Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-15
Railroad Graders Plow Through
a Long Forgotten Mormon
Burying Ground
SKELETONS THROWN IN A HEAP
Exposure Killed Many of Those
Who Joined the Exodus From Navou,
ILL.,, in the Early History Of Iowa
Tragic Death Of Amelia Meekin Who
Rebelled Against PoIysamy Recounted
Special to Times-Republican,

/ Council Bluffs, Oct. 15.-The gang OF
graders on the Great Western extension
a few days since exhumed the bones OF
| a number of human beings. The place
where they had been buried was IN
cornfield Just east of Greendale and not
far from this city. Al: inves tigation has
been made and it is discovered that the
place is an old cemetery and the bones
those of Mormon pioneers who We're
buried at what was known as Carriers
VILE cemetery. All visible traces of the
burying ground, which has for years
been used as a cornfield, have long ago
disappeared.
Gainesville was established by the
Mormons emigrating from Illinois TO
Utah, many of whom stopped to rest In
this vicinity. Its site, which Is now a
farm field, is almost directly east Of the
Milwaukee railroad tracks at the
Greendale crossing. IN 1850 to 1852
Gainesville was hourlshing village OF
about 900 people and the principal stop
ping place for the emigrants en- route
west. The rise of Council Bluffs, then
Kanesville, however, soon ended the
glory Of Gainesville and rapidly placed
it among the list of deserted villages.
During the existence Of Cartersville
a cemetery was located on the knOll
lust east Of the town, and there 1t is
said that some 200 or 800 people were
buried, it then being the only burylng
ground In miles of county. The advent
OF the Great Western and the cut MADE
by its graders thru corner OF the OLD
cemetery has occasiCned refreshing
Of the memories of the pioneers con-
corning Gainesville.
Yesterday afternoon Rev. Henry De-
Long, who came west with the hrst
Mormon emigration In 1876, visited the
place where the graders dug out sew
eral skeletons last week, In company
with a newspaper man. Mr.. belong
had assisted in burying number OF
people in the old Gainesville cemetery
and he readily located the grounds. me
Great Western makes a cut OF ABOUT
twelve feet on the east side of the old
cemetery. and it was there that the
homes were discovered at depth Oh
fonr or five feet. Only three or four
skeletons were exhumed. however, as
just one corner of the cemetery esl-
IDENTIFY laid within the Great Western
right Of way. The main portion OF ule
hnrving ground is in the cornfield just
west Of the cut, and thele, ACCORDING "
Mr.. belong, some 200 or Soo purlals
were made. Had the graders cut tWen-
ty or thirty feet farther into tne GENE
tery there would have been Whole-
sale disinterment of bones.
All the bones that have been proush.
to light. and they still remain pileu
in small heaps along the embanKHlent
made by the graders last Week. are
evidently those Of adult white mares.
They are still in good state OF pres
eryation, tho stained copper colof
nv the action of the clay In which they
were buried.
Concerning the Gainesville cemetery,
Mr.. belong says that he remembers II
to have been in a good, condition az
late as 1854, at which time many OF
the graves had wooden headboards,
and, "a number Of them were fenced IN
with wooden picket fences. as was the
custom at that time. Later, however,
it rapidly passed into decay, and just
when the last traces of Its existence
as a cemetery were obliterated can not
now be recalled.
The failure to maintain the cemetery
is largely explained by the fact that
nearly all OF the burials were from
Mormon families which soon after
moved on to Utah, thus leaving no one
in this vicinity directly concerned in
the cemetery or its continuance. Then,
too, the desertion Of Cartersville also
ended the burials there
When the cemetery was established 1t |
was on government land, and, in fact
The first surveys were not made until /
about 1854. 1t is probable that nearly
Ill the headboards and fences had dis
before the land was ever put
lnder cultivation. In any event, the
cemetery ground has been used as q
grain field for many years.
OF the burials at the Gainesville
Rev. Henry belong could
recall the name of but one
person. that of Amelia Meekin, beau
iful young Norman woman who com
nitted suicide by jumping into Mos
luito creek near where Green's pack
ng house now stands. Amelia's par
'nts had insisted on her marrying Jo-
'eph Young, one Of Brigham Young's
disciples, who was the leader of the
sartersville colony. Now Joseph all
eady had four wives. and Amelia
objected to becoming the fifth.
After a few days at the Young
ZONE, where she found that she was
lot the only one in the affection If
Ter husband, she returned to the
ousehold of her parents. The Meekins
lowever, insisted on Amelia returning
o the Young home. She accordingly
eft the house, but instead nf ,.o4,,