Mike, Do you know if there was a record kept of the names of the people who were in that cemetery? We have never found the graves of my 3 x g,grandparents John Wilson and Jane Bedall (Beadle); nor, the graves of her parents James Bedall/Beadle and Elizabeth Moller. John Wilson most likely was born in the 1770s in York Co. We believe that he died between 1848 and 1850. The Bedall/Beadle and Wilson families lived in the Maple Creek area of Fallowfield Twp., Washington Co. From an old map of the area there appears to be a cemetery directly north of John Wilson's property. We have not been able to find the cemetery. Also, wonder if there were any members of the Howe family in that cemetery especially the William Howe of California, PA whose daughter Philena married a Latta of Roscoe and daughter, Dorcas married a Qualk. Marilyn, Lake Co., IL **************************8 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Donaldson" <mdonald4@bentcom.net> To: <PAMONVAL-L@rootsweb.com> : This appeared in the paper today. Kind of makes we think about what I : (We) could do to help out. Anyone have any ideas? : Mike : : 3/19/01[Washington, PA "Observer-Reporter"] : : Historians trying to right an old wrong : : BY SCOTT BEVERIDGE : THE OBSERVER-REPORTER : : CALIFORNIA - The tombstones at an historic California cemetery lay : chipped : and broken in three piles, overrun with weeds. : : But it wasn't vandals who toppled the gravestones. It was borough : officials : who decided to plow down the grave markers 50 years ago for reasons : unknown. : : "I was furious," said Patricia Sample Ewing of Norfolk, Va., describing : her : reaction to the condition of the graveyard, which she visited last year : while : researching her roots. : : She had heard the unusual story about the stones and how they were : unearthed : in an archaeology dig six years ago. And she was happy to learn about : plans : to partially restore Union Cemetery that drew little attention until : California University of Pennsylvania went looking for the tombstone of : the : school founder. : : Historians are planning a $75,000 memorial for the cemetery, and they : want to : build it with the burial ground's damaged grave markers. : : "Now that they are uncovered, I feel, personally, we should do something : with : them," said Art Harris, a borough councilman. : : "Some people think we should push them back over the hill," Harris said. : : "To watch them bury them again, it would be terrible," said Mary Beth : Graf, : spokeswoman for the California Area Historical Society. : : Cal U. President Angelo Armenti Jr. authorized the dig at the cemetery : at the : north entrance to town. He wanted to retrieve the headstone for Job : Johnson, : who was among those who founded the university 149 years ago, and use : the : stone for a small park on campus. : : A graduate student who led the dig found Johnson's stone, along with 196 : : others, but the historical society objected to Armenti's plan to take : possession of the grave marker. Members of the society, as well as : residents, : expressed an interest in restoring the cemetery after learning about the : : university's project, Graf said. : : So Armenti had a replica made of Johnson's gravestone cast in resin, and : the : fake was attached to the rear of Old Main as a tribute to Johnson. : : Since that time, locals have pondered ideas about what to do with the : stones : since throwing them back into the ravine would be illegal. : : State law now prohibits municipalities from condemning old cemeteries. : The : Historic Burial Places Preservation Act of 1994 also prohibits the : removal or : destruction of gravestones or their fragments within a historic burial : place. : : However, it would be impossible to put the California markers back in : their : original positions because no one knows exactly where the bodies are : buried, : Graf said. : : "There is no way to construct the original layout," Graf said. No one : knows : who owns the cemetery either, she said. : : "A lot of cemeteries had record-keepers. We don't even know who owns the : : land," she said. : : Harris approached council about a year ago with a plan to do something : with : the stones. Since that time, he and the historical society have raised : about : $7,000 toward the project. The society also has applied for a state : grant. : : Local veterans organizations also have lent their support because 25 : Civil : War soldiers and three others from the War of 1812 are buried at the : site, : Graf said. She said burials date to 1760. : : Plans call for the development of a memorial with pathways in the least : occupied section of the cemetery. The sidewalk would be flanked by two : long : walls veneered with the original stones. : : "We want to make it so people can enjoy it," Harris said. : : -- : Thanks : Mike Donaldson, Bentleyville, PA (mdonald4@bentcom.net)