Harrisburg in Saline County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Pauper Cemetery
Photographed By Jason Voigt, March 5, 2020
1. The Pauper Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
The Pauper Cemetery. . This cemetery, called the Pauper Cemetery has burials going as far back as 1849 contains stone markers with record of 263 burials at least 60 of which were children. These records indicate that not only people from the Poor Farm were buried here but it was the county burial site for unknown vagrants, murder victims, people killed in the nearby coal mine, abandoned and deceased children. "Colored" and Caucasian were buried side by side from the very beginning, death being the only criteria for a place. The custom of the time was for those not having a funeral to be buried the same day which brought about the following justifications in the burial notes: "Run over by a train at Wasson" "Gun shot wound" "Unknown baby girl found in sewer" "Gunshot wound administered by Chief of Police" "Shot by Charlie Birger at Ledford" "Daddy" "Lithuania-wife still in Europe" "Found dead in ditch" "Carnival worker" "Murdered" "Left leg of Charlie Yates-O'Gara #3 coal mine accident". . This historical marker was erected by Saline County Historical Society. It is in Harrisburg in Saline County Illinois
This cemetery, called the Pauper Cemetery has burials going as far back as 1849 contains stone markers with record of 263 burials at least 60 of which were children. These records indicate that not only people from the Poor Farm were buried here but it was the county burial site for unknown vagrants, murder victims, people killed in the nearby coal mine, abandoned and deceased children. "Colored" and Caucasian were buried side by side from the very beginning, death being the only criteria for a place. The custom of the time was for those not having a funeral to be buried the same day which brought about the following justifications in the burial notes: "Run over by a train at Wasson" "Gun shot wound" "Unknown baby girl found in sewer" "Gunshot wound administered by Chief of Police" "Shot by Charlie Birger at Ledford" "Daddy" "Lithuania-wife still in Europe" "Found dead in ditch" "Carnival worker" "Murdered" "Left leg of Charlie Yates-O'Gara #3 coal mine accident".
Location. 37° 43.136′ N, 88° 33.185′ W. Marker is in Harrisburg, Illinois, in Saline County. Marker is on South Feazel Street just north of Bauman Lane, on the right when traveling south. Marker is across the street from the Saline County Pioneer Village. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1530 S Feazel St, Harrisburg IL 62946, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . Pauper Cemetery on Find-a-Grave. Also known as the Dorris Cemetery, this page lists some of the memorials there. (Submitted on March 13, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Photographed By Jason Voigt, March 5, 2020
2. The Pauper Cemetery Marker
Wide shot
Credits. This page was last revised on March 13, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 13, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 310 times since then and 98 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 13, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.