We the People

The Beyond the Headstones project explores the rare, or untold, stories of the people buried in our cemeteries. As death certificates were not required until 1867, the materials of markers, names and dates, and symbols and inscriptions may be the only records providing insight into the lives of our earliest settlers. Links to military records, land grants, census data, newspaper clippings and other genealogical resources can shed more light on the lives of those buried in our cemeteries. The project engages the community to dive deeper into history to uncover more stories, such as those of the three black Civil War soldiers buried in the Romeo Cemetery. The greater number of stories uncovered, the greater the chance of representing all groups, including those that are typically underrepresented - women, free and enslaved African Americans, indigenous peoples, immigrants, the poor, people with disabilities, and others.