Group starts effort to cleanup, preserve cemetery's history
By Myriam Nicodemus
For The Daily Guide
WAYNESVILLE- Poor Farm Cemetery was introduced to Laura Huffman by an old ledger she once came across. Inside, she discovered, were the names of those buried at the cemetery located just south of Waynesville.
Established around 1874, Poor Farm, which was also known as County Farm, housed and cared for Pulaski County residents who were unable to provide for themselves.
Residents who were able performed the physical work of the farming operation. Those who could not watched the world pass.
The facility operated until 1947 and during the that time around 100 residents were buried in a nearby cemetery.
The ledger and the stories behind the names captivated Huffman, who has partnered with Project Preservation and the Pulaski County Historical Society to clean up and restore the cemetery.
"They more than likely didn't get a whole lot of respect and dignity in their lifetime and we want to make sure that happens for them now by honoring their memory and their history," Huffman said.
After receiving permission from the Pulaski County Commission, Huffman and other members of Project Preservation have been going through an overwhelming amount of documents to find answers to a hidden history.
Currently, only 24 burials of approxiamtely 100 have been confirmed.
Huffman and the Project Preservation team are calling for help from local residents and anyone who is interested in the project. Donations, supplies, and information about the Poor Farm's history are being sought, as well as volunteers for cleaning up the overgrown cemetery.
The first cleanup effort, scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, was cancelled due to cold weather and a new date has not been announced.
Volunteers will help remove undergrowth, dead limbs and other material to help return the cemetery to a respectable condition.
To donate to the restoration efforts, send a check to:
Pulaski County Historical Society
Poor Farm Cemetery Fund
PO Box 144
Waynesville, MO 65583
For questions, contact Marge Scott 573-774-5368 or visit the following web sites:
http://www,facebook.com/pulaskicountypoorfarm
http://www.facebook.com/pulaskicountyhistoricalsociety
By The Numbers: Poor Farm Cemetery
1874 The year the Poor Farm, also known as County Farm, started operations.
100 The number of people thought to be buried in the old cemetery.
24 The number of people buried in the cemetery who have been identified.
Continuation on Page 2 of the January 8, 2010 article wriiten by Myriam Nicodemus and published in the Daily Guide. Click on image to make text larger.
***The old ledger entries date the closing of the Poor Farm as being in 1957, not in 1947. This was my mistake, not Mrs.Nicodemus' or The Daily Guide's.
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