Logan County IL Archives History - Books .....Atlanta Cemetery 1953
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 31, 2007, 12:37 am

Book Title: A History Of Atlanta

ATLANTA CEMETERY

    The Atlanta Cemetery was established in 1857, four years after the
incorporation of the town. The first land secured for use as- a cemetery was
bought from Harvey Turner and his wife and deeded to "David Kern, president; Ira
A. Church, John A. Drooley, James Shores, A. N. Martin and R. H. Killin,
Trustees of the town of Atlanta, and their successors in Office." This land was
a portion of the tract which Harvey Turner entered on the 20th of October, 1835,
and for which he received his patent, the deed from the United States, on the
1st of November, 1839. Additional land has been purchased as the need arose.

    At the close of the Civil War, a large monument was erected in the cemetery
to honor the soldiers who fought and died during the war. A large mounted cannon
and a mound of cannon balls was placed near the base of this monument. For many
years the Atlanta Band followed by a long train of citizens, marched to the
cemetery and held memorial services on this lot. These services consisted mostly
of patriotic speeches by members of the G. A. R., after which a cannon was fired
and flags were placed on all the veterans' graves on Memorial Day. The flags are
still placed on all soldiers' graves, though the services are no longer held.

    The Ladies' Cemetery Association of Atlanta was organized January 5, 1900,
and a charter was granted to the Association, the incorporators being Lucy M.
Church, Hattie A. Medberry and Emma Onstott. Their purpose was to form an
association to take charge of the management and care of the cemetery. The
association met January 18, and elected the following officers: President, Mrs.
Margaret Randolph; vice-president, Mrs. Addie Long; secretary, Mrs. Mary M. Mix;
treasurer, Mrs. Elizabeth Dunham; directors, Mrs. May McKinnon, Mrs. Emma
Onstott, Mrs. Mary Dalzell, Mrs. Lucy Church, Mrs. Ella Turner, Mrs. Mina Rowan
and Mrs. Hattie Medberry. A committee, consisting of Mrs. Adeline Long,
chairman, Hattie Medberry, Mary Dalzell, Ida McKinnon and May Dunham drafted a
constitution and by-laws, which were presented for adoption at a meeting held
February 15. On February 22, the association met at the home of Mrs. Rathbone,
at which meeting the constitution and by-laws were signed.

    The City of Atlanta deeded its cemetery to the association which has, since
its organization, cared for and controlled the property intrusted to it.
Previous to the time when the association accepted this responsibility, the
individual lot owners cared for their lots or employed a man by the season to
care for them. Under this system there were many neglected lots. The Cemetery
Association accepted responsibility for the care of a lot for $1.50 per year, or
pledged perpetual maintenance of a lot for the payment of a $50 trust fund. For
the first sexton, James Larison was engaged, who gave his entire attention to
the care of the grounds. The cemetery was soon cleared of all grass and rubbish
and all streets and alleys were kept mown. The Association has always striven to
keep the grounds in the best of condition and today Atlanta has one of the
prettiest cemeteries anywhere.

  The fees from lot owners able to pay, and the income from the trust fund have
not always been enough to pay all expenses. However, recent gifts to the
Association have helped meet this need. In recent years, a gift of $300 from
Margaret Gordon Hoose, $2,000 from Blanche Rock and a deed for 220 acres of land
at Steele, Mo., by Clinton Martin, have been greatly appreciated. All lots that
are sold now are sold with perpetual care.

    On March 6, 1911, 2.58 acres of land by deed from Florence Shugart to the
City of Atlanta were added to the property, and on July 2, 1929, 2,358 acres,
known as the Morphis land were added.

    The Atlanta Cemetery came under state supervision on January 1, 1948 by the
passage of the Cemetery Care Act, passed by the state legislature in 1947.

    Atlanta can truly be proud of her cemetery and the results of the interest
and work of the Ladies' Cemetery Association.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

A HISTORY OF ATLANTA 1853-1953

Prepared by Citizens of Atlanta
As a Part of the Observance of the
Centennial, June 11,12 and 13,1953

THE PUBLICATION IS SPONSORED BY THE ATLANTA WOMAN'S CLUB

Atlanta, Illinois 1953

Published By
The Stewart - Pinks Publishing Co.
Atlanta, Illinois


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