CARTER PRIVATE CEMETERY

Is in south-central CLAY Township , northwestern CASS County, INDIANA,

N.E.1/4 of N.W. 1/4 of Section 22, Twp.27 N., of Range 2E.,  2nd Ind. P.M.

Cemetery is about 150-200 ft. north of the track of the Eel River [Butler Branch] of the Pennsylvania railroad & by locals, called the [Vandalia railroad]; and is abt. 250-300 ft. west of the black topped county highway that goes from the Broad Ripple Bridge over the Eel River & the cemetery lies about 2/3 mile north of the bridge & is about 4 miles E.N.E. of courthouse in Logansport. Cemetery is north of the old Nancy Burnett [Pottawattamie Indian Reserve.]

After much fieldwork, inquiries and studying old aerial photographs & maps, the writer {R.B.Whitsett Jr.] believes that the usually very careful Dr. J. Z. Powell, in his “History of Cass County, Indiana”, was incorrectly informed as to the location of this cemetery but in the interests of completeness, we will here reproduce, in substance, his statement. He said “the cemetery is in the S.W. 1/4 of Sec.15 & is about 20 rods EAST of the previously mentioned black-topped road, a statement which seems to be self-contradictory & entirely wrong, though the cemetery is very near to the line between sections 15 and 22.

Cemetery is on a grassy knoll which slopes southward toward the railroad track & is surrounded by cultivated fields. The cemetery also contains  tree of the buckeye variety & is conspicuous as it’s the only tree in the vicinity. Cemetery lies about 50 rods N.E. of the Charles Jones farm home & is north of [& across the Adamsboro Road & railroad track from] the D.W. Cook home [on Broad Ripple Rd. ]

The cemetery was long-ago abandoned & every one of the little old slabs has fallen & several broken off or otherwise damaged. Early this year a gravel-pit was opened west of this cemetery & a lane has been out westward from Broad Ripple road to it & passes at the north edge of the cemetery.

Burials found on March 2, 1941

L.B.Whitsett J.: “ Present writer, believes that Thos. P. Mc Bean was the son of  Gillis & Elizabeth [Kintner] Mc Bean Sr. Gillis Mc Bean Sr. [sometime state legislature] born in overseas in Scotland 1794 & died 1839 1& 1/2 miles west of this cemetery across the Eel River from Loganport’s Spencer Park & near what was known as Skelton Ford [of E.R.]. see J.Z. Powell’s “history of Cass Co., IN Vol.2 p.730.

Dr. J.Z. Powell, local historian also gave testimony that others were buried here that we found no stones or other markings with these names in 1941 & they include the following.

Carter Cemetery- Burials listed by Powell

R.B.Whitsett Jr. Secretary of the L’A.V.M.A.-comments

Hester Flory’s remains may have removed to a larger cemetery at a later date.

Warner, Mr. Fielding G.:Owned a farm S 1/2 of N.E. 1/4 of Sec.22 from 1860-1865 when he sold it.”

Mc Grew, Mary 3/24/1855 [deed record] –sold E 1/2 SE.1/4 of nearby Sec.35 to Puterbaugh; and I found similar evidence for the following persons

Mc Grew, John & wife Emily [deed record]

Mc Grew, Milton & wife Nancy

Mc Grew, Elijah & wife Clarissa

Mc Grew, James

as all having lived in this neighborhood in that early period, which would add credibility to Powell’s claim that persons with this unusual name were in this area at the time.

Fieldwork: March 2, 1941 by

R.B. Whitsett, Jr. assisted by D.W.Cook

Members of the

L’ANGUILLE VALLEY MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION

500 FRONT ST .

LOGANSPORT , INDIANA

This report was input by Pat Fiscel February 2007 for the Cass County INGenWeb Project.