Chris, Go find a aerial photo about 1940 or 1972 (surveyor's office) of the farm with the cemetery and blow it up by digital copying and see if you can see the fence line or trees that were in the unfarmed area. Also the local ASCS (Ag) office can order color slides from these photos for 1972 that can be projected (blown up) to a pretty good size which allows you to see a lot that was there. Also check a topographic map. Also, sometimes they are designated in the Soil and Conservation Agency's map of different soil types. ASCS office records will also show that the area was not previously farmed and may show its use. Did Nicholas Jones have a govt. stone or any other veterans buried there? If so. Might be a record in the NARA or Ft Wayne showing where (what cemetery) that stone was placed. Also, are you aware of WPA maps for your county and the veterans card file to go with them? Good Luck, Jon >From: "Christine West" <cherokee@shelbynet.net> >Reply-To: INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com >To: INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [INPCRP] ...so long as time may last - Thank you. >Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2001 08:18:00 -0600 > >Jack, that sounds like exactly what I want to hear happen to all of these >I'm finding that were removed from deeds. Sure hopes this one turns out as >nice as the one you saved. > >Jon, The original cemetery ran to the North line, which is the road. Today >it is as far from the road as the width of a combine, since it is in corn >with one row on the north side of it. Yes, the ingress and egress would be >all the way up to the road. I asked my brother and he said 3 years is all >they pay in back taxes. The fence she spoke off as keeping the cattle in >was at least 10 years ago. It has been a corn field since then. The >trustee wants to avoid a confrontation, not merely to save face, but also >the cost would be a factor she must consider. She has been trustee for >quite awhile and is one of the top 3 on my "Good Trustee" list. She and 2 >other trustees here asked what more information I had for them and wanted >to help find more and do more for their townships. 5 others I called >merely told me the ones they maintain and ended the conversation. I >haven't called 2 as they are long distance from my office and 2 haven't >returned my messages (at least 2 times! >) yet. So I am very happy this happens to be in her twp. > >I don't want a fight yet, I want to get all of my numbers and figures in a >row and I hope in January to be able to go to the commissioners and give >them, not only a book of information on each site that will be marked in >the auditor's office, but also a list of important questions that need >answers. (I'll email them out to the group for feedback before I finalize >them). My friend at the paper will come in handy then too. > >As for the County Surveyor's involvement, we have a WONDERFUL County >Surveyor and full-time staff here (I'm the administrative assistant/office >manager). However, I know for a fact that they are quite back-logged as it >is, but that they will do what the commissioners ask them to do as time >allows. I have found out from previous experience that the commissioners >are the ones to ask for such a thing, as they may say the county surveyor >is too busy and perhaps would be willing to contract out the job. It would >not be a decision that the surveyor could make on his own, as conflict of >interest could be charged by others who want his job and want to look as if >he could save the money. In some counties, the county surveyor saves the >taxpayers money (not really) by not staffing an office and does work from a >private firm on contract with the county. Ours is not like that, but >perhaps if new laws were to be more specific about who does the work and >how, things might change and i! >t could become a duty of the surveyor. > >Kyle, I checked with the county assessor and he typed in the parcel number >I gave him for the property. It came up as a normal field of 120 acres >with no exemptions ever on it. He said that means that their office was >not aware of a cemetery being located on that property, so there were no >deductions from the acreage to subtract it from her field. He did say that >they go by what they SEE, so sometimes it might not be on the parcel >mapped, but they take it off of the assessment when they look at the >property. > >I have a couple more issues to discuss, but I'll start another letter so as >to keep them straight. > >Thanks for your comments, they are greatly appreciated. > >Cris West >Columbus, IN > > >==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== >THIS IS A CEMETERY ----- > "Lives are commemorated - deaths are recorded - families >are reunited - memories are made tangible - and love is >undisguised. This is a cemetery. > "Communities accord respect, families bestow reverence, >historians seek information and our heritage is thereby enriched. > "Testimonies of devotion, pride and remembrance are carved >in stone to pay warm tribute to accomplishments and to the life - >not the death - of a loved one. The cemetery is homeland for family >memorials that are a sustaining source of comfort to the living. > "A cemetery is a history of people - a perpetual record of >yesterday and sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery >exists because every life is worth loving and remembering - always." > --Author unknown -- Seen at a monument dealer in West Union, IA > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp