I am passing this on , Perhaps you can help. ------------------------- To anyone interested in Preserving Coontown/Caney Cemetery: Coontown Cemetery rests in one of the lowest land areas around Savoy, where two creeks converge (Dameron and Caney Creeks). After a two inch rain, water stood to the third wire of the newly constructed fence around Coontown Cemetery. It is regular flooding of the creeks, which has resulted in the loss of many headstones. In the 1950s, the cemetery was reported, in one survey, as nearly washed away. This explains the frequent messages the association receives from people stating that their ancestor is buried at Coontown Cemetery, though the name did not show up on the 1950s-1960s census. There is a flooding control plan developed by the USDA, which includes an upstream watershed that would improve or eliminate the flooding conditions at Coontown Cemetery. Unfortunately, this plan does not have adequate funding, according to one USDA engineer. This is a federally funded water control program, but it can't hurt to call it to the attention of the Texas Congress as well. Please write your Congressmen on behalf of Coontown Cemetery seeking support for Watershed Control Program (PL566) and Caney Site 3A. US Congress: Phil Gramm (Phil_Gramm@gramm.senate.gov) 370 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510-4302 Kay Bailey Hutchison (email through website http://hutchison.senate.gov) 284 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 Rep. Ralph M. Hall 2221 Rayburn H.O.B. Washington, DC 20514 or (local address) Rep. Ralph M. Hall 101 East Pecan Street Sherman, Texas 75090-5917 Texas Congress: Senator David Cain 6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 355 Dallas, Texas 75214 Rep. Mark Homer 1849 Lamar Paris, Texas 75460 At the county level, the cemetery needs your support in writing to officials who might be in a position to help with the construction of a road to the cemetery. There was a road to Coontown Cemetery at one time, as it shows up on early maps. Presently, to get to the cemetery you have to drive across pasture land, impossible after a rain. Some of our members are elderly and cannot make a long walk across a pasture. With frequent flooding from the creek, the many branches and logs lying on the ground within the cemetery can wash into the fence and tear the wires down. The fence man advised that these logs and limbs need to be cleaned up. The county barn is within one mile of the cemetery site. To secure help with a road to the cemetery and grounds maintenance, please write: County Government: Honorable Derrell Hall Fannin County Judge 101 East Sam Rayburn Drive, Suite 101 Bonham, Texas 75418-4346 Ronnie Rhudy, County Commissioner Fannin County Courthouse 101 E. Sam Rayburn Drive, Suite 103 Bonham, Texas 75418 We would also like to locate someone willing to donate xeroscaped landscaping for the cemetery and/or headstone repair. Please contact the Coontown Cemetery Association if you can make a contribution in this way or have knowledge of a source of grant money for this purpose. (watrbug@gvtc.com) Respectfully, Carolyn Sparks, President Coontown Cemetery Association (non profit, 501)