Saturday, March 15, 2014

Taphophilia! Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site - Columbia, MO

Photo by Jim Schmidt
Well, I've only been here a week in Columbia, MO, and I'm already stopping at places on the side of the road!

This site - the Jewell State Cemetery Historic Site - is on the outskirts of the city and is easy to find.

Info from the wayside marker:

This cemetery is part of the former farmstead of George Jewell (1769-1844).  The Jewell family first moved from Virginia to Kentucky, then Franklin, Mo., and finally Columbia, Mo., in 1821.

Dr. William Jewell (1789-1852)
George, his son William, and sons-in-law Charles Hardin, father of 22nd Missouri Governor Charles Henry Hardin, and William Hitt were all prominent in the community.  All served on road commissions and the county court, and helped shape the early community in various endeavors.

The first person buried in the cemetery was
Charles Hardin (1820-92)
Cynthia Jewell, William's second wife, in 1822. The family cemetery was officially set aside in June 1841.  By then, there were at least three others buried here.

Many of the graves are elaborate and marked with head and foot stones. The above-ground box tombs do not contain human remains, but they mark the location of graves. The two rows of graves along the west wall of the cemetery are thought to belong to slaves. The surrounding stone walls were built between 1841 and 1852.

Photos and descriptions below.

Here are links to other "cemetery" posts on this blog.


Photo by Jim Schmidt
Photo by Jim Schmidt



Photo by Jim Schmidt


Photo by Jim Schmidt
Two rows of neatly cut but unmarked graves along the west wall are thought to belong to slaves - Photo by Jim Schmidt

Two rows of neatly cut but unmarked graves along the west wall are thought to belong to slaves - Photo by Jim Schmidt
A number of infants are buried in the cemetery - Photo by Jim Schmidt

A number of infants are buried in the cemetery - Photo by Jim Schmidt
William Jewell (1789-1852) - Photo by Jim Schmidt

William Jewell (1789-1852) - Photo by Jim Schmidt
Photo by Jim Schmidt

Many of the headstones include iconography popular in the 19th century - Photo by Jim Schmidt

Many of the headstones include iconography popular in the 19th century - Photo by Jim Schmidt

Many of the headstones include iconography popular in the 19th century - Photo by Jim Schmidt

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2 comments:

Pat Sullivan said...

Very interesting, Jim. My Estes ancestors from Virginia were early pioneers in Boone County and contributed land and money for the establishment of the state university in Columbia.

March 15, 2014 at 11:27 AM
Mark said...

Cool pics! Everywhere you go, I keep learning more about the civil war in different parts of the country:) Keep up the good work:)

March 17, 2014 at 9:57 AM

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