Ash Township near Carleton in Monroe County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Potter Cemetery / Public Act 525 of 2012
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, April 17, 2021
1. Potter Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
Potter Cemetery, also, Public Act 525 of 2012. .
Potter Cemetery. In 1847 Ash and Berlin Township people began to be buried in this little cemetery, located on the property line between Royal and Mary Ann Potter's land and that of John and Margaret Flint. In 1860 the couples each deeded half an acre to the Swan Creek Cemetery Company. By the last known burial, in 1930, more than eighty people had been buried here, including five Masonic Lodge members, six Civil War veterans, early area citizens and their descendants. Over the years, the cemetery deteriorated due to neglect and inaccessibility. Grave stones were vandalized, and plants grew wild. The State of Michigan declared Potter Cemetery abandoned in 1968. In 1998 descendants of those buried here formed the Friends of Potter Cemetery to begin restoration efforts, including repairing grave markers, removing trees and stumps and installing a fence.,
Public Act 525 of 2012. When the Friends of Potter Cemetery began to restore Potter Cemetery in 1998, the cemetery was landlocked, meaning there was no public ingress or egress. This required the group to cross private land to reach the burial ground. In 2000 the Friends lost access to the cemetery. They tried to regain it through negotiations with the Township and landowners. After years of unsuccessful negotiation attempts, the group pursued litigation in 2007. In 2010 Ash Township purchased land to construct an access easement, which opened in December of that year. In 2008 the group had begun legislative efforts to ensure access to Michigan cemeteries. Four years later, Public Act 525 of 2012 was unanimously passed and signed into law. It prohibits cemeteries from being landlocked.
Potter Cemetery
In 1847 Ash and Berlin Township people began to be buried in this little cemetery, located on the property line between Royal and Mary Ann Potter's land and that of John and Margaret Flint. In 1860 the couples each deeded half an acre to the Swan Creek Cemetery Company. By the last known burial, in 1930, more than eighty people had been buried here, including five Masonic Lodge members, six Civil War veterans, early area citizens and their descendants. Over the years, the cemetery deteriorated due to neglect and inaccessibility. Grave stones were vandalized, and plants grew wild. The State of Michigan declared Potter Cemetery abandoned in 1968. In 1998 descendants of those buried here formed the Friends of Potter Cemetery to begin restoration efforts, including repairing grave markers, removing trees and stumps and installing a fence.
Public Act 525 of 2012
When the Friends of Potter Cemetery began to restore Potter Cemetery in 1998, the cemetery was landlocked, meaning there was no public ingress or egress. This required the group to cross private land to reach the burial ground. In 2000 the Friends lost access to the cemetery. They tried to regain it through negotiations with the Township and landowners. After years of unsuccessful negotiation attempts, the
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group pursued litigation in 2007. In 2010 Ash Township purchased land to construct an access easement, which opened in December of that year. In 2008 the group had begun legislative efforts to ensure access to Michigan cemeteries. Four years later, Public Act 525 of 2012 was unanimously passed and signed into law. It prohibits cemeteries from being landlocked.
Erected 2017 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan History Center. (Marker Number S747.)
Location. 42° 1.627′ N, 83° 18.428′ W. Marker is near Carleton, Michigan, in Monroe County. It is in Ash Township. Marker can be reached from Sigler Road, 0.7 miles east of Swan Creek Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Newport MI 48166, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. As mentioned on the Public Act 525 side of the marker, the cemetery is landlocked. The location given is for access to the ¾ mile long access easement. The marker can be found in the cemetery.
Potter Cemetery, originally known as Swan Creek Cemetery, is privately owned by the Trustees and Friends of Potter Cemetery, a non-profit group, established in 1998 to “restore, maintain and preserve Potter Cemetery for this generation and the generations to come”, and has limited days and hours of access throughout the year. Most of those days are weekends and holidays.
(Submitted on April 17, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)
Civil War veteran. Grand Army of the Republic 1861-1865
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, April 17, 2021
5. The Potters
Namesake of the cemetery: From left to right-Polly, Arvin, Martha, and Harlow
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, April 17, 2021
6. Access Road
This is the cemetery end of the 3/4 mile access easement road required by the Public Act 525 of 2012 on side 2 of the marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 271 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 17, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
