Figured I would pass this on to the Indiana list since some of the Indiana Cemetery Preservation Act people are on this list I believe. Hello all, As I drove down Grant street today for work I looked up at the Tolleston cemetery, as I do every day when I pass, but this time something was different. I was startled to see large machinery (back hoes) rolling through the middle of the cemetery!! I immediately turned around and went to talk to the men working there. They were from Larry's Tree Service, and said that they were hired by the City of Gary to clean up the property, but they didnt know what was planned for the lot. I walked around and didnt see any major damage to the stones, except for one chip off of a stone (you could tell by how clean it was where it had been chipped). The guys working were real helpful and even walked around looking at the stones with me (I didnt tell them I was checking for damage) and they even remarked sadly about the young ages of the people buried there. I told them a bit about the early settlers there, and how the stone squares around each plot represented each family group buried together, so hopefully they will think of the people while they work and will be careful. As far as I know, the church still owned that land last year when I spoke to the Pastor. I don't know why the City would "clean up" private church property, but they've levelled the lot next to the cemetery as if a building was in the works. A few of the descendants of people buried there, and myself, had talked about going once the weather broke to clean it up, but now I don't know what is going to be done with it. It badly needed cleaning up as it was overgrown and had everything from old tires to beer bottles to an old stove thrown onto the property, and I hope that this is just a nice clean-up gesture by Mayor King. According to Indiana Law (as far as I know) the owners of land with a cemetery on it are free to do what they want with the contents. This includes disposing of the remains and stones to the City dump if that's what the land owner so wishes. This worries me. I hope that I am just worried for no reason, but thought I would let others know what might be happening. I tried calling the church when I got home from work, but no answer. They might only be there earlier in the day. I am going with our DAR and other lists tomorrow to walk the cemetery and see if there are any stones not accounted for yet due to the conditions existing at other times when it was walked. If the City of Gary destroys Tolleston Cemetery, I want to be sure we know who was there for future generations. Anyone have suggestions? Anyone hear about something planned for this cemetery already? Anyone know who to call to find out if the church doesnt know? Kathy PS Tolleston Cemetery is between 19th and 20th avenues, on Grant street in Gary. Last known or present owner (since the 1868) St John Lutheran Church, 2235 W 10th ave, Gary, IN 46404, 219-944-0654 Transcriptions of stones and brief history at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~inlake/tollcem.txt <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~inlake/tollcem.txt">tollcem.txt at www.rootsweb.com</A>