2003 - 2011: Carbon Cemetery Clean Up and Restoration

Page by Bob Leathers with Contributions from Gary Beaver

The Carbon cemetery clean up and restoration efforts began in May 2003 under the direction and supervision of Nancy and Victor Anderson of the Carbon Cemetery Association.

The Carbon Cemetery Association voted in 2002 to restore the Old Carbon Cemetery. In 2003 the first cemetery cleanup day was held. During that year and the following years, volunteers placed wooden stakes on unmarked graves, removed sagebrush and other undesirable growth from the cemetery and planted native grasses. In 2006, the cemetery monuments were restored. The main gate to the cemetery was replaced in 2007.

2000

Carbon Cemetery Before clean up. (Image by Bob Leathers)

2003 - 2005

A large group of volunteers organized by Carbon Cemetery Association and Nancy and Victor Anderson worked on the cleanup and restoration of the Carbon cemetery. Mr. Fisher from Medicine Bow mowed the grass and sagebrush and much as he could with his riding mower. Folks worked hard at removing the sagebrush and cleaning up.

(Image by Bob Leathers)

Carbon Cemetery Restoration and Clean Up (Image by Gary Beaver)

Carbon Cemetery Restoration. Bob Leathers raking the middle section of the cemetery, 2004 (Image by Gary Beaver)

Carbon Cemetery Restoration and Cleanup. Note the large pile of sagebrush at the top of the picture (Image by Gary Beaver)

Carbon Cemetery Restoration (Image by Gary Beaver)

Victor Anderson digging sage brush, 2004 (Image by Gary Beaver)

Carbon Cemetery Clean Up and Restoration (Image by Gary Beaver)

2005

During the summer of 2005, Danny walker and Luke Carrington from the State of Wyoming and volunteer helpers Bob Leathers and Richard Fisher used Ground Penetrating Radar in the Carbon cemetery in hopes of locating unmarked or lost graves. The radar was hopefully going to detect:

1. A coffin or casket - wood, metal, lead lined, etc. – or disturbance in the ground.
2. Disturbed ground structure and excavation features formed by a grave site.
3. Movement or voids caused by the collapse of a coffin or casket.

The survey was conducted across the entire cemetery, but the results were inconclusive, and no lost graves were detected. The ground was determined by the experts to be too dry and an excessive amount of metal on the ground skewed the results.

Yes, I did do a pilot study out at the Carbon Cemetery several years ago. Problem I had was all the metal (old plastic flowers and decrepit fences) lying around on the surface was interfering with both the magnetometer and soil conductance instruments. Plus went in there in late June/July and the ground was too dried out for soil resistance. (Danny Walker, GPR for the Carbon Cemetery, Aug. 2013))

Carbon Cemetery, 2005 (Image by Gary Beaver)

Carbon Cemetery: Ground Penetrating Radar was used in the Carbon cemetery to find unmarked graves, 2005 (Image from Bob Leathers)

Carbon Cemetery: Unmarked Grave. Ground Penetrating Radar was used in the Carbon cemetery to find unmarked graves, 2005 (Image from Bob Leathers)

2011
Bow River FFA Community Service Project: Carbon Cemetery
by
Quade Palm, Bow River FFA Reporter

In July 2011, the Bow River FFA Chapter began a community service project for the historic Carbon Cemetery. Chapter members gathered at the cemetery and planted 2 Black Hills Spruce trees and installed an irrigation system. The trees were planted to replace the old trees that had died in two burial plots. The irrigation system consists of a 400-gallon polyurethane water tank, which was hooked up to gravity fed drip lines. A chapter member refilled the tank about twice a week throughout the summer and fall to keep the trees watered. In September, the Bow River FFA Chapter took their community service project to the classroom, building a sturdy pole walk-through gate in their Woodshop Class. On a windy, blustery day in November, chapter members again gathered at the Carbon Cemetery to erect the gate and winterize the newly planted trees. Students drained the drip lines and put elk fence around the trees to protect them from winter winds and wildlife. They also put up temporary snow fence on the east side of the cemetery to catch snow and minimize soil erosion from the winter winds. These projects have been done in accordance with the Carbon Cemetery's Historic Preservation Plan. The walk-through gate was recommended to allow access on foot, while the large drive through gate could be locked most of the year to discourage unnecessary vehicular traffic into the cemetery. The new gate is handicap accessible and vehicular access will still be available for cemetery functions and upon special request. The Bow River FFA and the Carbon Cemetery Association hope to continue their cooperative efforts in the coming year to meet further objectives of the Carbon Cemetery Historic Preservation Plan. Bow River FFA members participating were: Darby Bowen, Shelby Bowen, Landon Briggs, Austin Christopherson, Haley Clark, Brittany Dys, Jacob Ellis, Jon Ellis, Patrick Ellis, Logan Heward, Timothy Heward, Wyatt Houston, Maggie Johnson, Jacinda Leturgey, Quade Palm, Rylie Richardson, Chris Strauch and Jake Sutter. Chapter Advisor is Jason Hubbard. All students are pictured in the various pictures but not all students are pictured together in a single picture. (Quade Palm)

July 2011, FFA Chapter members planted two Black Hills Spruce trees and installed an irrigation system.

In the fall of 2011, the FFA students erect a gate and winterize the newly planted trees. They drained the drip lines and put elk fence around the trees to protect them from winter winds and wildlife. They also put up temporary snow fence on the east side of the cemetery to catch snow and minimize soil erosion from the winter winds.

2021

Ten years after the 2011 cleanup day, some additional volunteer cleanup work was done at the cemetery, but on an unscheduled basis. For a few years following the 2011 efforts the rain and snow prevented any cleanup work on the cemetery. Over that time the philosophy of those in charge changed to take care of your own plot, but "just leave the cemetery alone." Any additional clean up and mowing was discouraged.

A brief look around the Carbon cemetery in May 2021 finds the cemetery in pretty good shape. No organized cleanup activities were scheduled for 2021. However, Memorial Day services for - May 30, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. - have been scheduled.

This is long standing humor, but let it be known that during the winter of 2021 the Carbon Privy finally collapsed. This may be the only wood left around Old Carbon that has not be carted off or burned.

(Image by Bob Leathers, 2021)