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Central
Kentucky PO Box 597, Danville, KY 40422 (New Address) |
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We need your help.
At Shelby City, we need to install fencing along the west and north sides.
However, we have three different surveys, and we aren't even sure where the property lines are now.
So, we need legal help in determining this.
At Wilsonville, we may need legal help in order to allow a descendant to purchase that cemetery.
IF you can help us, please send a check in any amount to CKAACA, Inc, PO Box 597, Danville, KY 40422
OR
Simply click on the "DONATE" button below to send your donation through a credit card.
Recent minutes of CKAACA Board Meetings are now found at https://dbcaahs-ckaaca.net/ckaaca.htm
Visit
our "eMuseum",
containing information and Also, we have separate Facebook pages for several of the cemetery projects: |
The purpose of this Association is to locate, preserve, and maintain African-American cemeteries in central Kentucky -- including Boyle, Casey, Garrard, Lincoln and Mercer Counties. There is SO much work to do. We began with Shelby City, Givens (Turnersville), and White Oak (Bryantsville) Cemeteries, but recently have concentrated on Meadow Lane and Wilsonville. Anyone, anywhere, with an interest in preserving these cemeteries is welcome to join our organization. No commitment is required, but your time, labor, or donations are welcome. We recognize that not everyone can tromp over fields and through woods with chainsaws in hand, summer and winter, so donations are gladly accepted. Our ten years' work at Shelby City has finally resulted in clearing the entire cemetery, and arranged for ongoing maintenance with Lincoln County, which has been sidetracked by the COVID-19 pandemic, so for the near future, we're back to doing all the work ourselves. . Maintenance still needs to be done, as tree branches fall on a regular basis, but the cemetery has been saved. Our needs now are to finish fencing along the back and side to prevent trespassers from driving through the cemetery, and to clarify which of three surveys is the "correct" one. In December, 2018, the Meadow Lane African American Cemetery was surveyed, and the plat was registered with the Boyle County Clerk's office. The CKAACA took ownership of Meadow Lane (as well as Shelby City African American Cemetery), and has thus preserved this historic resting place for future generations. We have now worked with the City of Danville, which has taken over ownership and maintenance of the cemetery and Kilby Lane, leading to the cemetery. Beginning in the summer of 2019, we concentrated on Meadow Lane and Wilsonville. Thanks to a descendant of Miss Ella Marshall, long-time teacher in Wilsonville and Boyle County, we have secured permission to work on the cemetery from the owners, the African Methodist Episcopal church offices in Lexington. Also, in October 2020, that descendant secured a beautiful gravestone for Miss Marshall, which was dedicated at a memorial service in the Wilsonville Cemetery. Beginning in January 2020, mapping began of all available gravestones, fieldstones, and other grave markers at Hilldale Cemetery in Danville. This project, identifying over 4,000 graves by section, row, and grave, was essentially finished by the beginning of June, with over 1,300 other known burials, for whom we have no markers. |
African-American
Cemeteries in the Boyle County area on Find A Grave
There are undoubtedly others which have
not yet been located.
Those marked with "**" are not yet mapped on Find A Grave.
Ones where we are actively working are marked with "##" and in bold
font.
RECENT minutes of CKAACA Board Meetings are now found at https://dbcaahs-ckaaca.net/ckaaca.htm
Board Meeting Minutes, 5 Dec 2022:
The CKAACA met at the History Center, 108 North Second Street, Monday, 5 December 2022, with members Mike Denis, James Hunn, Cindy Peck and Bill Stocker attending. 1. President James Hunn called the meeting to order at 7:05 P.M. 2. Last month’s secretary’s and treasurer’s reports were read and approved. 3. Cindy noted that Centre College has $500 they can spend for cemetery maintenance. Also on 1 April 2023, they will be hosting volunteers from four other colleges, and will take care of transportation and food for the volunteers to work in cemeteries. 4. We discussed the design of the shelters to be built at both Hilldale and Bellevue. 5. Comparing our cemetery records at Hilldale, and the Bellevue records done by Bill and Beulah Jones several years ago, neither of which has been accepted by the City of Danville, the city Cemetery Committee will move at their next meeting that the corrected and updated records be accepted officially by the city. Mike will get two copies of Hilldale records to city clerk Ashley Raider, and has agreed to keep the spreadsheet as up to date as possible with new burials. He will also send Bill Stocker, chair of the city committee, a copy of the work done by the Joneses at Bellevue. 6. Bill reported on the status of our cemeteries: Meadow Lane: The City will be filling in the swales at Meadow Lane to make mowing easier. We need to mark the heads of those swales before that work is done. Wilsonville: Everything is going fine there. Shelby City: More trailers are going in to the west. Mike has applied for a new grant of $1000 which, if approved, will allow us to fence in the back and part of the west side. We will know on or about 16 December if we were successful. Bill re-set William Scott’s headstone at Shelby City after it had been knocked over by a truck driving through the cemetery. Hilldale: Placing row markers was discussed. They are necessary, but the city isn’t seeing the situation our way. Aliceton: Mike needs to check to see if Aliceton and the Taylor graveyard have been merged on Find A Grave [Note – they had not, so Mike sent in a request to do so] 7. The next meeting was set for Monday, 2 January at 1:00 pm, so people won’t have to be out at night during the winter. 8. The meeting adjourned at about 8:45. Respectfully submitted, Michael J Denis, Secretary, CKAACA Inc |
Board Meeting Minutes, 28 Oct 2022:
The CKAACA met at the History Center, 108 North Second Street, at 7:00 P.M. Friday, October 28, 2022, with members Mike Denis, Charles Grey, Cindy Peck and Bill Stocker attending. 1. VP Bill Stocker called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. 2. Last month’s secretary’s and treasurer’s reports were read and approved. 3. Bill noted that this organization has no way at present to gain any income, and that we need to look into some sort of fundraising event(s). T-shirts, coffee mugs, and other ideas were suggested, but nothing was decided. 4. Mike Denis explained what had happened to our grant request through the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission. We did not receive funding, but through no fault of our own. 5. Bill reported on the status of our cemeteries: Meadow Lane: The City of Danville has done an excellent job of preserving our work on this historic cemetery. It now takes its place with Bellevue and Hilldale and is properly maintained. In addition, there will be THREE signs placed, one at Lebanon Road, one on Cowan Street, and a third at the cemetery itself. Isaac Moore’s historic headstone has been secured to keep it from falling over.
Wilsonville: With fall and dry weather, mowing is less of a concern now. There is no new news on the process of selling the cemetery, school, and church. Shelby City: Again, no changes here, except that Bill has purchased more PVC pipe for marking fieldstones, and has added two new markers, with many more to go. Several trees have been cut, and sawn into stove-length firewood, which magically has disappeared, hopefully helping some family with heating a home. Hilldale: No changes here. Josh Morgan noted that the shelters planned for here and Bellevue will probably both be constructed at the same time, in the interests of efficiency and cost. 6. With Veteran’s Day approaching, discussion turned to flags at the cemeteries. After much discussion about how to prevent flags from blowing or falling over, it was voted to place flags on Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, but to remove them about 10 days after the holiday. That way the cemetery flags won’t look abandoned or forlorn, and we will have the flags for the next holiday. 7. Bill has also been researching the Aliceton and Taylor cemeteries in the western portion of the county, and has come to the conclusion that they are one and the same. We will ask Find A Grave to "merge” the two cemeteries. We also need to get out there to probe around the Taylor gravestone, as there are probably more burials there. 8. The meeting adjourned about 8:30.
Respectfully submitted, Michael J Denis Secretary, CKAACA Inc |
Board Meeting Minutes, 6 Oct 2022:
The CKAACA met at the History Center, 108 North Second Street, at 7:00 P.M. Thursday, October 6th, 2022, with members Cindy Peck and Bill Stocker attending. President James Hunn, Secretary Mike Denis, Charles Grey and Barry Sanborn were unable to attend. 1. VP Bill Stocker called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. 2. Last month’s minutes were not available for reading, discussion and approval. 3. Cindy read the financial report. 4. Bill reported on the status of our cemeteries: Hilldale: Danville’s City Engineer Josh Morgan and I are working on a design for a sign to replace the current one at the intersection of Second Street and Duncan Hill. We are still waiting on a final design from John Carman concerning the committal shelter. Meadow Lane: Josh and I are also working on a sign design for this cemetery. Signs will be placed at the intersection of Lebanon Road and Cowan Street and at the intersection of Cowan Street and Kilby Lane. Wilsonville: Mowing continues but is slowing down due to the extremely dry conditions. Laverne Marshall called last week and said that Rick Westerfield’s lawyer, Vince Pennington, has been in contact with her concerning Rick’s purchase of the church and cemetery property. Shelby City: Mike Denis has stated that although the grant application for boundary fencing was sent in before the deadline, it was overlooked and when finally found the time had passed for processing. Mowing is slowing here also due to the dry weather conditions. I cut down a dead cherry tree that was in danger of falling and then cut it and 2 more fallen trees into firewood. Several weekends ago Cindy met with about 6 Centre College students, and they raked a large number of leaves that had been accumulating for several years. The students then hauled the leaves to a mulching center on the Kentucky School for the Deaf campus. The owner of the land situated North of the cemetery is Mrs. Johnson. With her permission, a ground penetrating radar (GPR) unit that may be available to us through Centre College and the University of Kentucky will be used to check that area for any graves. 5. Next meeting date: To be determined.
Bill Stocker, VP-CKAACA, Secretary Pro Tem |
Board Meeting Minutes, 9 Sep 2022:
The CKAACA met at the History Center, 108 North Second Street, at 7:10 pm on Friday, 9 September, with members Bill Stocker, Mike Denis, and Cindy Peck. President James Hunn was unable to attend. 1. The Secretary's and Treasurer's reports were read and accepted. 2. Cindy will contact Centre College about getting some help at Shelby City. 3. Discussion ensued about obtaining a leaf vacuum from either Stanford or Lincoln County to take care of raked leaves at Shelby City. 4. The Danville Cemetery Committee will be meeting thiis coming Tuesday, when Bill will have an update on the shelters proposed at Hilldale and Bellevue. 5. Bill removed the chalkboard from the Wilsonville school, which is near to collapse. The board is in the back room at the History Center. 6. Bill talked with Whittaker Fence Company, and got an estimate of $3200 on 640 feet of fencing, braced, at $5.00 per foot. We hope the grant we have applied for will come through, as that would cover the fencing. 7. The City of Danville will install signs for Meadow Lane, one on Lebanon Road, and a second on Cowan Street. We are hoping the city will let us design the signs. 8. We need more PVC pipe to serve as markers for the fieldstones Bill has located at Shelby City. It was moved and seconded to authorize the purchase (Denis/Peck). 9. On the Withers Cemetery (white), we need to investigate what it would take to restore what is arguably the oldest white cemetery in the city of Danville. 10. The next meeting was set for Monday, 3 October, at the History Center at 7:00 p.m. 11. The meeting was adjourned at about 8:30 p.m.
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Board Meeting Minutes, 1 Aug 2022:
The CKAACA met at the History Center, 108 North Second Street, at 7:00 pm on Monday, 1 August, with members Bill Stocker, Mike Denis, and Charles Grey. President James Hunn was unable to attend. The minutes of
the last meeting were read and accepted (Stocker/Grey). VP Bill Stocker
called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m, then gave an update on cemeteries
and our work there. 1. Hot weather is hampering cemetery work. 2. Pre-COVID, Centre College students were a
great help; now, we need to get that help back, in the form of small groups
-- 30 student coming in a bus is wonderful, but it is not manageable. 3. We MUST have student helpers sign liability
forms, which Cindy reported she has. 4. Meadow Lane -- On 16 Jul about 1/3 of the
area was cleaned, but it is now on hold until the weather breaks. 5. Bill has now mowed both Wilsonville and
Shelby City ten times. 6. At Wilsonville, a small tree fell on a
gravestone, but did no damage; as Bill did not have his chain saw with him,
he did not remove the tree. 7. Rich Westerfield is still trying to get his
lawyer to go ahead with the Wilsonville quit-claim deed. 8. Shelby City needs limbs to be picked up, a
possible task for Centre students. No
damage has been noted at all. 9. Bill has three string trimmers at his
house, but has not had a chance to work on them yet. 10. Regarding the proposed shelter at Hilldale
(and Bellevue), John Carman finally got the plans right, and the Danville
Cemetery Committee approved the drawings.
It will be spring, however, before anything can really be done on the
structure. It will be a 40' by 40'
pad, with the shelter itself being 30' by 30', with a 60 space columbarium
included. 11. The next meeting was set for Monday, 5 September, at the History Center at 7:00 p.m. 12. The meeting was
adjourned at about 8:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Mike Denis, Secretary |
Board Meeting Minutes, 1 Jul 2022:
VP Bill Stocker called the meeting to order at 1:06 p.m. It was immediately moved and seconded (Stocker/Peck) to have future meetings at 7:00 p.m. and the next meeting was set for Monday, 1 August 2022 at that time in the History Center. The minutes of the last meeting were read and accepted (Peck/Grey). Cindy reported that after paying the IRS bill for non-profit incorporation, we have $1,039.53 in the treasury, not the $899 that was reported last month. Mike Denis reported that he had spoken to Dr. Alicetyne Turley, of the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission, about grants to preserve cemeteries. We will, of course, look into that. VP Bill Stocker then gave an extensive update on county African American cemeteries. 1. Meadow Lane -- it is not being mowed by the city which makes the city look bad. However, mowing without knowing where stones are can be damaging to the stones. It was agreed with the city manager that Bill will supervise the mowing crew. HOWEVER, since the city does not yet have ownership documentation, we as an organization will probably end up doing some mowing and weed-eating anyway. 2. Both Shelby City and Wilsonville have been mowed now eight times. Bill still refuses to accept gas money from the Association! 3. At Shelby City, a neighbor has apparently put the fear of God into the teenage boys who were vandalizing the cemetery. 3. Wilsonville looks good. Rick Westerfield will meet with his lawyer later this month to execute a quit-claim deed for the cemetery, the church, and the school. The schoolhouse was discussed, and Bill reported that the school was built in 1867, and then used as a site for fundraising to build the church. There is NO record of a deed of sale for the school, unlike several other Black schools in the County. 4. Bill reported that Eliza Napier, who died in 2012, is buried in Bellevue Cemetery. Linda Warren knows of two other Blacks buried there. 5. At the Danville Cemetery Committee meeting, new revised drawings for the shelter at Hilldale were being drawn up. The mix-up over the design has caused the project to become well behind schedule. 6. At Aliceton, Bill reported that George Taylor's great grand-daughter has agreed to talk with him about what we believe is the Aliceton Cemetery, probably also known as the Taylor Burying Ground. Bill also shared with us the website, "SavingGraves.net" which attempts to catalog cemeteries in danger of being lost. Two in Boyle County were specifically mentioned -- the McGinniss Family Cemetery, on Webster Road, and the Gaines Family Cemetery, at 594 Wells Landing Road. The meeting was adjourned at 2:32 p.m., after which we spent another 45 minutes in socializing and enjoying each others' company. Respectfully submitted, |
Board Meeting Minutes, 1 Jun 2022:
The CKAACA met at the History Center, 108 North Second Street, at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, 1 June, with members Bill Stocker, Mike Denis, Charles Grey, Cindy Peck, and Barry Sanborn present. President James Hunn was unable to attend. VP Bill Stocker called the meeting to order. 1. After spending $275 for the 501(c)(3) application, we have $899 left in the treasury. The application to the IRS was APPROVED, so now we are an official non-profit charitable foundation. 2. Bill made several reports on cemeteries.
3. Possible renovation of the historic Withers Cemetery (white) was discussed. We may need to meet with the Boyle County Genealogical and Historical Society to see if we can combine efforts on this cemetery as our members are getting too old to do a great deal of physical work now. 4. The next meeting was set for Friday, 1 July 2022 at 1:00 at the History Center. Respectfully
submitted, |
Board Meeting Minutes, 29 Apr 2022:
The CKAACA met at the History Center, 108 North Second Street, at 1:00 pm on Friday, 29 April, with members James Hunn, Bill Stocker, Mike Denis, Cindy Peck, and Charles Grey present. 1. The minutes of last month’s meeting were distributed, and it was moved (Peck/Grey) to accept them. 2. There were no updates on erecting a barrier on the north side of Shelby City cemetery. However, discussion moved to whether we really want to do that, which could cause vehicles to drive through the west side, which is now all cleaned out. Apparently, the person who was driving through and doing damage has moved, so maybe this may not be the issue it was last month. 3. The question came up about whether we could rent ground-penetrating radar (GPR) equipment. Bill mentioned that our intern last fall with the DBCAAHS said that Centre had such equipment. We will investigate that option for scanning Shelby City at least. 4. The application for 501(c)(3) will be done after this meeting. It was moved (Stocker/Peck) to authorize $275 for the fee. [NOTE: After the meeting we were not able to log on to the IRS website, so Mike Denis will do it at home this evening, paying with his credit card and expecting reimbursement from the CKAACA. 5. Bill gave his report on cemeteries. A. Shelby City and Wilsonville have been mowed twice, but there are still limbs at Shelby City that need to be taken care of. B. Rick Westerfield is working on getting the Wilsonville property surveyed. Much discussion ensued over what his plans are for both the Wilsonville school and Wilson Chapel. C. We still need to do more research to locate Black churches near the Shelby City cemetery. There were at least two – a Baptist, and an AME church, but exactly WHERE they were located is the issue. D. The Danville Cemetery Committee’s next meeting will be 12 May. Bill noted a change in focus of that committee from a group that almost exclusively dealt with Bellevue Cemetery, to one which now includes Hilldale as well. 6. For Memorial Day, Mike will purchase enough flags to place on veteran’s graves at Shelby City, Wilsonville, Meigs, Meadow Lane, and Clifton. James Hunn offered to reimburse the costs. Bill and Cindy will place flags at Wilsonville, and Mike will do the rest. 7. James mentioned a Civil War gravestone for a Mr. Davis – the only stone – off Waterworks Road in Danville. Mike wondered if this would have been in the former Meauxtown settlement – of which we have three recorded, but unlocated graves – Mitchell “Uncle Mitch” Gunn, ? – 1893; William B Meaux, 1846-1912, and Ben Tubble, ? – 1927. 8. The next meeting was set for Wednesday, 1 June, at 1:00 pm at the History Center. Respectfully
submitted, |
Board Meeting Minutes, 30 Mar 2022:
CKAACA, 1:00 PM, History Center |
Board Meeting Minutes, 7 Aug 2021:
CKAACA, 11:00 AM, History Center |
Board Meeting Minutes, 2 Jul 2021:
Bill Stocker reported on the conditions at
local cemeteries. |
Board Meeting Minutes, 27 May, 2021, History
Center:
Present - J H Atkins, Mike Denis, Charles
Grey, Cindy Peck, Bill Stocker |
Board Meeting Minutes, 4 May 2021, History
Center:
1. Present for all or part of the meeting
were Mike Denis, Charles Grey, Michael Hughes, Cindy Peck, Barry Sanborn, and
Bill Stocker, |
Board Meeting Minutes, 5 Apr 2021,Shelby City
African American Cemetery
1. Bill and Cindy have taken 5 truckloads
of branches and limbs to the convenience center since last month. |
Board Meeting Minutes, 3 Mar 2021, Shelby
City African American Cemetery
Present for all or part of the meeting were
James and Ethel Hunn, Bill Stocker, Cindy Peck, and Mike Denis. |
Board Meeting Minutes, 7 November 2020:
Central Kentucky African American Cemetery
Association |
Board Meeting Minutes, 1 September 2020:
The Central Kentucky African American
Cemetery Association, LLC, met at the Shelby City African American Cemetery
at 9:30 AM on 1 September 2020, with four members present. |
Board Meeting Minutes, 1 August 2020:
CKAACA met at 10:00 am at the DBCAAHS
History Center, 108 North Second Street, with four members present. |
Board Meeting Minutes, 11 July 2020:
We met at the Shelby City African American Cemetery at 10AM on Saturday, July 11, for a breakfast and work meeting. Since we were outdoors in the wonderful breeze at Shelby City, and since we social-distanced, we believe were safe in these pandemic days. Present were Cindy Peck, Bill Stocker, Barry Sanborn, and Mike Denis. Bill had noted that the Facebook "page" for the Shelby City African American Cemetery did not have a "join" button, as did other cemeteries. The issue, which Mike researched, is that Shelby City is a "page" and the others are "groups." So, a new Facebook "Group" -- Shelby City African American Cemetery -- was set up . The URL is https://www.facebook.com/groups/635029120440435/ We discussed the status of several area cemeteries. Wilsonville -- Ronnie Letcher joined us last week, and has offered to help keep Wilsonville mowed. Rev. Everhart Walker surprised us with a visit, and showed us where Hubert Walker's wife and daughter are buried -- both marked only with fieldstones, but now memorialized on Find A Grave. Also he showed us where his grandparents, Johnson and Mary (Andrews) Walker, are buried (also now on Find A Grave), and his great-grandfather, Horace Walker, who was born into slavery, and is now memorialized on Find A Grave as well. That one visit added three new people, and five new photographs. Meadow Lane -- Little work needs to be done here, but we need to keep on the City of Danville about taking over ownership. We can offer to continue maintaining it. Hilldale -- The repair and resetting of the Dennis and Diademia Doram stones is progressing. We would like the City of Danville to place markers at the ends of probably every tenth row, so people can find their relatives and ancestors more easily. What to do with our accurate mapping of Hilldale and its records, and how to get the City to accept them, was discussed. Discussion then turned to the new "home" for the Danville Boyle County African American Historical Society, at 108 North Second Street, but that discussion is not pertinent to the aims and objectives of this organization. After the meeting adjourned, we spent another several hours weed-whacking, trimming, brush cutting, and doing general landscaping. Bill has been mowing the cemetery, and we will be back Monday, Jul 13, for another work session, again, weather permitting. The next meeting will again be at Shelby City African American Cemetery, because it's always cool there, and there's always work to be done there -- Saturday, August 9, 2020, at 10:00 AM, weather permitting. Respectfully submitted, |
Board Meeting Minutes, 6 June 2020:
Present were Mike Denis, Ben Lindsay, Cindy Peck, Barry Sanborn, and Bill Stocker. One of the first items of business was a decision to elect a Vice-President. Mike Denis nominated (seconded by Cindy Peck) Bill Stocker. Bill is the obvious choice since he has become a mover and shaker when it comes to African American cemetery care in the area. Mike gave a status report on mapping Hilldale Cemetery, and addressed the need for the city to share sexton Jason Turner's spreadsheet of burials there. Bill will send out an email noting where he plans to work several days in advance, so we can plan to join him. For years, this was an every Saturday event, but since almost all of us are now retired we can volunteer any time the weather is decent. Mike reported on the status of the Doram stone "GoFundMe" drive. So far, $170 has been raised to repair and reset the stones at Hilldale Cemetery. As Lincoln County will not be able to help mow Shelby City as they have in the past, we may need to hire help. Mike noted that a post on Facebook listed several Black-owned landscaping businesses in the area. Bill gave an update on Wilsonville and the progress of Laverne Davie purchasing the church, school, and cemetery, and noted that Rick Westerfield is helping mow the are around the church. Cindy will apply for federal non-profit 501(c)(3) status this week. We need to mark every 10th row, or so, in Hilldale so people can find graves. It was suggested that we ask the City to go half with us on the cost. We need to decide the design, and find a manufacturer. We need to contact the City about uprighting some of the stones that have fallen face down, and are thus unidentifiable. Whose permission would we need to do that? It was also decided to meet monthly on a Saturday during the summer, at a cemetery of Bill's choosing, so we can meet then work. Finally, the qustion we have had for many years now, what can we do to encourage more Black involvement? How can we get more Black help? Right now, it's almost all whites doing the work, because it needs to be done. But it would be wonderful if Black churches could step up and help, or even take the lead. Our next meeting will be Saturday, 11 July at Shelby City, unless otherwise announced. Respectfully submitted, |
Board Meeting Minutes, 1 Oct 2019:
The called meeting of the Central Kentucky African American Cemetery Association was held in the Mahan Gallery of the Boyle County Public Library, at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, 1 October 2019. Present were James Hunn, Mike Denis, Cindy Peck, and Bill Stocker. Meadow Lane African American Cemetery – The Danville City Commission is waiting for us to give them the plat of the Cemetery. James Hunn will take courthouse’s copy to Steven Dexter, the Danville city attorney, and if need be, we can probably get another copy from Estes Surveying. When the City officially takes over the Cemetery, We need to do some sort of transfer ceremony, with a re-dedication, to be covered by local press. The new deed for Meadow Lane MUST include tarring Kilby Lane as a city street, as per the city attorney’s ruling from 1994. If it is a city cemetery, it should be accessible by a city street. Wilsonville African American Cemetery – We need to support Laverne Davie on the purchase of the Wilsonville church, school, and cemetery property. We no longer need to communicate with the AME diocese other than expressing our support for her plans. We will support her in any way we can, provided that we can continue maintaining the Cemetery. Bill Stocker has a friend who can help take out the large fallen trees. James Hunn will talk with sheriff to ask the abutting landowner to respect the property AFTER Bill Stocker talks with the abutter. Bill will send copy of PVA plot to Laverne. Mitchellsburg African American Cemetery – It is owned by Paul Pelley, so we need to get permission from him to work there. He lives at 11420 Lebanon Rd, telephone 332-7507. Other: We need to meet at least quarterly, suggested dates being Jan 2, sometime in April, July, and October, specifics to be determined. We can have called meetings at any time. Oct 5, Centre students will be coming to Wilsonville. Oct 26, EKU Students will be coming to Shelby City – this is our 6th Anniversary working at Shelby City. Bonner grants – can they be used for gravestone repair material such as epoxy, cement, D/2, and other needed equipment? If so, we may be able to apply for two this year, at $500 each. Respectfully submitted, |
Board Meeting Minutes, 16 Feb 2019:
Members present: Mike Denis, Ben Lindsay, Cindy Peck, Bill Stocker, Daniel Thompson Treasurer Cindy Peck reported on a phone call from James Hunn who was unable to attend. President, James Hunn on Monday, 11 February, spoke to each and every Commissioner and the Mayor, who all agreed that if we turn Meadow Lane over to the City, the City will cut trees that interfere with the boundary lines; maintain the cemetery in perpetuity; and maintain Kilby Lane as a city street. We then discussed a proposed presentation to the City Commission, of no more than 10 minutes, to include the following: 1. A brief history of the Cemetery 2. Benefits to the City -- historical, moral, legal Preserves local history Helps improve community relationships by preserving an untold part of our history Honors veterans from Civil War (Sherwood Barber, Evan Burton, Richard Driscoll, Henry Shaw and World War 1 (George McAfee) Honors people born in, and dying in slavery, like Isaac Moore, born 1860, last slave born to Charles Moore, and Simon Moore Listed on African American Historic Sites driving tour Listed on Boyle Landmarks to Watch We need to list how many hours community members have spent working here, noting especially that we have living descendants who have helped. Bill Stocker, playing Devil’s advocate asked the question, how can we guarantee that the city will preserve the unique characteristics of this African American Cemetery? After lengthy discussion, several other questions arose, including whether we will be able to continue assisting the city in identifying artifacts and restoring graves. There are certain conditions we must guarantee before turning the Cemetery over to the city – we MUST insist that it be maintained as a typical African-American cemetery: More naturalized, rather than park-like, as with most traditionally white cemeteries More trees providing shade and a wooded atmosphere Maintaining burial swales, rather than total leveling of the grave sites It was suggested that we give the Commissioners and Mayor a handout on characteristics of African American cemeteries as a guideline. Now, we need to seek legal advice to guarantee that our wishes are respected by the City. something like... We cede the Meadow Lane African American Cemetery to the City of Danville, SUBJECT TO THESE CONDITIONS...In order to maintain the unique character of an African American Cemetery, we require the City to agree … That no trees be cut unless they are dead or threatening to do damage to stones, the fence, or visitors. That no burial swales be filled in to level them to make mowing easier. That members of the CKAACA and other volunteers continue to be allowed access to the Cemetery A. for the purposes of repairing or resetting gravestones, probing the ground to discover other stones or fieldstone markers, or any other historical research they choose to do. B. for periodic clean-up, weed-whacking, and other maintenance issues to assist the city Respectfully
submitted, |
Board Meeting Minutes, 10 Feb 2018:
OLD BUSINESS: Cindy Peck presented a report on the work done last year at various locations in the area. 1. We logged 1,125 volunteer hours at Shelby City in 2017; no work done in other cemeteries. 2. Total volunteer hours to date, 5,135. This figure includes Shelby City, Givens (Lincoln Co) and White Oak (Garrard Co) 3. We have had 82 Centre students, 12 EKU students, 17 adult volunteers (including 3 from RECC), 1 high school student, and 2 elementary school students working at Shelby City in 2017. 4. We did presentations or tours, or other workshops and meetings, including about 157 audience members 5. On 10 March 2017, a grant from the Bonner Scholars program allowed us to purchase a mower and other tools to help maintain Shelby City. 6. On 11 Oct 2017, volunteers from RECC came in after their work day and took down the huge dead sycamore tree that has plagued us since Oct 2013. TREASURER’S REPORT: The bank account balance as of the end of 2017 is $1,215.53. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Discussion and approval of new Directors – Daniel Thompson, a volunteer for over 2 years, has been offered, and has accepted, a position as a Director. 2. The progress of our 501(c)(3) application was discussed. It was pointed out that we have directors but no officers. That was remedied quickly by electing James Hunn, President; Mike Denis, Secretary; and Cindy Peck, Treasurer. The directors include Hunn, Peck, Charles Grey, and Daniel Thompson. 3. Discussion of purchasing Charles Grey’s truck – “the official Shelby City African American Cemetery Maintenance Vehicle.” It was voted to purchase the truck for $1,000, with payment deferred until we can raise the money. It will be registered and insured under Cindy’s name for huge savings in insurance costs, but will be garaged at Charles’s house for convenience. 4. Daniel took on the task of chairing a fundraising committee – as he has numerous contacts, and many good ideas on how to proceed. 5. Presentations to area organizations were also discussed, with the suggestion of going through the Presbyterian Church (which has a very good relationship with Centre), in hopes of involving the historically black churches in our work and efforts. The need for continuing publicity was also noted. 6. Members of the group will meet with the Danville Cemetery Committee at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, 13 March to discuss the situation at Meadow Lane in West Danville. We must meet prior to that meeting to discuss strategies and facts to present to the Committee (see end of this report under “Pertinent Cemetery Laws”). 7. Installation of a fence along the north and west sides of the Shelby City cemetery was discussed. Metal posts and “rabbit fencing” will be installed, and the loan of a trail camera from James Hunn may well “catch” whomever has been using the cemetery as a “pass-through.” More expensive fencing can be just as easily destroyed by vandals as the less expensive material, so it was decided to go with the lesser expense. 8. Mike Denis will contact the owner of the land where the Worldstown/Baker Cemetery is located. Awhile ago, the owner did agree to fence the small cemetery, but that has not happened yet. We need to remind him of that, and offer to help get that accomplished. Respectfully
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Meeting Minutes, 16 July 2016:
1. NUMBER ONE TOP PRIORITY RIGHT NOW -- FENCING - suggested roll wire fencing along west and north sides, but not near the road. We need to prevent through-traffic and need to avoid several recent disturbing and dangerous incidents from recurring. 2. NUMBER TWO PRIORITY - Filling in swales: We need to (A.) put a dirt pile on the road in the back corner of the cemetery; (B.) Rake chipped wood into swales; and (C.) With Lincoln County crew and Centre volunteers, wheelbarrows are needed 3. NUMBER THREE PRIORITY - Ground-penetrating radar, Kentucky Archaeological Survey has offered to do it for us. Need to get on this ASAP. 4. Centre students -- we have a commitment Aug 27 of 60 students for 2 hours; they will bring their own tools 5. Cindy will check on dirt for fill 6. Daniel Thompson from Centre is preparing an e-Museum of artifacts we have found. 7. Will Vineyard from Centre is interested in researching the effects of integration (positive AND negative) on Danville and Boyle County. 8. Resetting stones -- Fox Funeral Home of Stanford may be able to help us with those that are broken. David Gambrel, PVA for Lincoln County, will get Lincoln Boy Scouts to reset those that are in good condition. 9. Replacing damaged military stones -- James Cohen and Jordan Wallace are first priority. James Hunn has already submitted an application for Jordan Wallace. 10. Mike will make markers out of the gray PVC pipe stored at EKU, which will mark fieldstones both for mowing and for memorial purposes. Respectfully
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Our Goals, as of 24 Oct 2015:
1. We need to get liability paperwork signed for every volunteer, every week, if necessary. In particular, if we have volunteers under 18, we need parents to sign. 2. Cindy will be printing up membership cards -- don't worry, there are no dues -- if you want to be a member, you ARE a member. 3. We need to do some sort of newsletter
for the group. 4. Develop a brochure, similar to the Shelby City brochure, to tell the CKAACA story. 5. We should get the names of cemetery
board members in surrounding counties and /or cities. If there is no cemetery
board, we need to get names of city council members or county magistrates. 6. (DONE) We must be up-to-date on the
latest cemetery laws, and we need answers to questions like... 7. We need to contact local newspapers to get press coverage about the CKAACA, and get the word out on what we are doing, not just at Shelby City and Givens. 8. We will need to contact board members
mentioned in #5 above, to 9. We need to find supporters and allies in state government who can assists us in updating and/or strengthening cemetery laws Respectfully submitted, |
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Also please visit the Danville Boyle County African-American Historical Society's History Page