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Abandoned Cemetery South of City Desolate Sight; No Burials
Since Civil War
- Overgrown with weeds and brush, a dozen graves of pioneer
residents of Afton and
- vicinity lie abandoned in a tiny cemetery on a pastured hillside
on the OAKLEY farm [Sect. 22, Rock Twp.], on the east
side of the river near the community. Not a burial has taken
place here since Civil War days, according to the worn inscriptions
on the old-fashioned tombstones.
- Land for the old cemetery was donated by John Inman, according
to the recollection
- of old settlers in the vicinity, and was used for several
years. Through a disagreement, the site was abandoned, and a
new cemetery opened in Afton. A part of the bodies originally
buried at the OAKLEY farm were transferred to the Afton
ground.
-
- Graves Have Lost Identity
- Like dozens of similar cemeteries throughout this section,
the graves during the course
- of the years gradually have been entirely abandoned as relatives
and friends of the deceased have themselves died. Though several
headstones are scattered about the small grounds, the records
of exact names have been lost. Mounds are visible at random,
and the old-fashioned marble slabs are scattered about, apparently
some distance from their original places.
- Several of the inscriptions remain clear and strong despite
the years of exposure,
- among them are:
- "Hannah, wife of R. P. BURT, died July 9, 1851,
age 43 years, 5 months and 16
- days.
- "David, son of John and Hannah INMAN, died Nov.
21, 1865, aged 20 years, 1
- month and 12 days.
- "Oscar WATTS, died March 17, 1852, age 13 years."
-
- On Steep Hillside
- Several others are badly broken and the inscriptions marred,
though the name of
- Robert POLLOCK, who died July 20 in an unknown year
in the 1850's, can be deciphered.
- In times past, some attempt to protect the cemetery and set
it off from the adjoining land has been made. Several wild plum
trees more or less surrounding the site, though only a few are
now living.
- The old burying ground occupies a steel hillside several
hundred feet from the present
- road connecting the Afton river road and the Janesville-Beloit
concrete highway near Happy Hollow.
-
- See accompanying photo.
Caption reads: "A section of the abandoned cemetery showing
broken headstones on the graves among the weeds. A large planten
grows beside the stone of Mrs. Hannah BURT, in the foreground,
while the memorial to Oscar WATTS has been leaned against
a tree nearby. The position of the graves has been lost."
-
- This cemetery is now known as Lyman
Inman Cemetery.
-
- (Submitter: Lori Niemuth)
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