Hello the list: I thought I'd seen some pretty bad cemeteries, but the Granville Cemetery, Wayne Township, Tippecanoe County has definitely made the hit parade! This has to be one of the most appalling I've seen particularly since its destruction has essentially been on purpose. This is one of those lasting experiments from the 1960's intended to save native prairie grasses by permitting and enabling them to flourish in abandoned 19th century pioneer cemeteries. Part of the process involves occasional burning, and the grasses were burned this Spring. I recall this topic having been debated on the list, perhaps several years ago, and the main focus then was on the potential destructive effects of multiple episodes of extreme heating of monuments. This aside, what I witnessed today was a far worse secondary impact of this particular prairie grass preserve. This year's burning revealed that the Granville cemetery is inundated with woodchuck burrows, and it appears that they have certainly been here for a while. The woodchuck is a digging machine and in this case the previously excavated graves make their work somewhat less tasking. The burrows have undermined many stones, toppling or canting larger monuments, leaving coffin furniture and yes- human skeletal remains spread about the backdirt piles. More than a dozen burrows were found, all of which are adversely impacting the cemetery in one way or another. It is apparent that allowing the cemetery to overgrow with vegetation has created a safe haven and natural habitat for the large tunneling critters. This probably wasn't anticipated when the notion to save the prairie was conceived; however, it is very apparent now and to continue this way will most certainly destroy not only the monuments and other surface features of this pioneer cemetery, but will also continue to permit the remains of the good folks buried here to be disturbed in this manner. It is my understanding that Wayne township does not have responsibility for this cemetery, but rather it has apparently been managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources since sometime before 1969. The native prairie grasses now contain large quantities of non-native vegetation, in particular thickets of multiflora rose that remain today after the March burning. In my opinion, this "nature preserve" has been mismanaged at the expense of perhaps as many as 200 hundred or more graves of Tippecanoe County pioneers. A bit of irony from the monument on the Granville Cemetery site: "Granville Cemetery was once part of the great Wea Plains and still contains many species of the original prairie vegetation. This is one of the last remnants of the Indiana prairies that covered much of Tippecanoe County. It is preserved and managed as a memorial to the Indians and early settlers to whom these grasses were once familiar." Having said all of this, it is my sincere hope that this nature preserve experiment gone awry will be abandoned and that funds will be made available by the state of Indiana to assist in the restoration and ongoing maintenance of this early cemetery. I will be adding some of the many photos I took today to my website, and will post the address here when it is available. Best Regards, Rich Green Historic Archaeological Research 4338 Hadley Court West Lafayette, IN 47906 Office: (765) 464-8735 Mobile: (765) 427-4082 www.har-indy.com

Rich, We had the very same problem here in Henry County, but after meeting with the Land Trust people and the Red Tail group and bringing up our concerns over the conditions of the pioneer cemeteries a couple of years ago. When we had the hearings at the State House that was one of our main concerns. It was discussed with the state representatives and the preservation groups. Here is that very report from that hearing. --- **(July, 2003.....The DNR was present, Jeannie was there to answer questions if needed. Which she did. The DNR prairie grass guy (sorry I don't have a name. I am horrible when it comes to names) stated that the prairie grasses in cemeteries are left as a tribute to the pioneers. That little of our prairie grasses are left, due to farming/development, and are mostly found in cemeteries and railroad right-of-ways. That controlled burning goes through fast and does not harm the stones. And after the burning, the headstones are cold to the touch.They were aware of the St. Johns Cemetery and have worked out a solution (which Jack stated in previous e-mail). I believe it was Sen. Rethlake asked the DNR prairie grass specialist if the prairie grass could be transplanted. He answered yes. And that the seed pods could be saved to plant them in other areas. But stated that the 15 cemeteries that contain the prairie grasses were the only ones left undisturbed. He spoke with me after the meeting and said he understood our feelings (and was sincere) about the prairie grass in the cemeteries. I told him that I understood his position as well. That we are both trying to preserve history.) (Angela, HCCC) See the following cemeteries at these links: http://www.hcgs.net/rogerscem.html & http://www.hcgs.net/bundy.html Over the last couple of years since July 2003 we have quit calling each other names and such and have finally started working together. We have accomplished many things with these two cemeteries since that meeting in Indy. They have been cleaned, all grass cut, trashy, rank vegetation removed and all trees trimmed and well maintained now. So don't give up, it takes a little patience and cooperation from both parties. I know... it worked for us. Good luck, **Full report at http://www.hcgs.net/hccc/committeemeeting.html UEB HCCC WWW.HCGS.NET ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rich Green" <rgreen@insightbb.com> To: <INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 7:57 PM Subject: [INPCRP] Granville Cemetery, Wayne Township, Tippecanoe County > Hello the list: > > I thought I'd seen some pretty bad cemeteries, but the Granville Cemetery, > Wayne Township, Tippecanoe County has definitely made the hit parade! This > has to be one of the most appalling I've seen particularly since its > destruction has essentially been on purpose. > > This is one of those lasting experiments from the 1960's intended to save > native prairie grasses by permitting and enabling them to flourish in > abandoned 19th century pioneer cemeteries. Part of the process involves > occasional burning, and the grasses were burned this Spring. I recall > this topic having been debated on the list, perhaps several years ago, and > the main focus then was on the potential destructive effects of multiple > episodes of extreme heating of monuments. This aside, what I witnessed > today was a far worse secondary impact of this particular prairie grass > preserve. > > This year's burning revealed that the Granville cemetery is inundated with > woodchuck burrows, and it appears that they have certainly been here for a > while. The woodchuck is a digging machine and in this case the previously > excavated graves make their work somewhat less tasking. The burrows have > undermined many stones, toppling or canting larger monuments, leaving > coffin furniture and yes- human skeletal remains spread about the backdirt > piles. More than a dozen burrows were found, all of which are adversely > impacting the cemetery in one way or another. > > It is apparent that allowing the cemetery to overgrow with vegetation has > created a safe haven and natural habitat for the large tunneling critters. > This probably wasn't anticipated when the notion to save the prairie was > conceived; however, it is very apparent now and to continue this way will > most certainly destroy not only the monuments and other surface features > of this pioneer cemetery, but will also continue to permit the remains of > the good folks buried here to be disturbed in this manner. > > It is my understanding that Wayne township does not have responsibility > for this cemetery, but rather it has apparently been managed by Indiana > Department of Natural Resources since sometime before 1969. The native > prairie grasses now contain large quantities of non-native vegetation, in > particular thickets of multiflora rose that remain today after the March > burning. In my opinion, this "nature preserve" has been mismanaged at the > expense of perhaps as many as 200 hundred or more graves of Tippecanoe > County pioneers. > > A bit of irony from the monument on the Granville Cemetery site: > > "Granville Cemetery was once part of the great Wea Plains and still > contains many species of the original prairie vegetation. This is one of > the last remnants of the Indiana prairies that covered much of Tippecanoe > County. It is preserved and managed as a memorial to the Indians and > early settlers to whom these grasses were once familiar." > > Having said all of this, it is my sincere hope that this nature preserve > experiment gone awry will be abandoned and that funds will be made > available by the state of Indiana to assist in the restoration and ongoing > maintenance of this early cemetery. > > I will be adding some of the many photos I took today to my website, and > will post the address here when it is available. > > Best Regards, > > Rich Green > Historic Archaeological Research > 4338 Hadley Court > West Lafayette, IN 47906 > Office: (765) 464-8735 > Mobile: (765) 427-4082 > www.har-indy.com > > > ==== 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 > >