled Industrialization and Modernization, the Louisiana
CAP identifies Ethnic enclaves again as a significant research theme. One of the research goals for this period which has already been partially addressed by research at the two cemetery sites is the collection of oral histories for comparison with archeological results. Specific questions are "how do our memories correlate to the archeological record?" and "what can be learned through this combined approach to historical reconstruction?" (Smith et al ., 1983: 287).
This archeological district offers a unique opportunity to address this research goal. Due to
the almost non-existent documentary record for this period of Black history, the importance of oral history research to maximize archeological interpretation can not be overemphasized. In this particular case, many descendants of the interred population still reside in the immediate area.

During the 1986 archeological investigations of the sites, the assistance of oral informants was
crucial to our understanding of the historic context of the sites. Therefore, the sites possess local
and state significance in this context. Because this type of research could have broad applicability to method and theory in historical archeology, the district may possess National level significance.

From the above discussion, the district obviously possesses local and state significance in
several historic contexts identified and described in the Louisiana CAP. No other cemetery sites of this period and ethnic association in Louisiana have previously been listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register. In addition to these levels of eligibility, the district may also possess National level significance. The following excerpt from Yakubik et al., 1986 addresses this potential:

Kenner and Kugler cemeteries offer the researcher the unique opportunity to study a nineteenth
century Black population about which very little is known. The scientific importance of such a
resource to archeology and to bioanthropology has been summarized by Rose (1985, passim) for
the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Southwest Arkansas. Archeological research issues identified by
Rose (1985) include the daily domestic life of slaves in the antebellum period, patterns of personal property, mortuary customs and attendant belief systems, and changing patterns of economic status. These issues obtain for the Reconstruction Period, as well.
Rose (1985: 1) has referred to the "almost invisible" lives of historic American Blacks; the
presence, in situ, at Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries of a nearly autochthonous Black population with antebellum roots and almost a century of residence in the region, provides a unique opportunity to study unrecorded history, including patterns and processes of change. That opportunity is even more significant given the biases intrinsic to the written records of the antebellum and even of the Reconstruction period in the Deep South. The Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries provide an opportunity for both archeological problem solving and for simple discovery about an otherwise unrecorded or poorly documented history.

In addition, the Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries have the potential to contribute to
bioanthropological understanding about the demography, morbidity, mortality, nutrition, and quality of life of antebellum and Reconstruction-era Blacks. Rose (1985: 146-152 ), in his study of the Cedar Grove population, has shown the uneven and controversial nature of historic data on these subjects. The Cedar Grove data, at least, indicate that popularly held notions about the health and nutrition of Reconstruction-era Blacks may not have broad applicability. The Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries present bioanthropological resources that have the potential to provide important information on these subjects; they also may provide a comparative test of the representationality of the Cedar Grove baseline on morbidity and nutrition, extending the utility of that data base for scientific understanding of a poorly documented period in American history. Again, it should be reiterated that no documentary sources provide these data for rural Southern Blacks (Rose 1985).

Examination of census records during the course of investigations reported here demonstrated that records concerning Blacks in Louisiana during the Reconstruction period are incomplete and
inadequate (U. S. Census 1870, 1880). A minimum estimate of numbers of individuals interred in each of the cemeteries under discussion here is approximately 150. Data provided by oral informants and the limited documents available (i.e., Military Pension Application of Sanders Royal, National Archives) suggest that for purposes of mortuary and skeletal analysis, individuals interred in Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries represent members of a single population. However, if estimated sample size is correct, the populations could be analyzed separately and subsequently compared. If that comparison confirms that they are not statistically different, then the two populations could be combined. Therefore, research potential of these sites is greater than that of any sites of this category reported to date.

In summary, Kenner and Kugler cemeteries have the potential to yield significant data for
further investigations into the demography, health, nutrition, and mortuary practices of a single
population. These potential research subjects meet the criteria for eligibility outlined in the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines. Furthermore, osteological, pathological, and genetic questions potentially could be addressed, especially considering the excellent bone preservation noted previously.

Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries exhibit the quality of significance as defined by Criteria A and D.
(Yakubik et al., 1986: 329-330) .

Major Bibliographical Reference
Nat'1. Archives Military and Pension Records of Sanders Ray, Company H, 10th
Not dated Regiment, U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery (Civil War). On file at USACE, New
Orleans District.

Rose, Jerome C. Gone to a Better Land: A Biohistory of a Rural Black Cemetery in the Post
1985 Reconstruction-South. Research Series No. 25, Arkansas Archeological
Survey, Fayetteville, AR

Smith, Steven D. et al. Louisiana's Comprehensive Archeological Plan. Louisiana Division of
1983 Archeology, Baton Rouge, LA

Yakubik, Jill-Karen et al. Cultural Resources Inventory of the Bonnet Carre' Spill St. Charles
1986 Parish, Louisiana. Final Report on file at USACE, New Orleans District.



Corps to check status of watery graves
http://www.heraldguide.com/details_archive.php?id=4041

May 15, 2008

By Shonna Riggs

The decision to open the Bonnet Carré Spillway caused heated discussions over whether or not that opening was good for the environment and how it would hamper recreational activities at the site.

However, not too many people thought about how it would affect the remains buried beneath it.

"Yes, there are two graveyards located in the spillway," Chris Brantley, biologist and spillway operations manager, said. "The cemeteries contain the bodies of both free and enslaved African-Americans."

Now that the spillway is closed, one of those cemeteries, the Kugler Cemetery, could have been affected. Brantley says he and Dr. Edwin Lyons, an archaeologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will be looking to see if the water that poured in from the river affected the gravesite.

"We know there might be some erosion and water damage to the Kugler Cemetery because it's located right in the middle of the spillway and there's a lot of erosion that takes place there," Brantley said. "The archaeologist will go in next week and determine whether or not there's excessive water damage there and then the water will be pumped out."

Brantley says the tombstones and caskets are under several feet of sediment.

"There are markers there letting people know there's a cemetery in the spillway," he said "We keep both sites maintained."

Brantley says descendants in the area often come by to visit the cemeteries.

"We are in the process of updating a master plan and working with the descendants of these families," he said. "We're considering putting in a memorial to develop more of the cultural aspect to let people know just what took place in this part of the river."

The location of the gravesites was a mystery until the 1970's when the corps was attempting to excavate a ditch in the spillway. During that process, a tombstone and casket were discovered. In 1986, the corps ordered a historical study of the spillway and discovered a second cemetery.

"During the study, through oral history from people living in the surrounding area, we were told that the Kugler Cemetery wasn't the only one located in the spillway," Lyons said. "The second cemetery was later discovered and identified as the Kenner Cemetery."

According to the Louisiana Historical Preservation Society, there are 14 graves located in the Kugler Cemetery and 144 in the Kenner Cemetery. The artifacts discovered during the 1986 study included coffin furniture, coffins, grave markers, cultural remains and human remains.

"With the guidance that we have nowadays, if we were to ever do another project that required the use of that area in the spillway, we would work with the descendants a little more in having the remains relocated," Brantley said. "But the decision of the families at the time was to leave the remains in place."

See also Bonnet Carre Spillway - The History of the Plantations...
http://www.angelfire.com/oh4/katiemedlin/index.html

Sweet Olive Cemetery in Baton Rouge

There are recent photographs of Sweet Olive Cemetery in Baton Rouge that can be seen on Facebook from John Gallent. The link to the photo album is below. This 2006 photograph is of volunteers from the LSU Honors College Freshman initiating one of two volunteer clean-ups at Sweet Olive Cemetery. You can read about the 2006 clean up effort here. I've tried several times to contact the LSU Honors College for more information concerning this cemetery, but have had no luck.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?page=2&aid=2445573&id=23418888


Evidently, The Advocate, posted a video about this cemetery back in October 2008 as having been damaged from hurricane Gustav. Another blogger, historicalbatonrouge.blogspot.com, had posted that in April 2007 a truck smashed through the fence at this same cemetery and damaged tombs.

The Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance, Inc. has listed Sweet Olive Cemetery as a historical cemetery that the city supports as a landmark. This is what they have to say about Sweet Olive from their website:

Sweet Olive Cemetery, located in the heart of Mid City, is the oldest African-American cemetery in Baton Rouge. The Community Development office supports the revitalization of this important cultural landmark by organizing volunteer clean-ups and assisting in the grant-writing process. The goal of this project is to enhance the appearance, safety and overall atmosphere of the cemetery, creating a safer, more attractive environment for residents, visitors and tourists.

A "representative" of Sweet Olive Cemetery has been enlisted in a study according to Louisiana Legislative document HLS183. The proposed study of historical cemeteries will end in April 2009. Members of the wiki, Louisiana Cemetery Preservation, can view a better copy of this document here.

HLS 08RS-5412ORIGINAL





Regular Session, 2008



HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 183



BY REPRESENTATIVES MARCHAND AND SAM JONES





CEMETERIES:  Requests the House Commitee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural

Afairs to study the issues related to the preservation of historic cemeteries and the

creation of a historic cemetery preservation fund





1A RESOLUTION



2To urge and request the House Commitee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Afairs to



3studyand make recommendations relative to issues related to the preservation of



4historic cemeteries and the creation of a historic cemetery preservation fund and to



5report its findings to the House of Representatives by April 15, 2009.



6WHEREAS, cemeteries are among the most valuable historic resources of the state



7of Louisiana as cemeteries can reveal information about the historic events, religion,



8lifestyles, and genealogyof a local community; and



9WHEREAS, in addition to being resting places for our dead, many of Louisiana's



10cemeteries are repositories of significant examples of art, architecture, and archaeology; and



11WHEREAS, the importance of cemeteries should not be taken lightly, as cemeteries



12represent a substantial tourist atraction for the state of Louisiana, and also present an endles



13source of data for historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, and genealogists that



14colectively lead us to a beter understanding of our own culture; and



15WHEREAS, historic cemeteries face dramatic pressures from development, from



16abandonment and decay, from nature, and from vandals, and the demolition, destruction, and



17damage of historic cemeteries is a disrespectful practice; and



18WHEREAS, existing state laws do not provide for adequate protection of historic



19cemeteries; and





Page 1 of 4

HLS 08RS-5412ORIGINAL

HR NO. 183


1WHEREAS, during the 2008 Regular Sesion of the Legislature, the House



2Commitee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Afairs held a hearing on House Bil No.



31092 which proposed to establish the Louisiana Cemetery Historic Preservation Program



4within the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and additionaly proposed the



5creation of the Louisiana Historic Cemetery Trust Fund in the state treasury to fund the



6program; and



7WHEREAS, during the 2008 Regular Sesion of the Legislature, the House



8Commitee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Afairs held a hearing on House Bil No.



91334 which also proposed the creation of the Louisiana Historic CemeteryTrust Fund in the



10state treasury; and



11WHEREAS, testimony in commitee indicated that there was substantial support for



12the creation of a historic preservation program and the creation of the cemetery trust fund but



13also substantial opposition to the creation of the program and trust fund.



14THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the



15Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the House Commitee on Municipal,



16Parochial and Cultural Afairs to study and make recommendations relative to isues related



17to the preservation of historic cemeteries and the creation of a historic cemetery preservation



18fund.



19BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commitee shal specificaly solicit the input,



20recommendations, and advice of those who can provide relevant information and suggestions



21to the commitee based upon their expertise and experience, including but not limited to the



22folowing:



23(1) A representative of the ofice of the lieutenant governor.



24(2)  A representative of the Department of Health and Hospitals, ofice of vital



25records.



26(3) A representative of the Louisiana Cemetery Board.



27(4) A representative of Save Our Cemeteries.



28(5) A representative of the National Trust for Historical Preservation, New Orleans



29Field Ofice.



30(6) A representative of the Louisiana Historical Society.





Page 2 of 4

HLS 08RS-5412ORIGINAL

HR NO. 183


1(7) A representative of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.



2(8)  A representative of the National Center for Preservation Technology and



3Training, Natchitoches.



4(9) A representative of the Louisiana Landmark Society.



5(10) A representative of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Ofice of Cemeteries.



6(11) A representative of the Shreveport Historic Preservation Society.



7(12)  A representative of the Kinder Cemetery Asociation located in Kinder,



8Louisiana.



9(13)  A representative of the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society located in



10Shreveport, Louisiana.



11(14) A representative of the Friends of Historic St. Nicholas Cemetery.



12(15) A representative of the Liberty Chapel Cemetery Asociation located in Dry



13Prong, Louisiana.



14(16) A representative of the St. Martinvile Cemetery.



15(17) A representative of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Ofice of Cemeteries.



16(18)Arepresentativeofthehistoriccemeteries (Magnolia andHighlandCemeteries)



17located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.



18(19)  A representative of the Sweet Olive Cemetery located in Baton Rouge,



19Louisiana.



20(20)  A representative of the Fenten Cemetery Association located in Fenten,



21Louisiana.



22(21) A representative of the Louisiana Funeral Directors Asociation.



23(22) A representative of the Crescent CityFuneral Directors Asociation.



24(23) A representative of the Louisiana CemeteryAsociation.



25(24)ArepresentativeoftheLouisianaFuneralDirectorsandMorticiansAssociation.



26(25) A representative of the Louisiana Monument Dealers Association.



27(26) A representative of the Louisiana State Board of Embalmers.



28(27) A representative of the Friends of the Greenwood Cemetery of Shreveport.



29(28) A representative of the city of Franklin Historic District Commission.





Page 3 of 4


HLS 08RS-5412ORIGINAL

HR NO. 183


1BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that al departments, boards, agencies, oficers, and



2institutions of the state and al subdivisions thereofshal cooperate with the commitee in



3providing information to assist the commitee in carying out its responsibility pursuant to this



4Resolution.



5BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commitee shal report the results of its study



6and its recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the House of Representatives of



7the Legislature of Louisiana by April 15, 2009.





DIGEST



The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. Itconstitutes no part

of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute

part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]




MarchandHR No. 183



Requests the House Commitee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Afairs to study and

makerecommendationsrelativetoissuesrelatedtothepreservationofhistoriccemeteriesand

the creation of a historic cemetery preservation fund.



Provides that the commitee shal solicit the input, recommendations, and advice of those who

can provide relevant information and suggestions to the commitee based upon their expertise

and experience from representatives of specified organizations.



Requires al state departments, boards, agencies, oficers, and institutions and al subdivisions

of the state to cooperate with the commitee in providing information to assist the commitee.



Requires that the commitee report the results of its study and its recommendations, including

proposed legislation, to the House of Representatives by April 15, 2009.





Page 4 of 4


larep099@legis.state.la.us Rep. Marchand joness@legis.state.la.us Rep. Jones

Twin Cities Memorial Gardens

Ink dry on purchase of troubled cemetery
from URL: http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20081209/NEWS01/812090309

Staff report

The purchase of Twin Cities Memorial Gardens in West Monroe has been
completed, and in the near future its name will be changed to Kilpatrick's
Serenity Gardens.

Laura Kilpatrick Marchelos, Kilpatrick Funeral Homes president, said
Monday the company has already met with architects and contractors to give "this
half-century old property a new and exciting face-lift which we will be
unveiling over the next 60 to 90 days."

The cemetery was placed in receivership by the state earlier this year
because of poor management by former owner Dannie Jackson. Mulhearn Funeral
Homes had been running the facility since the state's takeover. Mulhearn has its
own cemetery, Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery, east of Monroe.

The state Attorney General's Office, which represents the Louisiana
Cemetery Board, placed Twin Cities into receivership in January while
investigating complaints over the past several years about poor management and
perpetual care and merchandise trusts not being properly funded.

Following a state investigation, Jackson was indicted on 16 counts of
improper contract for taking money for headstones that he never installed. In
February, he pleaded no contest to one count of improper contract for failing to
put the money in a trust account as required by law.

Jackson has agreed to ensure that all trust funds be fully funded and
to provide a reserve account so Kilpatrick Funeral Homes can fund contracts of
families that have not been fulfilled.

Kilpatrick Funeral Homes operates businesses in Monroe, West Monroe,
Ruston and Farmerville.
"This has been a dream of ours to add a cemetery to
our existing business and to be able to do it where it will benefit the
community of West Monroe and Ouachita Parish. It is a perfect fit," Kilpatrick
said.

Following a state attorney general investigation and an audit by Lucy
McCann of the Louisiana Cemetery Board and the Kilpatrick staff, Kilpatrick
Funeral Homes founder Tex Kilpatrick said "that everything is in order at this
time."

He said those with questions should contact Kilpatrick's at 323-9614.
He said all records should be ready for review "within the next few
weeks."

Marchelos said people driving by the cemetery will begin to notice
immediate enhancements such as a general cleanup, a new permanent office, new
signage, updated fencing, lighting and road improvements. "Further improvements
will become evident as we get closer to spring of 2009," she said

.

West Baton Rouge Parish cemetery on River Road

November 25th and 26th Paul Gates of WAFB wrote a story about a small rural cemetery in West Baton Rouge Parish that likely suffered damage from Hurricane Gustav. It was found by a couple traveling in the area who emailed Mr. Gates about the damaged cemetery near Beuche, Louisiana on River Road. The Assistant Attorney General, Ryan Seideman, the Louisiana Cemetery Board, and both the West Baton Rouge cornoners office and Parish President were on hand to see that the cemetery was cleaned up. You can read more about both articles from Paul Gates here: Family shocked by cemetery destruction and Repair process begins at cemetery with damaged caskets and vaults. It is believed that the destruction found was likely caused by Hurricane Gustav and the owner may be able to get assistance from FEMA. They are still looking for the owner of this cemetery on River Road.


There are very few named cemeteries in West Baton Rouge Parish and even fewer with transcripts available on-line. In fact, Martin Gautier's Louisiana Cemeteries lists several "unknown" cemeteries that have no transcripts, photographs or recognition by USGS. I noted 10 unknown cemeteries at his site where has has listed the GPS of the cemetery. USGS lists cemeteries differently from church cemeteries. Only 10 cemeteries are noted by USGS. USGS lists several churches that may be associated with older cemeteries. Find A Grave notes 39 cemeteries totally in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana where a few more are associated with churches.

Heritage Day at Fort Polk 2008

The second annual Heritage Day at Fort Polk took place on November 1st. According to the Leesville Daily Leader newspaper, "Since undertaking the goal of preserving the old home sites and cemeteries, Fort Polk has located more than 27 cemeteries as well as numerous home sites.During the past year, more than 70 grave sites have been located with ground-penetrating radar. Sage said they hope to identify all of the grave sites and eventually replace markers. Currently Fort Polk is working with the U.S. Forest Service and Northwestern State University to collect oral histories along with any and all photos of Camp Polk and the home sites of the families prior to the government’s take over of the land.As information is collected, it is being recorded. Copies will be available for viewing at Fort Polk and NSU." The Gaurdian posted an article about Heritage Day by ZACH MORGAN, Heritage Days helps families heal old hurts.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

Students Hit the Streets to Help New Orleans As a steady stream of tourists wandered through Lafayette No. 1 cemetery located across the street from Commander’s Palace restaurant, troops of Tulane students fanned out to groom the historic grounds. Working in partnership with the community group Save Our Cemeteries, some students picked up ...Tulane New Wave - http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/092308_outreach.cfm

Legislative Actions in 2008

Search URL terms "cemetery" and "cemeteries"

HB 928 Act 600 signed by the Governor of Louisiana - CULTURE/REC/TOUR DEPT:Provides for the creation of the Louisiana Historic Cemetery Register

HB 1243 Act 657 signed by the Governor of Louisiana - CRIME/THEFT:Provides for the crime of theft of copper from a religious building or cemetery or graveyard

SB 339 Act 541 signed by the Governor of Louisiana - CEMETERIES:Provides relative to cemeteries in receivership for rehabilitation. (gov sig)

SB 424 Act 188 signed by the Governor of Louisiana - CEMETERIES:Provides for a written contract in cemetery related merchandise and services. (gov sig)

SB 427 Act 423 signed by the Governor of Louisiana - CEMETERIES:Requires property used for cemetery purposes to be dedicated as such through recording an instrument with the clerk of court of the parish in which the cemetery is located and with the Louisiana Cemetery Board. (gov sig)

Other Actions on the House Calendar 2008 "cemetery"

See aslo HLS No. 183

Battle of Baton Rouge Commemoration & Dedication of Yellow Fever Memorial

Historic Magnolia Cemetery, 19th Street, Baton Rouge

Battle of Baton Rouge Commemoration & Dedication of Yellow Fever Memorial • Saturday, August 9th

John W. Wilbert, Jr., board member of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, performs TAPS during the annual ceremony each year. This year's event will be held on Saturday, August 9, at 10 a.m. in Historic Magnolia Cemetery.

A special memorial monument will be dedicated to honor the victims of the 1878 Yellow Fever epidemic. More than 100 individuals died during the epidemic and are buried in the cemetery.

What: Patriotic commemorative ceremony honors 1862 Civil War Battle of Baton Rouge Dedication of a new memorial to victims of 1878 Yellow Fever epidemic
When: Saturday, August 9, 10 a.m. to 11.a.m.
Where: Historic Magnolia Cemetery, 19th Street, Baton Rouge
Who: Patriotic Americans, Families, Children, Civil War Historians, Decedents of the Yellow Fever Epidemic

Free and Open to the Public

The Foundation for Historical Louisiana invites the public to attend a patriotic ceremony at Historic Magnolia Cemetery on Saturday, August 9. The program, which honors the 1862 Battle of Baton Rouge, will include a special dedication to unveil a memorial in honor of the hundreds of individuals who lost their lives to Yellow Fever in 1878 in the Baton Rouge area. Many of these individuals are buried in the cemetery.

The free commemorative event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. on Saturday, August 9, at Historic Magnolia Cemetery, located at Florida Boulevard and 19th Street. The program will feature a color guard, canon firing, wreath laying, taps, a vocalist, and civil war enthusiasts in period dress. There will be a tent, chairs, and water under the Oak trees of the historic cemetery. Children are encouraged to attend. Civil War books and heritage items will be on sale from the Foundation for Historical Louisiana’s museum store. For further information call Foundation headquarters at 225-387-2464.

Magnolia Cemetery was established in 1852. Following the war, due to a poor economy, Magnolia Cemetery fell into disrepair. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Civil War Discovery Train, the cemetery is being restored thanks to FHL, the Magnolia Cemetery trustees, BREC, and others. Ory Poret, a member of the board of FHL and the trustees, serves a chairman of this annual Civil War commemorative event. This sacred and historic site is also the location of the Foundation’s “Magnolia’s Memories” theatre program held annually in March. Professional actors portray the lives of individuals buried in Magnolia Cemetery, giving viewers insight into early life and times of Baton Rouge.

The Battle of Baton Rouge took place on August 5, 1862 on the grounds of Magnolia Cemetery. Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 25, 1861. On May 29, 1862, Union troops led by Brigadier General Thomas Williams began the Federal Occupation of Baton Rouge.

On August 5 at 4 a.m., Major General John C. Breckinridge and his 2,600 troops from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky entered Baton Rouge and began fighting Union forces. The Confederate army forced the Union troops back toward the Mississippi River. But, in order to recapture Baton Rouge, the Confederates needed their iron clad ram, the C.S.S. Arkansas to destroy all the Union ships on the river. The Arkansas, however, suffered engine trouble and was burned and set adrift by its crew four miles upriver from Baton Rouge. Unharmed, the U.S. S. Essex and four other Union gunboats bombarded the Confederate troops until they withdrew and marched out of Baton Rouge that same day. Among the soldiers that fell was Brigadier General Williams and A.G. Todd, half-brother of Mary Todd Lincoln, President Lincoln’s wife.

For further information contact the Foundation for Historical Louisiana at 387-2464.

Schedule of Events August 9th.


The Foundation for Historical Louisiana invites the public to attend a patriotic ceremony at Historic Magnolia Cemetery this weekend. The free event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. on Saturday, August 9, at Historic Magnolia Cemetery, located at Florida Boulevard and 19th Street.

The 25th annual program will feature a color guard, cannon firing, wreath laying, taps, a vocalist, and civil war enthusiasts in period dress. Colonel Philemon St. Amant II, U.S. Army (Retired) will be the guest speaker. There will be a tent, chairs, and water available. Civil War books and heritage items will be on sale from the Foundation for Historical Louisiana’s museum store. Families are encouraged to attend. This year in addition to the regular ceremony a memorial to the victims of the yellow fever epidemic laid to rest in a mass grave will be unveiled. The monument is a project of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, BREC, and the Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance. For further information contact the Foundation for Historical Louisiana at 387-2464 or visit www.fhl.org



Master of Ceremonies
Ory Poret
Chairman, Historic Magnolia Cemetery Trustees
Member, Board of Directors, Foundation for Historical Louisiana

This program is dedicated to the memory of Dot Lewis for her many years of
service to Historic Magnolia Cemetery.

Presentation for Colors and Flag-Raising
Chip Landry, Coordinator

U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard
Sgt. Jason S. Pitts, Commanding

Louisiana State Militia
Chip Landry, Commanding

Westside Honor Guard
Bernie LeBlanc, Commanding

Pledge of Allegiance
Frank Warren, President, Gen. Philemon Thomas Chapter,
Sons of the American Revolution

Invocation
W.T. Winfield, Past Chairman,
Mid City Historical Cemeteries Coalition

Vocal Offering
“Star Spangled Banner”
Marliese Samuel
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church
Port Allen, LA

Introduction of Guest Speaker
Lenore Feeney, Chair,
Foundation for Historical Louisiana

Guest Speaker
Colonel Philemon St. Amant II,
U.S. Army (Retired)

Wreath-Laying by the United Daughters of the Confederacy
Rachael Grace, President,
Joanna Waddill Chapter, UDC
Interested parties may now place small flags or flowers on graves.

Comments on Obelisk Honoring Yellow Fever Victims of 1878 Laid to Rest in Historic Magnolia Cemetery
Memorial Remarks: Robert F. Epperson, Director of Park Operations,
Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission

Assisted by: Shelly Roy, Chairman, Mid-City Historical Cemeteries Coalition
Larry Gates, Cemetery Board Member

Firing of Salute and Retirement of Colors

Rifle Volley

Fifth Company, Washington Artillery of New Orleans,
Sixth Massachusetts Battery
Captain Glen Harrison, Commanding

Fenner’s Louisiana Battery
Major Reinhard Dearing, Commander
Captain Donnis Davis, Section Commander

Taps
John W. Wilbert, Jr.

Acknowledgements
Carolyn Bennett, Executive Director, Foundation for Historical Louisiana

Benediction
Rev. Nina Russell (Retired), Cemetery Board Member

Vocal Offering
“God Bless America”
Marliese Samuel

Retire Colors

Closing Remarks
Ory Poret


Donations to our cemetery fund are gratefully appreciated.

FROM URL on August 1, 2008:
http://www.fhl.org/FHL/Home/CurrentEvent.shtm

Group Think

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Group Think Tank - What other questions should be addressed with the possible relocation of 9 cemeteries?

Read more at this thread

• Will the proposed action and the Draft EIS discuss the long-term plan for the preservation of the nine historical cemeteries affected?
• Has the State of Louisiana Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism, Louisiana Unmarked Burial Sites Board been notified of the proposed action and the Draft EIS?
• Will local historians, genealogist, archaeologists and Save Our Cemeteries offer impact statements concerning the nine cemeteries affected?
• What other cemeteries in Louisiana have been relocated and where can I find more information about the process of relocating a cemetery? It appears that 9 cemeteries in Washington Parish will be affected and possibly relocated due to a reservior project.
  
• Can anyone think of any other obvious questions that should be addressed with the likelihood of nine cemeteries requiring relocation?