Through the Eyes of a Scout: Site Stewardship of Historic Cemeteries Across Florida

I am honored and feel privileged to be a Heritage Monitoring Scout with FPAN since August 2017. While my Masters of Arts is in primarily Aviation History, I have always been interested in cemeteries and graveyards since I was a child. Being a Scout has allowed me to travel and explore many sections of Florida, and to view and document many burial sites, both in cities and the country. Learning is always exciting! 

I am “old school” and have learned some areas in Florida do not have good internet connections. I carry a book of cemeteries I list from the FPAN Cemetery Dash site. My book is by counties, and while it might be time-consuming, I write down cemeteries, addresses, and any additional information I think relevant. These cemeteries are placed in close proximity to one another in my book, allowing me to make maximum use of my time and travels. While gathering information, I also open a map to each location to give me an idea of the vicinity and what to look for. Also, I check Find-a-Grave for those locations and add names and addresses of sites that might be close and not listed in the Florida Master Site File. The map lets me have an idea of the terrain and difficulty of finding some places might be. 

Traveling around Florida was never an issue. "Have Van, Will Travel" was my motto and this led me to many places I might never have explored, if not for hunting cemeteries. Sometimes a day’s adventure would begin at 7am and maybe end around 5pm. The Atlantic side took more travel time sometimes than the actual exploration time. Another reason to have good documentation of locations so not to waste time. My primary concerns were for cemeteries in rural areas. I also tried to ensure African American cemeteries were searched for and documented, especially with the news articles from the past few years about sites disappearing and such. I wanted to do my part to help keep African American and other small, out-of-the-way places documented so hopefully continued misjustice would not occur. 

As a single female, I did use good, common sense when exploring in the countryside. I had no weapons by choice, and maintained a close distance to my van. Wilderness locations, or sites down desolate dead end roads many times were brief visits, but thorough visits. The leadership with FPAN were concerned for my safety and had no problems if I skipped sites due to the isolation of the area. Unfortunately, I did have to omit sites I would like to have explored, but there is always tomorrow. 

And speaking of tomorrow, I will say that some sites might have been obscured by dense Florida palms and vegetation and could not be located, but that did not discourage me. One site I remember was Arbuckle Creek Road Cemetery near Sebring. My first visit to the location brought me to an orange grove and sandy roads. The location was to be right off the main highway but only thick Bismark palms, saw palmetto palms, thatch palms, scrub palms, and oak and pepper trees blanketed the small area and nothing was visible. On a return trip a few months later, I went back to this area and someone had chopped down much of the vegetation and I was able to gently walk into the area and get the information on the 6 or so grave markers. Two markers were veterans and I researched their information on Ancestry.com. I learned they were African American, the embalmer and funeral home was African American, and the site was owned by an African American family. I was happy that my first visit did not discourage me! What a great find! And it took just a few minutes of extra research to help identify this cemetery. 

As I reviewed what each cemetery might look like, I always wanted to ensure if it was not in the Florida Master Site File, and had Medal of Honor recipients buried there, that I located those graves and documented them for remembrance. Also, Find-a-Grave might list political or other community figures or pioneers, and I hoped to document each of them. Yes, every burial is important, no matter how old the burial, the cemetery, or location of the site. 

Requirements for pictures to submit with a form for documentation were of the entrance and hopefully a sign, an overview of the cemetery, a grave at least 50 years old and a newer one, any unusual features, and also the boundaries and/or fences. The beauty and uniqueness of many of these locations had me taking 20, 30, and even pictures just for me! 

FPAN has ensured all Heritage Monitoring Scouts are aware of the Solocator program that can be used on one’s Smartphone. Solocator is a GPS field camera with bearings, altitudes, GPS coordinates, date and time, addresses, and even the ability to take notes. Android and iPhone versions are available. A base price is $0.99 and well worth the price! A more advanced version is priced at about $5.00. Either versions work well for the job. 

While every grave site is important, I emphasized my searches towards the older sections of cemeteries. I discovered more history could be gleaned about the area, the community, and the people from these older, sometimes decaying markers. Seeing some of these almost hidden, or decaying locations sparked more interest than the newer places. Spending extra time researching through historical and genealogical societies, old newspapers, maps, and other reputable resources gave me the satisfaction of being sort of a cemetery detective. I made sure any outstanding finds, whether through photos or documentations, that I shared with the FPAN archaeologists. I have a saying, “I don’t want to be the one with the secret,” so I share my findings.

During my travels and discoveries, I have come across markings and headstones that have caused me to scratch my head and hunt for answers. At Port Myakka Cemetery (old) and Walter Moore Cemetery, I have come across two distinct tomb markings that no one seems to understand. A picture (what looks like a crude Cribbage board) of one of these is on this poster, and both are side-by-side in the folder on the table. No names on either; the Walter Moore version is from an African American cemetery, and the other is located near the mass burial site at Port Myakka Cemetery. I have contacted numerous African American societies, the cemeteries themselves, and posted to various archaeological sites on Facebook. At this time, no answers have been forwarded to me.

Another discovery are three discoid markers in Stewart Memorial Grounds in Geneva. Another African American site that is still used for burials. I came across three markers crudely shaped like head and shoulders. They were only about 1 ½ feet high and what I describe as the only visible markings as the letters C and O, but the lower half is buried in the sand. Again, I have reached out to societies and individuals and no answer yet. Mysteries like this one and the Cribbage board have me hooked! I hope to find answers and share with the world.

Being a Heritage Monitoring Scout is never dull! I take the training I’ve had (Cemetery Resource Protection Training, a CRPT conference, and headstone cleaning) seriously and use that knowledge when in Florida, or doing personal genealogy in Georgia, or helping a few groups clean veteran headstones in Florida cemeteries. I make sure I pass on any pertinent suggestions in a tactful manner to those I observe. I currently reside in Albquerque, NM, and while the cemeteries here are totally different from the ones in Florida, I have volunteered at a historical cemetery and passed on techniques and procedures I’ve learned.

During all my travels, I learned to recognize displays and decorations on graves that helped me identify sections more readily. Hispanic sections are colorfully decorated many times with balloons, beads, ceramics, hats, pinatas, and maybe even pictures of the person. Slavic markers are what I’d describe as a smooth edge obelisk with sometimes a ball on top. And sometimes a Slavic section displays wooden tombstone-type markers that are painted green. African Americans show love and respect for loved ones passed by painting the slab covers a purple, or pink, or blue, or even college colors. Another indication a grave might be African American is the presence of black santeria-type (or voo-doo) bags. These bags are placed on the grave to protect the person on their journey and to ward off evil. Learning cultural habits like these helps in viewing a section from a distance and identifying it.

During numerous Scout visits to cemeteries, I have seen destruction, either by nature or possibly manmade. In mid summer of 2020, I monitored an African American cemetery named Mayberry Cemetery in Seffner (Hillsborough County). It was a few months later that Tropical Storm Eta came over that same cemetery and laid a path of destruction by toppling large, old growth oak trees which fell on many headstones and slabs and broke coffins. No human remains were exposed, but as luck would have it I had pictures of before and after the storm. A Scout is sometimes in the right spot just by chance, and I was fortunate enough for this time. And so many burial sites have I witnessed large holes in the ledger slabs, probably from those searching for souvenirs. I ensure I safely look inside the broken tombs and document the breakage for future reviews. I have not found any human remains.

As I said earlier, I primarily try to concentrate on the rural sites. I am not the only Heritage Monitoring Scout in Florida what works sites off the beaten path. I have not met Joe Dunn, but this Scout travels into the far regions of isolated areas as he explores paths, old bridges, fragile buildings, and yes, cemeteries. Many of the cemeteries he comes across were near towns no longer existing. Joe introduces his audience (https://floridatrailblazer.com or Florida Trailblazer on Facebook) to the wilderness, past technologies, and history that helped develop Florida. Check it out! He also gives tours for those interested in back woods adventures. 

Currently there are approximately XXXX Heritage Monitoring Scouts trained in Florida. These citizen volunteers are able to assist the FPAN archaeologists by taking a few hours a day, week, or month to explore cemeteries and historical structures and report any possible concerns to be tracked. Sometimes a Scout will assist in alerting the archaeologists about sites that might be damaged or harmed due to construction, or vandalism, or animals such as gopher tortoise. Education on proper methods to clean grave markers is also something FPAN can assist with in a community. If a class is needed on headstone repair, FPAN can schedule reputable persons to help with this. 

All-in-all, the work to protect and preserve cemeteries and other historical sites in Florida takes a team of experts and volunteers working together. FPAN and Heritage Monitoring Scouts fit this bill perfectly. Trust and mutual respect is shared and the historical places monitored here in Florida are better for it. 

Before I thank the many people in FPAN who have worked with me and helped me to become the Scout I am, I would like to say I was recognized in May 2020 by the Florida Archaeological Council’s Stewards of Heritage Reservation Award. So many of those below had a part in the submission and I thank them. In late 2021 I was highlighted in part of an article by the getty.edu/news concentrating on FPAN, Heritage Monitoring Scouts, and the results of teamwork. The 2020 Adventures in Florida Archaeology magazine highlighted various archaeologists with FPAN and their projects, and both Joe Dunn and myself as Scouts. Honors I am proud of, and I appreciate the recognition, but I do what I do for the love of outdoors, exploration and adventures, learning, meeting new people, and making a difference in monitoring and registering cemeteries in Florida. 

I’d like to thank Rachael Kangas (Southwest and West Central) who encouraged me during my early Scout days. Rachael provided me with extra training that allowed me to do more than just monitor and take pictures. I was afforded the opportunity to work on the Historical Cemetery Forms for the Florida Master Site File. By allowing me to get involved with this, it freed more time for her to do her projects. Doing these reports gave me more satisfaction about learning communities, ethnic groups, and cemeteries. 

Sarah Miller became a person I worked with when I started working on the Atlantic side. Sarah and I bonded with her knowing of my experience and professionalism while working with Rachael. Sarah gave me the go-ahead to work her designated sections. During that time, FPAN was conducting a Grant program to evaluate Heritage Monitor Scouts and the contributions. Sarah asked me if I would like to participate, and I jumped on the opportunity! Realizing that my input would help the program, I traveled as much as I could and reported on 29 of 36 designated sites. Sarah has included me on a few other projects that I can manage in a telework mode. While I live in Albuquerque now, I returned to Sarah’s area this past January and work cemeteries, and plan to return later this year to do more. Sarah also invited me to attend this conference and give a presentation on Heritage Monitoring Scouts. What an honor! 

Emily Jane Murray works with Sarah Miller and has asked for my assistance on locating a cemetery or two that are currently not on maps. I love the challenge and hope I can be successful on this for her. I am pleased she trusts my dedication to missions like this. 

Kassie Kemp is the Heritage Monitoring Database Manager. Kassie has helped me track my progress through the spreadsheets I keep updated, and she monitors my report input to let me know some things did not populate. Kassie has helped me many times in the ARCHES database when I had questions. For this presentation, Kassie has assisted with the poster presentation format and design, and reviewed the overall presentation. 

Sara Ayers-Rigsby from the South Florida region allowed me to join in at the Jupiter Lighthouse for a training archaeological dig. Getting down and dirty, and digging, sifting, cleaning, and documenting gave me a new appreciation on the many jobs of archaeologists. Sara has invited me to head her direction any time and work cemeteries there. 

Christopher Fowler and Eman Vovsi have been extremely fast and helpful in providing me numbers I request for new cemeteries to have reports created. To get a new report started, a designated county and site number is required. They are always right there with what I need. 

Vincent Birdsong (((Can’t find his title))) has worked with me on a telework project. I am currently locating cemeteries on Find-a-Grave, locating owner information, appraisals, and maps of the location. I submit this, a Site number is assigned, and these are posted in ARCHES when updates occur. This allows me to stay in contact with the FPAN workers, learn new area, and discover unusual histories. 

Robbie Boggs has helped in securing me flights, hotels, registration, and other facets of coming to the conference. Without her help, I might not be here. Robbie and I will start in the near future of report entries. I hope to work more closely with her while I am here and in the future. 

Malachi Fenn is from the South Florida region with Sara Ayers-Rigsby. I have not had the opportunity to work with her directly, but during the COVID lockdowns, many of the FPAN staff stayed proficient in the duties and shared knowledge with others through weekly videos on various subjects. I enjoyed her presentations. 

Jeff Moates and Rebecca O’Sullivan are no longer with FPAN, but they allowed me to work various counties and sections on the West Central region. Also, Patricia Meyers-Gidusko published a monthly newsletter encouraging Scouts with various challenge contests and information on systems and resources available. During COVID, Patricia asked Scouts to find pictures of old cemeteries and log them. 

This allowed continued involvement and of course, a learning opportunity. My hopes are this poster and stories, and the dedication and sharing of expertise of and with Staff, will highlight a much valued program in Florida to help document and protect historical sites.