Wood Family Cemetery Is Threatened!
You here the story sometimes how developers and County work crews plow over and cover up old cemeteries in the way. Stuff like that makes me mad but it doesnt really hit home. But today I received this email from a distant cousin (a decedent of Charles Wood):
I drove down Boone Road the other day, taking an alternate route home, and noticed that a few trees were being cut near the Wood Family cemetery. The cemetery is back behind a house and not really visible from the road.
I drove by again this morning and the whole area looks like it has been cut. I can’t tell if the cemetery has been disturbed or not. It did not look good to me!
Does anyone know anything about this, or know how I could get in touch with someone regarding the family cemetery? I have only visited the cemetery once, with a fellow researcher (cousin) from Florida. He had said that eventually he would like to put a fence around the cemetery to protect it. I hope it is not too late!!!!!!!!
Charles Wood, bca 1790, was my GGG grandfather. He and several other family members are buried in the Wood Family Cemetery on Boone Rd. (near the Mt. Carmel community).
The information I have shows:
Charles Wood bought Land Lot #93 in the 4th dist., June 28, 1840 (near Chattahoochee River). Cemetery on top of hill on this property – known as the “Old Wood Place” – shows two stones “James” and “Charlie” – indicating many graves of early Wood settlers – family of Harriet Wood Hutchins. (Negro slave graves on left of brick wall).NOTE: This information was provided to me by Jackie Lambert, CCGS, and I believe was originally compiled by Elsie Ragland Walden-Taylor. The document is titled: HUTCHENS Family History 1832-1961 – 129 Years (Formerly spelled “Hutchins”) Data By: Elsie Ragland Walden-Taylor. The document outlines the Hutchens/Hutchins family history, and then contains ‘Notes on Wood History”. Harriet Susan Wood, daughter of Charles and Mary Wood, married Archy Solomon Hutchins.
Now the question I am asking to the general public is this…. What can be done to protect my ancestors cemetery? What are the current Cemetery laws for the state of Georgia?
HELP ME!
If you have a county Historicl Society there, contact them. They sometimes preserve cemetaries. And of record data from grave stones for posterity. If they don’t, pick their brains for leads – the state historical society, for ex. If they don’t lobby them to make it a worthwhile project.
A very old cemetery was damaged in this county by loggers. They were forced to pay for damages. That doesn’t help for the great loss, though.
Am interested to know where in Georgia this Wood Famiy Cemetery is located. I’m out of state. Have a Charles Wood in my line -also a Banks Wood – and hit a brick wall.