Vanorsdel Cemetery, Webster Par., Louisiana Submitter: Clifton D. Cardin, Official Bossier Parish Historian < cliftondcardin@juno.com > Cemetery surveyed about 1992. Date: Feb. 2001 ********************************************** 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 ("LAAP") 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. Another prime reason to inventory and document these graves is to supply to the "outside" world a bona-fide list of those who are known to be buried within the confines of the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, without it becoming necessary for them to gain permission and travel into LAAP. VANORSDEL CEMETERY Is located in Webster Par., Louisianathe Southwest Corner of the Northeast 1/4 of the Northwest 1/4 of Section 15, Township 18 North, Range 10 West. It is enclosed by a cyclone fence approximately 40 ft by 40 ft. It contains 10 generic concrete headstones. It also contains one headstone that includes the two following inscriptions. HEADSTONE ** DEATH ** AGE AT DEATH Gronison V. VANORSDEL**died Aug 17, 1918 **Age 61 yrs, 8 mo, 20 days and wife Clara Jackson VANORSDEL **died Oct 20, 1917 **Age 59 yrs,6 mo,4 days An indepth search for an obituary on Gronison or Clara Vanorsdel, in the Shreveport Times, the Minden newspapers and the Bossier Banner and the Bossier Press Tribune of that time frame reveals nothing about this couple. The original archeological survey concerning this area included testimony from a granddaughter of Granison & Clara Vanorsdel who revealed others interred at the cemetery were; OTHER POSSIBLE GRAVES Mariah Vanorsdel HARRIS, a daughter William VANORSDEL, a son Candy VANORSDEL, a brother E. H. FULLER, a grandson of Mariah Vanorsdel Harris Unidentified grandchild of Mariah Vanorsdel Harris Unidentified child of people who lived on the Vanorsdel place. SURVEY REPORT The same 1980's survey reported; "Deed records and grave markers indicate that the Van Arsdale (sic) Cemetery dates from the World War I period when Grandison (sic) and Clara Van Arsdale (sic) were intered there. The site is not the location of significant landscape features or funerary art; however, the information gathered to date suggests that the Van Arsdales (sic) were an important Black family in the eastern portion of the Plant who may have come to the area as slaves and who later accumulated a sizable amount of property which they farmed until 1941. Other sites are known to have been asssociated with the Van Arsdales were so badly disturbed by the government after 1941 that they cannnot be considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. As a result, the Van Arsdale Cemetery remains the most intact and least distrubed site on the Plant that is associated with this Black family. It is recommended, therefore, that the Cemetery be considered potentially eligible for listing on the National Register. A final, more complete assessment would be made as additional historical research is carried out at the Plant. Such additional research will contribute information concerning the historical development of the area as a whole and thus the relative importance of the Van Arsdale family." The same archeological survey recorded that "Tom Vanorsdel built his home and syrup mill southeast of the intersection of Fourth Street and Java Road, Lucius Vanorsdel built a home just south of the water tower adjacent to Fourth Street, Charles Vanorsdel's house was located north of Lucius, and Clemmie Vanorsdel 's home was near the cemetery. Evidence of most of these housesites is apparent on a 1916 Webster Parish soil survey map and/or the 1939 aerial photograph of the area." The author's interview with the great-nephew (Candy Vanorsdel's grandson) of Gronison Vanorsdel revealed many interesting aspects of Gronison Vanorsdel's life. I had noticed in my research that the land was originally owned by Wm. Vanorsdel, a white man who owned 38 slaves at the outbreak of the Civil War. Mr. Vanorsdel's death in 1867 caused quite a stir because he was murdered by three desperadoes from Texas. A $1500 reward was offered for the capture of Kit Gregory, about 18 years old, black hair and eyes, and a down-cast look, his complexion is dark or rather yellow, speaks very little and slowly, and weighs about 125 pounds, 5 feet 2 or 3 inches high; Ben Gregory, about 20 years old, black hair and eyes, his eyes quite small, his complexion is yellow or sunburnt, about 6 feet high, very slim and will weigh about 130 or 133 pounds; and also Jim White, about 23 years old, dark hair and rather blue eyes, about 5 feet 8 or 9 inches high, well made, and a great talker, and one of his arms (thought to be left) is crooked from being once broken. The money was offered by several friends and neighbors of Wm. Vanorsdel, including A. McIntyre (of McIntyre), D. B. Doyle (of Doyline fame), and W. F. Boon (who Boone Creek is named after). After Wm. Vanorsdel's death he apparently left no known descendents, for out of state relatives claimed his massive fortune and forced it's sell. Years later Gronison Vanorsdel, mulatto, returned and purchased the old homesite. My suspicions where confirmed when I interviewed the descendents. He did reveal that Gronison was the son of Wm. Vanorsdel (white) and had taken his fathers name after emancipation. (That was the technique, negroes did not take the name of their master after the Civil War, but that of their biological father.) The descendent revealed that Gronison's mother had been a cook in the plantation of Wm. Vanorsdel.