Cemeteries: Unmarked burials; Webster Par., Louisiana; (Jim Davis, Keene, Knottingham, Walker Unmarked burials) Submitter: Clifton D. Cardin, Official Bossier Parish Historian < cliftondcardin@juno.com > Date: Feb. 2001 Cemetery surveyed about 1992. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ======*The following information is excerpted from: LOUISIANA ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT CEMETERIES & GRAVES AN INDEPTH STUDY OF THE CEMETERIES AND GRAVES LOCATED ON THE LOUISIANA ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT NEAR MINDEN, LOUISIANA. WRITTEN BY CLIFTON D. CARDIN BOSSIER PARISH HISTORIAN PRODUCED AT NO COST TO LOUISIANA ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT, MORTON THIOKOL, OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PURPOSE, A thorough investigation of the cemeteries and burials on what is currently known as the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant offers a very unique look into undisturbed pre-World War II burial grounds. When the LAAP was created in the 1940's, plantations in both Bossier & Webster Parish were purchased and consolidated therefore creating an "island" of land that would supply the Federal Government with the seclusion necessary to build explosive munitions, both far away from civilization and from the prying eyes of our global enemies. This island would provide the government with the ability to guard it's manufacturing capability, size and extent of the munitions being made. The resultant absorbing of these nine cemeteries would protect them from the normal wear and tear that is associated with cemeteries that are frequented by more burials and general public traffic. Very few burials were allowed in these cemeteries after the 1940's. Evidently when the Government took control of these lands, they also assumed the role of providing perpetual care to these cemeteries. This role has been fulfilled very well, the LAAP fencing and maintaining these areas with utmost respect to their inhabitants. Another ironic twist has been the fact that when the government took control of these cemeteries, many of them had only wooden markers standing quiet vigil on top of their respective graves. These wooden markers would not reveal the names of their charges. The federal government apparently replaced these wooden markers with generic concrete markers, which do not reveal the names of their inhabitants either. Five of these nine cemeteries contains burials, with generic headstones, and although the names of the cemeteries are known, the names of the residents are not. JIM DAVIS CEMETERY Is located in the West 1/2 of the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 10, T18N, R10W. The Jim Davis Cemetery is one of those cemeteries on the LAAP that do not contain any readable headstones. There are eleven (11) generic headstones of the type apparently installed by the federal government when the LAAP assumed perpetual care of this cemetery. All of these headstones are at one end of the cemetery, although the fence contains about twice the space as the headstones cover. Apparently the installers of the cyclone fence felt there were burials at the other end of this cemetery, although there wasn't apparently any positive graves upon which to install generic headstones. The Jim Davis Cemetery is contained within a 20 ft by 40 ft cyclone fence. A sign proudly proclaims the name of the cemetery although the headstones don't reveal the inhabitants therein. There are no current indications why the cemetery is named Jim Davis Cemetery. KEENE CEMETERY Is located in the NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 13, Township 18 North, Range 10 West. It is another of those cemeteries that do not contain any readable headstones. There are six (6) generic headstones standing lone vigil above their charges. Again there are no indications why the cemetery is named Keene Cemetery, although a thorough title search of the land has not been attempted. KNOTTINGHAM CEMETERY, Is located in the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 6, Township 18 North, Range 9 West. The cemetery has no readable headstone. There are twelve (12) generic headstones placed within the confines of the cyclone fence. The cemetery is apparently vaguely named after the Nottingham Plantation that stood here prior to and after the Civil War. The plantation encompassed at least 800 acres. At one time Leonard Hunt, who had purchased the plantation from the Nottingham's sold it back to them for $5. The names of the known Nottingham's are; Rebecca F. V. Nottingham, Sarah H. Guttenberger nee Nottingham, Marion W. Swanson nee Nottingham, and Ida H. Willis nee Nottingham all related to Warren D. Nottingham who was appointed trustee to oversee the property. All of these Nottingham's were from Bibb County, Georgia. They sold this property in 1893 for $1500. WALKER CEMETERY Is located in the Southwest corner of the Northwest 1/4 of the Northeast 1/4 of Section 14, Township 18 North, Range 10 West. It is surrounded by a cyclone fence measuring app. 40 feet long and 30 feet wide. It contains seven generic headstones. It was apparently named for and may contain the burials of some of the Walker family, all of whom owned land nearby. The property was last owned by Harvey A. & Zelma (Smith) Walker.