Madison County IL Archives .....Alton Cemetery - Tombstone Inscription Project Note to Readers 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sue Williams sueannewilliams@sbcglobal.net July 6, 2007


TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTION PROJECT – ALTON CEMETERY

Alton Cemetery was once called Alton City Cemetery, and prior to that was known as Grandview Cemetery.

We are grateful to the Alton Cemetery board of directors who allowed us use of the cemetery database for this inscription project.   This
project is a labor of love and will be provided on the Internet at no charge.  If we find that anyone is charging a fee to provide this
information, we will do all within the law to stop them.

We are making as many corrections to the database as possible.  We know for a certainty that some tombstones are not accurate.  However, we
are assuming that the greatest majority are correct.

In this inscription project, we have tried to be as accurate as possible.  In about 1953, a tombstone survey was done (not an inscription
project) and tombstones with names only were written and the blocks and lots where found.  This writer was privileged to have that notebook
on loan in order to enter all those tombstones in the inscription project.  Therefore, there are some tombstones indicated in the
inscriptions and yet we were unable to locate those tombstones.  Keep in mind, this inscription project was done in 2002-2003 – some 50
years later.  Only those tombstones that need rubbed as of this writing, June 21, 2007, remain to be inscribed.  When the remaining 450+
tombstones are rubbed and recorded, we may find more of the “missing” tombstones.   Tombstones we could not locate are indicated by “t.s.
not found”.

Thanks to my daughter-in-law, we devised a numbering system for the tombstones.  Where the tombstone is “shared”, we numbered them with the
same number.  The tombstone reference number is as follows.  Three sets of numbers (aa-bb-cc) where the first set (aa) indicates the Block,
the second set (bb) indicates the lot, and the third set (cc) is the number assigned (on paper) to the tombstone.  For instance, in block OY
(old yard) 333, there are 5 people sharing one tombstone, so each record will have the tombstone reference “OY-333-1”.  In OY 349, 6 people
share one stone, and there is a stone for another person.  OY-349-1 will be on 6 records, while OY-349-2 will be on the other record.  Where
there are ½ lots, such as OY 350 ½, we have indicated this as OY-350.5-x.

The legend for the Blocks and Lots is as follows:

OY = Old Yard
EE = East End
CG = Citizen’s Ground
US = Union Street
BR = Baby Row
WW = Walk Way - (some of the walkways were abandoned for more burial ground)


Alton Cemetery has not escaped the vandals.  Several tombstones cannot be read because they have been knocked over and the inscription is 
underneath.  Too, time and weather have taken their toll.  Many tombstones fall without “help”.  

Where we have indicated “illegible”, we have pretty well determined that it will be impossible for the layperson to rub the tombstone and
retrieve any information.

We have also noted when a tombstone needs rubbed, and where we need to go back to read, re-read, or check the dates we found that were
different than the cemetery database.

June 7, 2007 – We have had a man volunteer to do infrared photography of the tombstones that cannot be read.  We are so excited about this.
It is not inexpensive to have infrared film developed, but this man is willing to pay for it.  If, after a few test pictures, useable
information is obtained from the photos, we will be updating the database.  

No timeline will be given for the photographing because this man is a professional who has a busy schedule.  He will do this in his “spare”
time.

I am grateful for all the volunteers who have come forward to make this project a reality.  Especially my fellow members of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Without them I probably would be still out tramping around the cemetery with my clipboard!