> Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, Friday, July 6, 1894 > THE OLD TOWN CEMETERY > The Bones of Many Early Residents Being Brought To Light After years of > Peaceful Rest > Last Friday afternoon, a representative of the Journal strolled out to > the Old Town cemetery and notices the work of the resurrection and > re-internment of the remains of many of Crawfordsville's oldest citizens. > The north 60 feet of the cemetery from the east to the west is to be vacated > and utilized as a road, and the work of re-internment has been in progress > for several days. Each body, (only a few bones remain of most) when > resurrected, is placed in a small enplaned and unpainted oak box of about 1 > x 2 feet and re-interred in a part of the cemetery not vacated; unless > perchance some relatives of the dead person's remains, will manifest enough > interest to have the bones carried to some other and more reputable burying > ground. > Large numbers of people visit the scene of the work daily and display > the curiosity incident to lovers of such uncanny work. There are several > workmen employed under the contractor, Jere Carver, and J.H. Cook, > superintends the work and keeps the books. The cemetery has not been used > for a burying ground for a number of years and is so rankly overgrown with > brush and trees. The roots of these have in many instance penetrated to the > coffins of the dead....... In nearly every instance the coffins have > disappeared, leaving only a little wood to show they had ever been > employed. The few remaining bones of the deceased are picked up carefully, > however and deposited in the boxes prepared for them. The portion of the > cemetery vacated is the most densely populated of the little city of the > dead, and Friday afternoon, sixty-two bodies had been taken up, with as many > more remaining. > Friday afternoon, the bodies of John Conners and his little grandson, > Dennis Ward Jr. were taken from adjacent graves after a sleep of 20 years. > Only a few bones remained. The bones of both were placed in one box and > taken away by Dennis Ward, Sr. > The bodies of Micajah Reeder, 1779-1849, and his daughter, Mrs. Wm. L. > John rest under a large monument and have not yet been molested. Mr. Reeder > died here while on a visit to the Burbridge family and was buried far from > his home. His epitaph; "Touch the love Harp for him, Thus far form home > sweet home, Where love still fondly clings." > The skeleton of Mary Conder was found with a great wealth of flowing > hair, probably grown after burial. The skeleton of Isabelle May was in > excellent state of preservation. The body of Nancy Smith, which had been > buried thirty-four years was found in excellent condition; the clothing > still being preserved and even the hair pins in the queerly dressed hair. > The bodies of Margaret Misner and two daughters were removed from > adjacent graves. The bodies of John O'Connor and his children, Mickey and > Maggie were removed to the Catholic Cemetery. Friday afternoon the white > coffin of an unknown child was dug up. The coffin was in splendid condition > and was re-interred in another part of the cemetery without being opened. > The bodies of John, Tessie, and Lizzie Costello were removed to the Catholic > cemetery. The skeleton of Archibald Martin was removed after being buried > thirty-nine years, and was in good condition. Mr. Martin was 88 years old > at the time of his death. The bodies of W.H.H. Martin, J.C. Martin, and > James F. Martin were also taken from adjacent graves. The body of an > unknown was removed from the grave next to that of W.H.H, Martin, his > clothes were still in fine condition and easily showed their cut and color. > The body of Rosa Wilson, colored, with the body of her infant child in > her arms, was removed. Her hair was still preserved. The workers have > found no jewelry of valuables as they work, although occasionally buttons, > hair pins, etc. were picked up. >