Scouts Take On Abandoned Cemetery
April and May were busy months for Daniel Adams and Mark Lusk, two Scouts of Hamilton Troop 1836 who headed projects to clear and map gravestones in the old Sloan Cemetery in Rockford Township.
Abandoned for decades, the Sloan Cemetery may not be known to some who live nearby. It sits off State Hwy D where it makes a 90 degree curve about a mile north of the Prairie Ridge Church (Hwy 116). A wall of trees shields the cemetery from view and no sign is present. But the 1.4 acre cemetery has existed since the 1840’s when Stephen and Judith Sloan purchased 80 acres upon arriving from Monroe County, Ohio in the Spring of 1840 by oxen cart with their 9 children (Caldwell County, Missouri, History, Vol. 2 published by the Caldwell County Historical Society).
Daniel Adams’ Eagle Project was the clearing of the cemetery which entailed the cutting of dozens of dead trees and the removal of shrubbery, vines, and other vegetation which covered the entire property with at least foot-deep brambles mixed with fallen trees/branches and leaf litter. Daniel was assisted in the work by other members of the Troop and several of their fathers. All cut/removed vegetation was assembled into large woodpiles throughout the cemetery property for burning. Approximately 12 bonfires occurred in April while another 6 were still awaiting burning in late May due to rain.
Mark Lusk’s Eagle Project entailed assisting in surveying the cemetery for gravestones and creating a “locator map” to help family members and visitors find the graves located and identified thru readable engravings. Mark divided the cemetery into 6 sections which he and other Scouts and his siblings “probed” with metal rods to locate gravestones buried under vegetation and soil. Almost all of the approximately 70 graves recorded as existing in 1986 were found, recorded, and mapped.
A third Eagle Project is currently in the planning stage and will entail creating a sign for the cemetery and improving access to it by foot. Scott Lusk is awaiting approval to begin the project while the property owner is consulted regarding access issues.
John Dawson, Scoutmaster, Hamilton Troop 1836, became aware of a request for assistance in clearing and mapping the cemetery in February when Judy Vilmer, Caldwell County Historical Society Officer, sent queries to local contacts. Chris Carlson of the LDS Church was one of the contacts and she, in turn, forwarded Judy’s request to John Dawson among others. John contacted the requestor, Vicki Edwards, a 3X Great Granddaughter of Stephen and Judith Sloan, who lives in Los Angeles. Vicki had been to the Sloan Cemetery in 2013 and found its overgrown condition made the search for her Great Grandparents’ graves cumbersome and slow-going. Because she had heard of Scout Troops helping with abandoned cemeteries, in February she contacted Judy whom she had met in 2013.
Finding virtually all of the graves with the help of the Scouts was more than Vicki expected. Although vegetation was already re-growing when she arrived 4 weeks after the clearing, her work with Mark Lusk and his team was a truly enjoyable experience despite the physical effort required. She photographed all of the gravestones found and placed the photos on the Find A Grave website (findagrave.com) to record them for posterity. Although many of the stones, such as one for a month old baby, Frank Stanley Slocum, were in pristine condition when cleaned, others such as those of her Great Grandparents were severely damaged and/or had pieces missing. The photographic recording may be the only evidence of these damaged gravestones in future years.
Daniel Adams and Mark Lusk have successfully earned their Eagle Rank through their community service project work in the Sloan Cemetery. The Eagle Rank is the highest awarded by the Scouts, achieved by only 4% of Scouts. Scott Lusk will earn his upon successful completion of the 3rd project. The town of Hamilton and Caldwell County can take great pride in the execution of these projects by their local sons. Not only are roughly 70 early residents of Rockford Township being remembered through their efforts, but both young men gained practical “real world” experience by effectively applying diverse skills to bring their projects to a successful and timely completion.
