EMAIL FROM LOUISIANA CRT OCTOBER 15, 2009
To Whom it may concern,
Earlier this week, an email was sent to the siteforms mailbox at
the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism concerning the
Alphenia Plantation cemetery. Our office does not have a record of this
cemetery, nor do we have any record of an Indian mound in or immediately
adjacent to the town of Waterproof in Tensas Parish. It is certainly
possible that the cemetery is situated on a mound, simply that the mound
has not been reported to our office yet. If you would like assistance
in determining if an Indian mound is present on the property, you can
contact the Regional Archaeologist at the University of Louisiana at
Monroe. His name is Joe Saunders, and he can be reached at 318-342-1899
or saunders@ulm.edu.
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Chip McGimsey
Division of Archaeology
Office of Cultural Development
Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
PO Box 44247
Baton Rouge, La. 70804
225-219-4600 (office)
225-342-4480 (fax)
225-454-9274 (cell)
-----Original Message-----
From: Nicole Hobson-Morris
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2009 11:17 AM
To: Chip McGimsey
Subject: FW: Contact form submission.
Hi Chip, can you review and assist, if possible? The individual is
looking for confirmation of an Indian Mound in Tensas Parish. Thanks.
-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Smith On Behalf Of Lt Governor Mitch Landrieu
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2009 10:46 AM
To: Nicole Hobson-Morris
Subject: FW: Contact form submission.
FYI and Response.
Thanks,
Linda C. Smith
Office of Lt. Governor Mitchell J. Landrieu
Office of the Secretary
Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
225.342.7009 Office * 225.342.1949 Fax
lsmith@crt.state.la.us
-----Original Message-----
From:
siteforms@crt.state.la.us [
mailto:siteforms@crt.state.la.us]
Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2009 12:18 PM
To: Lt Governor Mitch Landrieu
Subject: Contact form submission.
Name: Louisiana Cemetery Preservation
Email:
louisianacemeteries@yahoo.com
There are recent photographs of Alphenia Plantation Cemetery in
Waterproof, LA, Tensas Parish. It's condition has been reported to the
AG's office, however, this may be a privately owned cemetery. I would
appreciate your office looking into a statement made by a member that
indicated this cemetery was located upon an Indian Mound. Thank You,
Louisiana Cemetery Preservation
louisianacemeteries@yahoo.com
http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com
http://louisianagraveyardrabbit.blogspot.com
http://louisianacemeteries.angelfire.com
http://louisiana-cemetery-preservation.ning.com
See Ning Photos of Abandoned and Neglected Cemeteries in Louisiana.
CONCERNING BREDA TOWN CEMETERY
Desselles, Curtis (Northwestern State University and NPS-National Center for
Preservation Technology & Training)
“The Breda Town Cemetery Project”
Session IIA (Heritage Management & Meanings): 2:55-3:15 p.m.
Most thesis topics are conceived in an academic setting, but the Breda Town Cemetery
Project began as a request for assistance from the Breda Town Cemetery Association
(BTCA). The BTCA recognized that their cemetery was in a state of disrepair and
requested that Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) document the burials,
assess the conditions of the burials, and research the origin of the community and the
adjacent cemetery. This work resulted in a model for the documentation of Southern
African-American cemeteries. There are many such models, but this cemetery is unique
in that it is non-denominational. Most African-American cemeteries are associated with a
church, but the Breda Town Cemetery consists of African-American, Creole, Chinese,
Russian, and other ethnic burials. This fact creates a setting that is unique and full of
contradictions. How does one document such a cemetery?
Page 9
1
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Annual Louisiana Studies Conference
9
Northwestern State University • Louisiana Folklife Center
The primary survey consists of some basic demographic fields such as name, date of
birth, date of death, material type, and comments. This survey served as a tool to assess
the size and scope of the project. All of the burials were photographed with attention paid
to the markers as well as the tombs. These photographs were integral in categorizing
marker types. Out of 837 burials at the Breda Town Cemetery, 276 burials did not have
names. This amounts to 32% of the total burials. The ethnographic interviews allowed for
the identification of between 5-10% of the unknown burials.
The secondary survey (i.e., detailed survey) allowed for the assessment of the conditions
of the burials and also verified the accuracy of the primary survey. The secondary survey
gathered cultural data such as military service, organizational membership, religious
affiliation, and socioeconomic status. The deliverables consist of an inventory of the
burials in digital and hard copy formats, a digital copy of the photo documentation, and a
booklet, which documents the Breda Town community, cemetery, and the BTCA.
Accessed October 24, 2009
http://louisianafolklife.nsula.edu/assets/Uploads/ConferenceFullProgram2.pdf
Breda Town query cross posted to NING
FW: Recieved this email Oct 9, 2009 from:
SANDRA ARNOLD EMAIL
arnold@fordham.edu
REMINDER FROM SANDRA ARNOLD
Thank you again for participating in my project.
This is just a friendly reminder that I need the completed entry form by October 30th. Receiving your information before or by this date will be a tremendous help for my presentation - which is tentatively scheduled for November 11th before the Fordham History and African American Studies faculty.
Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions.
Sincerely,
Sandra A. Arnold
Tel: (212) 568-1954
Cell: (646) 548-7037
American Slave Burial Database Project
(Entry Information)
Page 1
General Information
1)Name of Cemetery/Site:
2)Name/Contact info for this Cemetery/site:
3)Type:
(Example: Slave Cemetery, Plantation Cemetery, Freeman Cemetery)
4)Years of use:
5)Location:
(City, State, County)
6)Pertinent Landmark:
(Example: Next to a cotton field, under an oak tree, hilltop, etc.)
8)If needed in the future, can a map to this site be provided:
9)Current Association:
(Church, Family, Independent, Historical Organization, None, etc.)
10)Overview:
(full description & background about this site)
11)Oversight/Care:
(who provides upkeep for this site)
12)Historian:
(individual/organization that can provides historical or genealogical information about this site)
American Slave Burial Database Project
(Entry Information)
Page 2
Slave Graves
13)What evidence leads you to conclude these are slave graves:
(Example: Oral Tradition, Historical Documentation, Objects/Info left at the site, etc.)
14)Estimated number of total graves at this site:
15)Number of enslaved persons buried at this site:
16)Estimated number of unmarked graves of enslaved persons at this site:
17)Estimated number of marked graves of enslaved persons at this site:
18)Marked graves – what type of markers:
19)Do markers have legible inscriptions? If so, please describe:
20)Marked graves – what is the earliest death (year) recorded:
21)Marked graves – what is the earliest birth (year) recorded:
American Slave Burial Database Project
(Entry Information)
Page 3
Other Information
22)Are there graves of individuals who were not slaves at this site:
(Example: Slaveholders, Blacks who were not slaves at the time of their deaths, etc.)
23)If so, please provide details:
24)If needed, can digital pictures of this site be provided:
25)Please detail any other significant information about this site and its history:
American Slave Burial Database Project
(Entry Information)
Page 4
Entrant Information
26)Name/contact info of individual providing this entry: