The Washington Times-Herald

Local News

September 3, 2010

Search starts for missing graves at Lighthouse

WASHINGTON — Two feet of topsoil and $5,000 later, the Lighthouse Recovery Center finally got some good news Wednesday morning.  

Excavation of the area where the Lighthouse plans to construct a new building began Tuesday morning and wrapped up Wednesday. The work was supervised by  Jeff Myers and John Schwegman from American Resources Group, an archeological firm from Carbondale, Ill., hired by the Lighthouse.

Their involvement was necessary due to the possibility of a human burial ground in the area.

In addition to looking with the naked eye for “stains in the soil” that might suggest the presence of graves, the archeologists swept and scanned the entire area with an instrument called a magnetometer. The scan revealed nothing more than routine “anomalies,” a generic term according to the archeologists for anything picked up by the magnetometer.  

Kathy Moore, along with Lighthouse Director Pete Aldrich, was on hand to observe the removal of the topsoil. Moore, whose father Richard Nolley was the superintendent of the county farm at one time, grew up on the property and is now working with the Daviess County Museum to enter the names of everyone who ever lived at the county farm into a data base.

Moore, like Aldrich, is aware that the county farm buried deceased inmates somewhere on the property but, like Aldrich, and the Archeologists he has had to hire, is not certain exactly where the people were laid to rest. Based on discussions with her brother, Moore thinks the burial ground may be somewhere to the south of the current excavation. She recalls the area where the topsoil has now been removed as a large garden.

Moore relayed the story passed down by a former inmate named Burt Cunningham of a pair of infants that died as their family was passing through the county many years ago and were later buried at the county farm. Cunningham told Moore’s brother that some time later, the brother of the two infants came to Daviess County and removed the remains of his two siblings, taking with him the personal information that had been kept in a mason jar and buried along with the two infants.

Moore also remembers the garden, the crops and the livestock.  Chickens, cattle and hogs. All of the inmates had a job to do and the facility sustained itself with the crops it harvested and the animals it raised. She also recalls at one time there were as many as eight oil wells operating on the premises.  

The Lighthouse is a non-profit corporation that provides counseling and addiction services to residents of Daviess and neighboring counties. The center accepts voluntary commitments and also works closely with the two courts in Daviess county and the probation department in handling court ordered commitments.

Proclaiming the Lighthouse was “good to go,” because no indication of graves found within 100 feet of the excavated site, Myers added that he and Schwegman will now prepare and send a report to the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archeology.

The report will itemize the  “anomalies” found including metal stakes, buried pipelines, nails, horseshoes, and, curiously, mussel shells.  

While talking with Myers in the disturbed area after the work had stopped, Moore explained that mussel shells used to be mixed in with chicken feed to strengthen the shells of chicken eggs.

Aldrich hopes the state will issue an approval letter within the next few weeks saying that construction can proceed. Assuming the state gives its blessing, the Lighthouse will move forward with the construction of a new dormitory and multi purpose area on the site. When completed, the building will house as many as 40 people and carry a $400,000 price tag. Aldrich said the center will borrow roughly half of that amount and seek donations for the balance.

 Until the state signs off on it however, no additional work can be performed on the site.

Meanwhile the Lighthouse would welcome donations to offset the $5,000 expense it has already paid for the archeologists’ services.

Text Only
Local News
  • Hill arrested on $100K bond

    Andrew Logan Hill, 32, Washington, was arrested by sheriff’s deputies on a warrant for petition to revoke a suspended sentence. He remains in the Daviess County Security Center on a $100,000 bond.

    May 26, 2012

  • OakGroveCleanUpDay.jpg Cemetery owners plead for time, help

    For nearly a century and a half, Daviess County folks have been laid to rest in Oak Grove Cemetery at the west edge of Washington, but in recent years maintenance of the 23-acre property has declined and people are no longer wanting to bury family members there.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Washington High School to graduate 167 Saturday

    Washington High School will hold its 135th Commencement Exercises at 2 p.m. today in the high school gymnasium.

    May 26, 2012

  • WC to graduate

    Washington Catholic High School Commencement Exercises will be held at 8 p.m. today at the Bird Cage.

    May 25, 2012

  • PC to graduate

    PETERSBURG — Pike Central High School will hold its 37th Commencement Exercises at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the high school gymnasium.

    May 25, 2012

  • ND commencement is Friday evening

    North Daviess High School will hold it commencement exercises at 7 p.m. Friday.
    Following the processional led by North Daviess faculty and juniors Janice Knepp and Cari Jo Wilson, the voluntary invocation will be led by Chelsea Graber. Stacey Beard, class president, will then make welcoming and introductory remarks.

    May 24, 2012

  • firesouthofwashington.jpg Fire destroys home in minutes

    A Tuesday afternoon fire in rural Daviess County has left a family homeless, although unharmed.

    May 23, 2012 1 Photo

  • Barr-Reeve holds 47th commencement Saturday

    Barr-Reeve High School will hold its 47th Commencement Exercises on Saturday afternoon in the high school gymnasium beginning at 2 p.m. Again this year, the graduation will be an afternoon affair.

    May 23, 2012

  • Loogootee to hold graduation Friday

    Loogootee Junior/Senior High School Class of 2012 will hold its graduation exercises at 7 p.m. Friday.

    May 22, 2012

  • ND finds ways to use cell phones

    A lengthy discussion between North Daviess school board and administrative members concerning future student cell phone usage dominated the board’s Monday meeting.
    Board members were considering a second reading for the school’s junior and senior high school handbooks when the discussion began.

    May 22, 2012

Featured Ads
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Poll

Should students who fail IREAD-3 (twice) advance to 4th grade?

Yes
No
There has to be other options?
     View Results
AP Video
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium 50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
Clicker Ticker
Facebook