HARRAH, Okla. (KFOR) — The first time Dennis Sizemore walked this two acre plot west of Harrah, he needed a machete to get more than 10 feet.
“It was completely grown up,” he says. “A lot of brush, small trees, and grass four feet high.”
He couldn’t see the headstones at the old Kansas Cemetery or the foundation of what was once a school and community center.
“They came down from Kansas to open a school and settle in this area,” he explains.
Dennis grew up in Spencer and has a ranch nearby, so he knew this place existed. But he soon learned more about who was here; a Confederate Army surgeon for instance.
MORE/PHOTOS
Everybody should visit old cemeteries. especially ones you have to wade through grass to get to. Guarantee you will leave with more questions than answers. In the Bagwell, Texas, cemetery in Red River County, Solid South, is a GAR marker for a Civil War veteran who served with the 1st New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. You know that is a story.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the land that straddles the Kansas:Missouri border-sometimes overgrown, sometimes flooded, and usually interesting. Little towns that no longer exist-such as Morse, Kansas-had their stories and yes, their little cemeteries. Interviewed one old guy in such a town for a high school project-he only wanted to be known as Old Gus. What he was missing in teeth he made up for in stories of the area, his upbringing, and how the times changed-and that was a long time ago. Got an A on that project as I remember.
ReplyDeleteThis cemetery is about 5 miles from my place. If I drift that way I'll get some pics.
ReplyDelete