Does anyone have a list of the people buried in this cemetery? There are Whitesel's in my husband's line. Thanks - Karen ----- Original Message ----- From: "M J B" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 10:40 AM Subject: [INRANDOL] cemetery re-location > > http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070705/NEWS06/70705005 > > Pioneers' graves to be moved for I-69 widening > THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR > StoryChat Post Comment > > After 150 years of resting in peace, moving day is approaching for about > 30 > dearly departed, whose graves are too close to a major highway that needs > to > be expanded. > > Since the mid-1800s, these bodies have been resting in the small Whitesell > Cemetery in the 8000 block of Castleton Drive -- visible to those who > steal > a glance as they approach the interchange of I-465 while southbound on > I-69. > > The graves have been a stopping stone for the Indiana Department of > Transportation, which has long had plans to widen the city's most > congested > stretch of highway. > > Now a deal has been struck to dig up the graves and move them to the > stately > grounds of Crown Hill Cemetery, 700 W. 38th St. INDOT spokeswoman Megan > Tsai > confirmed those plans this week. > > The cost: $400,000. > > "Cemetery relocation is a tough thing," Tsai said. "We probably haven't > done > it for 30 years. We try to avoid it whenever possible." > > But with I-69, a six-lane highway that will grow to 12 or more lanes in a > widening project set to begin in 2012, there is just no other way. > > It will be a delicate operation, headed up by one of the city's most noted > professors. > "Forensic anthropologists will investigate the site with hand tools and > carefully dig out the graves," said Tsai. > > In late fall of this year, Stephen Nawrocki, a forensic anthropologist > from > the University of Indianapolis, will lead the exhumation of bodies -- > about > a three-week process, Tsai said. > > Nawrocki, who said he could not comment on the project at this time, will > oversee students who will study the remains before they are taken to Crown > Hill. > > The students will likely find rings or jewelry buried with the pioneers, > according to experts at Crown Hill. The wood caskets, standard for adults > in > the mid-19th century, will no doubt be deteriorated. Children, however, > were > often buried in metal caskets, so some of their clothing might remain. > > This will not be the first pioneer cemetery relocation for Crown Hill, one > of the nation's most historic city cemeteries. Two others have been moved > to > preserve history, said Keith Norwalk, president and chief executive > officer > of Crown Hill. > > All the tombstones and graves will be mapped and then re-created in the > same > configuration to keep the integrity of the original burials. > > "Some people may get upset that this is being moved," Norwalk said. "We > want > to give people the assurance of the appropriateness of the process." > > The Crown Hill pioneer section currently houses the former Greenlawn > Cemetery, which was Indianapolis' first cemetery, established in 1823, > Norwalk said. More than 1,160 pioneers were buried in Greenlawn. And > Rhoads > Cemetery was the original burial site for five pioneer families, 12 adults > and 34 children, Norwalk said. > > Monuments erected near the two relocation sites tell the history and have > maps for locating the remains. "We will be replicating this for > Whitesell," > Norwalk said. "We will create a final resting place for the pioneers." > > The project is included in INDOT's budget for the 2012 Northeast Corridor > interstate expansions of I-69 and I-465, Tsai said. > > "It's not a small cost, but it's so important to do this with respect," > Tsai > said. "Crown Hill will be able to care for it for hundreds of years. > > "With the noise from the interstate, you really can't enjoy it. At Crown > Hill, it will be peaceful." > > In addition to a new resting place, the graves will get some upgraded > tombstones, which have been damaged by weather and the exhaust from > 130,000 > cars passing within a few feet each day, Tsai said. > > The state is bringing in a "graveyard grooomer" -- John Walters, > Connersville -- who will clean and restore the headstones with a simple > ammonia and water solution, Tsai said. > > Not everyone was happy with the decision to move the graves. > > "I was appalled at the beginning," said Ron Ryker, president of the > Lawrence > Historical Society. "If this was my family, I wouldn't want them to be > disturbed." > > "You and me both," said Stephen Burns, chairman and chief executive > officer > of Wheaton World Wide Moving, whose office looks out across a parking lot > to > the site. > > "I talk on the phone and keep and eye on it. Our drivers come in and look > at > it. They know the history." > > Since 1973, Wheaton has taken care of the cemetery, repairing broken and > deteriorating headstones and hiring someone to mow the grass. It's a > tradition begun by the late Earnest Wheaton, who started caring for the > graves when he moved his company to Castleton. > > Local Boy Scouts also placed a bench, erected a fence and planted flowers > several years ago, Burns said. > > Ryker said he took his objections to the state, but after meeting with > INDOT > and Crown Hill planners, Ryker now agrees that Crown Hill is the best > place > for the relocation. > > "I wanted it to be left in Lawrence Township, but we really have no place > for it," Ryker said. > > INDOT says the reburial at Crown Hill should take place in the spring of > 2008. > > > > MJ > > _________________________________________________________________ > http://liveearth.msn.com > > ******************************** > Please Visit The Randolph County INGenWeb Project > http://www.rootsweb.com/~inrandol/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.0/886 - Release Date: 7/4/2007 > 1:40 PM > >

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070705/LOCAL18/707050423 This is the origianl story in the Indy paper. You might consider contacting the reporter who wrote the story. And contact the area's historical/genealogical society to get a list of burials from there. The city is Castleton. Andrea