Waisner-Rickard Cemetery is a long desecrated, overlooked and ignored pioneer burial ground that needs help! It was developed on in 1989 and now that the house has burned, Miami County, Indiana is going to let it be built on again.
Waisner-Rickard Cemetery was a pioneer Cemetery in Deer Creek Township, Miami County, Indiana and founded circa 1845 by Thomas Martindale, a pioneer on his farm. The cemetery served as a community burial ground circa 1845-1860 where any pioneer in the area was buried, especially those associated with the "New Light" Christian Church Community. Upwards of 50+ pioneers were buried on the site, with a Native American Miami Tribe burial ground to the north of the site across the ravine of Deer Creek.
The site was neglected for decades and became merely a “lost cemetery” mentioned in write-ups of 1926, 1943 and 1984. Today, Miami County, Indiana says its MERE EXISTENCE was "hearsay". In 1971, Country Development, Inc. purchased the old Martindale property and developed Deer Creek Estates. Although informed of the cemetery’s vicinity, the development company proceeded to develop the site in 1989 as Lot 78!
On April 4th, the home built on the site burned to the ground. Since that time, the State of Indiana and Miami County refuse to do anything to restore, preserve or even determine exactly where Waisner-Rickard Cemetery was – only acknowledging it existed within a “2.5 acre area”. The present property owners have shown interest in selling the property to the county or state. The county or state could then designate it a cemetery or nature preserve, yet still they have not attempted to make a deal. The Miami County Commissioners have merely decided to begin issuing initial rebuild permits stating that the cemetery’s existence is “merely hearsay” and perhaps if the cemetery was not disturbed underground the first time, it would be better to just develop it back AGAIN and take their chances.
How would you like a septic system draining on your ancestors? Or a home on top of them with no acknowledgement of their ever human existence or the lives they lived? STATE OF INDIANA and MIAMI COUNTY - This is the 21st Century – there are right and wrong ways to do things – do ground-penetrating radar, archaeology, whatever means necessary to FIND the exact parameters of Waisner-Rickard Cemetery and its pioneers. Then proceed from there – whether that be purchasing and restoring a “nature preserve” cemetery site, removal of graves for development, etc BUT DO THE MORAL and RIGHTEOUS THING!
Seeking support of genealogists, descendants and people who care!
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