A Little Project, If You're Interested.

Okay, y'all, I've been working for quite some time on compiling a master list of all the cemeteries in Tuscaloosa County. Most of the really hard work has been done for me of the last sixty years, by several dedicated individuals who trekked all over the county recording every burial they could find. However, over the years, the many duplicates have been placed on the list. I've narrowed down the list from over five hundred sites, to just under four hundred. There are still several duplicates on the list, but until I get the chance to cross check the Township map with the geographic coordinates, the duplicates will have to remain.


Now, here's where y'all come in. The records of these cemeteries are sketchy at best. Some on this list are already lost. Some may still be in existence, but no one alive today knows where. I doubt they will all be found. But if you care to sacrifice a bit of your time, I would love to have your help. Whenever you have the time, pick a cemetery or two visit. I'm posting a link to the master list. Most of them have the coordinates listed and can be easily located. Survey the cemetery and record basic information. (I'll post specifics later.) I'll compile the data and post it online where it is available to everyone. (Don't worry, I'll give the appropriate person credit!)


Some of these would be very easy to locate and survey. They're right in the heart of town. (At least two are right on campus.) Others will be more difficult to locate, but you can often have the most fun finding those. If you would be willing to help me with this, I would be very grateful.


If you would like to survey a cemetery, leave a comment here, send me a Facebook message, shoot me an email, or give me a call. That way we won't have multiple people doing the same work.


I know I can't offer much in the way of incentives, but just think how it would look on a resume. You would also make a lot of history buffs and genealogists very happy. But most importantly, you would be preserving a piece of our history that is in danger. Tombs are vandalized, weather renders them illegible, they break, are built over, or are simply forgotten. One reason I like visiting old graveyards is the feeling that I'm visiting people who have not had company in a very long time.


Anyway, the first link is the link to the list. The second link is to a map of townships in the county. Use that to figure out the approximate location of a cemetery without precise coordinates.


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuWs-N1NBprFdFQ2Q3BYS2NKZ2ljc2tZZEdjOXpYSXc#gid=0

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~altuscal/townships.html

Always,
Callie