Abandoned Cemeteries LaPorte County, Indiana "Gone But Not Forgotten"

Indiana Cemetery Volunteers, , are in a race against time, natural elements and cemetery vandalism. Many are donating their time and energy to preserve graves and record burial sites. As you view the list below, keep in mind, this is what the INPCR Project does not want to happen to our remaining pioneer cemeteries in Indiana. And this is also why we are trying to protect those cemeteries still in existence.

SOS - We need your help! If you have further information about any of the families that were buried in the following cemeteries, please send it to us at laportecountyin@yahoo.com
We are attempting to gather family history and burial information on these smaller cemeteries that were abandoned and in most cases destroyed.
Reference: LaPorte Co., Grave Registration completed in 1939 for the Veteran Grave Location Atlas, the following notes were published for the cemeteries listed below.
See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 

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Bakers Point - U.S. 35 500W - Springfield Township - Dated 1939: "Condemnation proceedings were started by the state of Indiana in LaPorte Circuit court this morning to secure land occupied by the Harlem Inn at Baker's Point for construction of the new super highway long U.S. 20. The proceedings were instituted after Mrs. Margaret Baker, (es???), named as defendants in the suit, had failed to come to terms"

Bald Hill Cemetery - Possibly in back yard - Bald Hill School once stood - near 250E and Division Road.
pagharris@sbcglobal.net   Contact: Patricia Gruse Harris
   

Bald Hill Area
March 26, 1862 DEATH: March the 15th, 1862, CHARLES MERRIL, aged 18 years, member of Bald Hill Lodge #200, La Porte County.
February 19, 1870 DEATH: At Bald Hill on Tuesday evening, 17th inst., of heart disease, Mr. WM. H. GILCHRIST. The funeral will be held at the Bald Hill Chapel, Sunday (to-morrow) at 10½ o'clock AM. ------------- ?Mr Gilchrist was buried in Rolling Prairie Cemetery.

Griffin Area - Exact location unknown at the present time -

September 25, 1844 DEATH: Notice is hereby given to the heirs of DANIEL GRIFFIN, late of La Porte County, Indiana, deceased, and all others interested, that the undersigned, widow of the said decedent, will make applications to the Probate Court of La Porte County, at its next term, to be holden at the Court House in La Porte, on the second Monday of November next, to appoint commissioners to assign and set over to her, her dower in all of the lands belonging to the said DANIEL GRIFFIN at the time of his decease. September 19, 1844 ALETHEA GRIFFIN

Beatty Family Cemetery - Beatty Family Cemetery in Coolspring Twp. as an abandoned cemetery as John A. A. Beatty son of J & S died June 10, 1863 age 17; Sarah Beatty dau. of John & Sarah - died Feb 28, 1851; Sarah Beatty wife of John d. May 13 1864 age 52 yrs 10 mo 8 da. were buried on the farm at the SW corner of U.S. 421 and 100N and later moved to Beattys' Corners. Beattys' Corners listing notes that they were moved from the farm.  See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 

Bootjack Grave Yard - Shaw Cemetery  -   is mentioned in the History of St. Joseph County as well as the New Carlisle newspaper, dated 24 May 1887. In the 1910 burial records of the Rolling Prairie Cemetery there is an entry of a burial as follows: “Buried from Shaw Cemetery at Bootjack”. It was believed that all the bodies were removed from the Bootjack/Shaw cemetery and reburied in the Rolling Prairie Cemetery, Wills Baptist Cemetery and the New Carlisle Cemetery. The reason for the moving of the graves is unknown. I was able to contact a descendant of the Shaw family and was told that the cemetery was located on land that Andrew Shaw owned on the southeast corner of 700 E. in Wills Township. This party also showed me Cemetery Disinter and Reinter Burial Permits for several persons stating “Now interred Shaw Family Cemetery, sent to Rolling Prairie Cemetery”.  
 See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 

I went to the Town Hall of New Carlisle to check their cemetery records and did not find any transfer of bodies from the Bootjack/Shaw Cemetery to the New Carlisle Cemetery recorded. While at the City Hall I inquired of the staff if there was anyone that might have knowledge of the Bootjack/Shaw Cemetery and I was referred to an elderly gentleman who graciously answered my questions about Bootjack/Shaw Cemetery. The gentleman spoke of his acquaintance of the caretaker for the Bootjack/Shaw Cemetery. The caretaker told him that the cemetery was located after the curve in the road on Highway 20, next to the “Clendenen home”. This location concurs with what the Shaw ancestor told me. The caretaker also told him that the bodies were removed to the Rolling Prairie Cemetery and the Baptist Church Cemetery.

The known 1910 transfers from the Bootjack/Shaw Cemetery to the Rolling Prairie Cemetery are: Emanuel Thomas, Malinda Reese, Abram R. Shaw, Civil War veteran, Nancy Shaw, and Louisa W. Parker. The 1882 estate records for Nancy Shaw show expenses for digging of the grave by William Sharp - $4.00, arching of the grave by A. Galbreath - $7.50, and to M. K. Beal for a fence and tombstone - $200.00. There is no cemetery designation on any of the township maps for the Bootjack/Shaw Cemetery. Submitter & Researcher - Gloria Arndt

Bowell Cemetery  Kankakee Township - approximate location 500E 500N -  See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 

Cowan Cemetery  - Centre Township - approximate location 500 N 525 W  - Family histories sought

Dysard Family Cemetery - Coolspring Township - Abandoned and no Veterans. Cemetery was destroyed and once existed on the Mike Pavolka Farm at Section 26 &37N R4W No Scale available - Completed by Patricia Harris and Gloria Arndt. -  See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 

Harvey Family Cemetery - Kankakee Township - Abandoned and No Veterans. Cemetery Abandoned and destroyed.
Cemetery was on the Joseph Ekovich Farm - Sec. 27 T.37N R. 2W. - Family histories sought

Jessup Cemetery - New Durham Township - Abandoned and No Veterans .   See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 
John Jessup stoned moved to Pine Lake Cemetery. Cemetery was located at Sec. 12 T 36 N R.4 W. Graves were destroyed.

Learned (Learn) Family Cemetery- Pleasant Township - Abandoned and destroyed. No Veterans. Existed on the Arthur Rameier Farm at Sec. 2 T36 N. R. 2W
 See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 

Joe Norris Family Cemetery - New Durham Township - Abandoned - No Veterans - Has been destroyed. Location of Cemetery was at Sec. 2. T.36 N. R.4W.

Redding Cemetery - Centre Township -  Abandoned - No Veterans 600W 500N - family histories sought

Replogle Cemetery - Centre Township -  Abandoned - No Veterans 300N 500W - family histories sought

Snavely Cemetery - Clinton Township - Abandoned - family histories sought

Union Church Cemetery - It was originally thought that there were no burials in this cemetery as the Union Church to which this cemetery was attached, had a very short period of existence.
  However, recent research has determined that at least two persons where at one time interred in this cemetery.
  1. Mercy Amelia Spring Bigelow, wife of Revolutionary War Soldier Abijah Bigelow. She died 20 Aug. 1846 aged 85 yrs. In 1901 J. C. Haddock, who had married Mercy & Abijah’s granddaughter, Ellen D. Williams Haddock, wrote to the newspaper (see article in this file) as follows: “In reference to Abijah Bigelow’s grave I am pleased to inform you it is marked with a suitable marble slab, the inscription on which was written to cover the graves of both Abijah Bigelow and his wife Mercy. Her remains were removed from Clinton township to the old cemetery in Michigan City, and buried with Mr. Bigelow’s at his death (23 Oct. 1848). Some years ago the old cemetery was abandoned by the city and sold, and the remains buried therein ordered removed to Greenwood cemetery. “At Mrs. Herbert Williams’ request I superintended the removal of the same, and they now lie buried on Mr. Herbert Williams’ lot in that handsome resting place for the dead. As there were but few bones of either Abijah Bigelow or his wife remaining, they were reinterred in the same grave.”
  2. Edward Otis b. 6 April 1766 at Lyme, CT. He was a Private in the Connecticut troops under Capt. Lord & Col. Star. Wounded at Bunker Hill. He died June 1852 and was buried Bigelow Mills, LaPorte Co., IN. His grave was later moved to Buchanan, MI where some of his descendants lived. A notation on his record in Vol. I Revolutionary Soldiers by Margaret R. Waters 1949 stated that Bigelow Mills cemetery was abandoned and graves moved. (See copy of record in file.)  See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 

Willvale Cemetery - Prairie Township - Abandoned - No Veterans - Location - Sec. 3 T.34 N. R. 3 W. Cemetery moved to Hanna in 1908.
 See Abandoned/Destroyed Cemeteries of La Porte Co., IN Vol . I 

The above is our "Hall of Shame"
Cemeteries that were allowed to fall into disrepair and then disappear.

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