UPDATE 08/13/21 – August 14 History Saturday in the Cemetery is CANCELED due to smoke and heat.

A total of 150:30 hours of volunteer labor was contributed in June, which included grounds clean-up, marker cleaning, restoration work and other general maintenance items.

This does not include all the hours that our Adopt-A-Block volunteers put in caring for their adopted blocks and work done on their own schedules. A big thank you and sincere appreciation to all our volunteers.

Just a reminder as we are in fire season, if you are going to use any power tools, be sure to check and see what restrictions may be in place at the time.

Currently, volunteers are working on two restoration projects—one is rebuilding the walls that surround the Bybee family block in the City section, and the other repairing and restoring the beautiful cradle that surrounds the grave of little Ambrose Farley, who died in 1869 at the age of 5 years, 8 months and 24 days. He rests in the Catholic section of the cemetery. Both are wonderful and exciting projects that we are delighted to be working on.

Upcoming August Cemetery Events and Activities

History Saturday in the Cemetery continues:

  • CANCELED – Saturday, August 14, 10am, “Snakeoils and Sound Practice; Successes, Failures and Antidotes of Pioneer Medicine,” presented by Leslee Parr, Michael Sneary and Pam Smith.
  • Saturday, August 28, 10am, “Comfort and Joy; Churches, Religious Leaders and Assistance from Fraternal Organizations,” presented by Pat Stancel and Anne Peugh.

Both programs run approximately 90 minutes and may include a short walking tour. We suggest comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen. We ask that you keep social distancing in mind and for those not fully vaccinated, please wear a mask as a courtesy to other guests and our docents. Parking is available at the top of the Cemetery Road and around the traffic circle.

The programs are free of charge but we would be happy to accept your donation to support the work of our organization.

Monthly Marker Cleaning Workshop, Saturday, August 21, 9am—All the necessary tools and supplies provided along with detailed instructions. We meet at the Sexton’s Tool House to pick up supplies and directions to the area where we will be working. Dress for this hands-on activity and bring along a stool to sit on or kneeling pad, sunscreen and a hat.

Meet the Pioneers Canceled—The Board of the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery recently made the difficult decision to not move forward with our hopes of bringing back our annual Meet the Pioneers program in October. There were too many concerns with trying to maintain social distancing in the ticket and boarding area, on the shuttle bus and of course on the tour route. While a difficult decision, we believe it was a wise one to keep all our guests and volunteers safe. We thank you for your understanding and past attendance.

Featured image: Bybee Block Restoration, June 2021 – l-r: John Elliot, John McGlothlin, Dirk Siedlecki