After a six month effort we have uncovered 2050 graves in the Dallas City Cemetery (aka Pauper’s Cemetery). Half the graves are currently unmarked and the other half are threatened or submerged in as much as 15″ of soil or stagnant water.
After all this effort we have received great news! The company who supplied a prototype replacement marker made of Black Granite has offered a steep volume discount of 70% for the purchase of the markers needed to save this historic place.
The prototype is 7″x4″x2″ and is made of a surface that should prove impervious to the blade of the lawnmower, water, sun and almost anything Mother Nature can throw at it. The third row lists the burial location, so if for any reason a stone should become dislodged it can easily be put back on place.
If these markers were purchased one at a time the total would be $133,250. So, this project just became much more doable.
With all the recent rains we haven’t been able to return to the cemetery to finalize our work, but we have enough info to carry on.
In other news, I visited the cemetery recently shortly after a significant rainfall and found that much of the drainage problems don’t come from the area we thought they did, but instead drain from the creek side of the property across the low lying areas in Blocks 11 near the entrance into the lowest lying area in the block of babies in Block 12. This is actually good news as the amount of releveling required will be simpler than I had anticipated.
Once the rain subsides we can get back to work and finish the Census of those along the edges. More work is needed to figure out our next steps, but for today we celebrate that this project is now within reach!
Cheers!
Dan
7 responses to “What is the cost to correct a mistake of history?”
This is amazing! Thank you so much for all you are doing for the resting place of our loved ones.
My grandmother was A. A. Woodall. I once ask her about were her father was buried and was told an unmarked pauper grave. Now I know where it is.
Hi C.D.! I would love to talk to you about this in more depth. I’m actively seeking descendants of the permanent residents of Dallas City Cemetery. Do you have any stories or photos of your grandfather that could be of benefit in telling his story?
You posted a picture of a small metal grave marker, we went last week and could find it. do you know when the picture was taken, marker name was Manuel Zaragoza Jr.? Any info would be great. thanks Manuel
Hi, I didn’t know how to contact you, but I saw your article online. I live in Fort Worth. I believe one of the Arnolds(Robert Morgan) buried in the Dallas Cemetery is my great uncle. I’ll have to check my sister’s notes. I’m interested in your restoration project, though I can’t afford to donate right now.
I see that his wife Myrtle served as the informant for the Death Certificate. As he died suddenly, they likely just didn’t have the money on hand to bury him. He had not worked in 4 years and this was during the Great Depression.
I just answered your email with some of my family history. I hope it helps. It’s sad that my great uncle was buried here. I had had the impression that he had worked at a carnival with my granpa