 Location,
Location, Location!
by Steve Paul Johnson
June 24, 2001
When compiling a cemetery transcription, it is necessary to identify
the precise geographic location of the cemetery.
There are a few good reasons why.
Identifying the Correct Cemetery
Identifying the correct cemetery has proven itself to be a difficult
task for us folks at Interment.net. Some transcriptions sent to us have
very little information describing the location of the cemetery. Sometimes,
we don't know which cemetery it is. We do have our reference books with
us, and we make use of various web resources out there, but still, sometimes
we really don't know which cemetery was recorded.
For example, in Los Angeles County, there are two cemeteries named "Holy
Cross Cemetery", one in Culver City, and another in Pomona. If the transcription
does not identify the town it is located in, we have no way of knowing
which cemetery it is referring to.
In many rural areas, there are several small cemeteries scattered about.
Quite often, these cemeteries don't have signs identifying their names.
The best way to identify these cemeteries is by providing its exact location.
Without this information, it becomes nearly impossible to identify the
cemetery. What happens is that we publish the transcription under whatever
name is given to us. Then in the future, a different person may submit
their own transcription of the same cemetery, and we won't realize that
it is the same cemetery we published earlier.
People are going to want to visit the cemetery
When someone discovers their long lost great-grandfather in a cemetery
transcription, they usually want to either visit the graveyard, or find
someone to photograph the tombstone for them. If the cemetery is a small
graveyard in a rural area, it may be impossible to locate if the transcriber
did not provide location information.
Believe it or not, the majority of people who use Interment.net are trying
to locate the burial site of a friend or family member. These people usually
know all the details about an individual, except that they don't where
they are buried. Genealogists often consider cemetery records as a valuable
source of vital information, which they are. But in reality, the most
popular use of cemetery records is to locate lost people.
Without clear location information, finding the cemetery may be just
as big of a problem as finding a loved one.
Cemetery Preservation
My best guess is that there are some 1 million cemeteries and graveyards
in the United States covering a period of time from 1700 to the present
day. A good number of these cemeteries are long gone, due to construction,
destruction, vandalism, or ignorance.
Many people compile transcriptions of endangered cemeteries as a means
to create lasting records before they disappear forever. Recording the
precise location of a cemetery is of obvious importance when producing
such a record. Without it, there would be no way to determine where that
cemetery really was.
How to Identify Location
Below are ways to identify a cemetery's location:
- Street Address
- Driving directions from a starting point
- Legal Description
- Latitude & Longitude Coordinates
Street Address: This needs no further explanation. But for those
cemeteries located in rural areas, they may not have actual street addresses.
But if the cemetery is situated near a road, indicate that it lies near
that road. If looking up the address in a book, be aware that the cemetery's
mailing address may not the same as the physical address.
Driving Directions: I recommend writing a set of directions explaining
how to reach a cemetery from a well known starting point. Take the time
to note distances in miles or kilometers between turns. Identify landmarks
that the reader should watch for.
Legal Description: This is a system of determining where a plot
of land is located, often used with land purchases. It is based on a series
of coordinates referred to as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). The
PLSS covers only 30 states, excluding the 13 original colonies, Texas
and Hawaii. Each state is plotted out into a grid, where each cell is
generally a six-mile square. Each cell is a called a township. Each township
is further divided into 36 one-mile squares, known as "sections". Then
each section is further divided into halves and fourths, and can be further
divided again. A typical legal description might read:
N 1/2 SE 1/4, SW 1/4, S24, T32N, R18E
Legal Descriptions are read backwards, starting with "R18E" in the example
above. In fact, "R18E" and "T32N" represents the "x-y" axis of the grid,
which identifies the township. The "S24" identifies one of 36 sections
of the township. The "SW 1/4" identifies the southwest quarter of the
section, while the "SE 1/4" identifies the southeast quarter of that portion,
and the "N 1/2" identifies the north half of that portion.
In terms of identifying cemeteries, you need to first obtain a map of
your state's PLSS grid. Then you need to pinpoint the precise location
of the cemetery on the map. From there, you can plot out the township,
section, and halves and quarters.
Latitude & Longitude Coordinates: This is perhaps the most precise
means of identifying location. And its probably the most convenient means
to do so these days, since GPS devices have become affordable.
You will need a GPS device to provide you with the coordinates. With
the device in hand, you need only to stand in the middle of the cemetery,
and let it calculate the coordinates. You can either store the coordinates
in your device, or write them down in your notebook.
When someone wants to visit the cemetery, they can enter the coordinates
into their GPS device, and it will point them in the direction. More sophisticated
devices can display a street map advising you which roads to take and
where to turn.
Read our article, "Using
a GPS Device" for more info.
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