| Moderated by: Steve Adkins | Topic closed | |
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BYI Member 
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Hey, All! I'm new to the Forum, and am looking for some suggestions as to how to research an abandoned cemetery I stumbled across while wandering in my mother-in-law's woods. I spoke with a neighbor, who said he had always been told it was an old Indian burial site. One of the curious things, though, is that there are about 30 graves, lying side by side in three horizontal rows marked by large rocks for headstones and smaller rocks for footstones. Only one grave has what we would consider a true headstone, obviously professionally cut, and inscribed "N.R.C. 1832." I've not been able to find any references to it anywhere, although it is marked on the deed and on the Guilford Co. GIS. It intrigues me, and I'd love to find more info about it. Any ideas? |
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DOGGETTJA Member 
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Try the greensboro Museum. They have lots and lots of information on the area and you may be lucky and find something. Also you might check with the state. The highway department has a archiological department that does a lot of research on historical sites when a road is going through. They might be able to help you and also somebody, the state I think ,is trying to register these cemeteries. My guess is it is not an Indian burial ground with headstones. Don't you love standing there and speculating on who and what went on? Good Luck. |
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BYI Member
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Thanks, Jane. I have checked the cemetery registry, and it's not listed. Nor is there anyone with those initials in the state and county death records for 1832. It is pretty cool to stand there and wonder about the whole thing. It looks to me like the NRC person was one of importance/wealth (a patriarch or <shudder> slavemaster) whereas the others were almost insignificant by comparison. The cemetery is just off an old wagon road that passes through the area for over a mile and is still visible but overgrown, and I figure the family cabin had to be somewhere nearby. Some day I'm gonna get a metal detector and check out the area. I thought maybe archaeology or history depts at Guilford, UNCG, or A&T might be interested in helping to play detective. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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BYI, This is very interesting information. There are lots of family graveyards around here, many of which aren't really documented much of anywhere except maybe in family Bibles, but 30 graves is a fairly good size site. You might check with Julie Curry, Guilford County's historic planner. She might be able to share some information and if not, I know a few years ago the county wanted people to let them know about old cemeteries in this area so they could be documented. Could it possibly be a small church cemetery? Maybe NRC could stand for the name of some church. Does your mother-in-law know if there was ever a church on or near the property or if the area was part of one of the many smaller communities around that NRC might stand for (names like Hillsdale, Scalesville, Sandy Plain, etc. come to mind). |
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bama80 Member 
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maybe he stood someone up at the altar and they could not afford to have "Not ready for commitment" on the headstone. Good luck finding the info. |
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Lacka Member 
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see bama, you are just not right, maybe he told some one he was "Not ready for commitment" and that was why he needed the headstone in the first place. All joking aside. Quite a few years ago Mayor Brown and a team of people were looking into the history of cemetaries in the area. I remember that they were over in the Ridgewood development (before it was developed) between 150 and Lake Brandt. I remember hearing that they were looking at a few others as well. I am sure that he would tell you what he could about how to get started with the research. You can find his email on the SF Town website. Good luck and keep us updated with what you find out. |
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rasin Guest
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The Oak Ridge Historic Commission has done some work on Cemeteries in Oak Ridge and may be able to give you some resources to follow up on. You can get the contact information on the town website http://www.oakridgenc.com |
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DOGGETTJA Member
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Gladys Scarlette might be able to help too. She is the local historian for the area. Writes a column in the News and Record on the area. I expect she is in the phone book but if not call the Town Hall in Summerfield they may be able to help. |
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FatPappy Member 
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BYI, how's the research goin'? This is such a fascinatin' thing. I'm glad you shared it. |
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summerfieldrd Banned
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You know......it's not necessarily that they were abandoned, just unvisited. |
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Steve Adkins Member 
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summerfieldrd wrote: You know......it's not necessarily that they were abandoned, just unvisited. Interesting perspective. Several years ago, my elderly mother (now 81) took us to the backwoods hill where she was raised in the boondocks of Kentucky. Overgrown as heck, we were probably trespassing, but couldn't tell. Anyway, finally found the charred rock foundation of the old house, then she walked us down to the "family cemetery" where some great-great-great relatives (supposedly) were buried. Told us how when she was young, my mother & her siblings had to keep the cemetery up (and hence "visited"). The cemetery had been "unvisited" for about 50 years from the looks of it, very thick vines growing directly over it.......just couldn't help wondering about the histories of those buried there. |
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macca Member 
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BYI wrote:Hey, All! I'm new to the Forum, and am looking for some suggestions as to how to research an abandoned cemetery I stumbled across while wandering in my mother-in-law's woods. I spoke with a neighbor, who said he had always been told it was an old Indian burial site. One of the curious things, though, is that there are about 30 graves, lying side by side in three horizontal rows marked by large rocks for headstones and smaller rocks for footstones. Only one grave has what we would consider a true headstone, obviously professionally cut, and inscribed "N.R.C. 1832." I've not been able to find any references to it anywhere, although it is marked on the deed and on the Guilford Co. GIS. It intrigues me, and I'd love to find more info about it. Any ideas? Hey, BYI!! Just wonderin' if you've made any progress with this! ♥♥♥ |
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