KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Local historians say they’ve found a pioneer cemetery where close to 40 people were buried more than 150 years ago. Some of them include revolutionary war veterans, confederate soldiers and even jail house prisoners.
Historian Jim Beckner said that from 1840-1879 a quarter acre plot was known as the Davis Smith Cemetery. Now he’s trying to prove and preserve it.
“There’s the chicken coop, the garden over there and the cemetery has always been just beyond the chicken coop in the garden area,” he said.
Thumbing through pages of records, maps and deeds, Beckner believes he’s got the right spot. the site of the Davis-Smith cemetery.
Like all families, they picked a high place on the hill to start a little family cemetery,” he said.
Beckner said because of the civil war, the cemetery quickly grew and became the burial grounds for war veterans.
“Twelve to 15 unknown confederates [are] buried here, three girls who were killed when the jail collapsed at 1425 Grand,” he said.
Two of them are seen in a photograph. Beckner said the women were U.A. Army prisoners and were all buried in one grave.
“We keep finding evidence of two rows, pretty straight rows of graves were right here,” Beckner said.
Evidence can be found in headstones, like one seen in a picture taken from a recent ceremony honoring those who were buried on the land.
“We are trying to let them know we haven’t forgotten them and we want the new owners in the future to know we haven’t given up this fight,” Beckner said.
Over the years, the ownership and plans have changed for the stretch of land between the north and south bound lanes of 350 Highway. Currently, it’s tied up in bankruptcy court. While it’s unclear what will happen to the land, Beckner says he’s want a permanent memorial to those who were laid to rest so many years ago.
Beckner said he’s 90 percent sure he knows where the cemetery was in the late 1800s. What’s next in proving that means bringing special radar equipment to look deep into the ground for graves.
