Living Near a Graveyard: Understanding the Impact of Flood Damage on Your Home and the Graveyard

March 12th, 2010

Living near a graveyard can evoke a range of emotions, from curiosity to superstition, but one aspect that often goes unnoticed is the potential impact of flood damage on both the graveyard and nearby homes. As floods become increasingly common due to climate change, understanding the implications of water damage is essential for homeowners residing in close proximity to graveyards.

Graveyards are often situated in low-lying areas, making them vulnerable to flooding during heavy rainfall or rising water levels. When floods occur, the consequences can be devastating, not only for the gravesites themselves but also for nearby properties, including homes. Water damage from floods can have far-reaching effects, affecting both the structural integrity of buildings and the preservation of grave markers and monuments.

For homeowners living near graveyards, flood damage presents a unique set of challenges. Not only do they have to contend with the potential damage to their homes and belongings, but they also face the emotional impact of seeing the final resting places of loved ones affected by flooding. In addition, flood damage can compromise the stability of the ground surrounding the graveyard, posing safety risks for both visitors and nearby residents.

One of the primary concerns associated with flood damage near graveyards is the potential for soil erosion and subsidence. As floodwaters inundate the area, they can erode the soil around gravesites, leading to destabilization and potential collapse of grave markers and monuments. This not only damages the integrity of the graveyard but also poses risks to nearby properties, as unstable ground can affect the stability of foundations and structures.

Furthermore, flood damage can compromise the structural integrity of homes, leading to costly repairs and disruptions to daily life. Water intrusion can cause damage to walls, floors, and electrical systems, as well as promote the growth of mold and mildew, posing health risks to occupants. In severe cases, flooding can render homes uninhabitable, forcing residents to seek temporary shelter elsewhere.

To mitigate the impact of flood damage on both graveyards and nearby homes, proactive measures must be taken. This includes implementing flood mitigation strategies such as improving drainage systems, raising ground levels, and installing flood barriers. Finding help from experts like Water restoration Sacramento is a good idea as well. Additionally, homeowners should invest in flood insurance to provide financial protection in the event of flood damage.

In conclusion, living near a graveyard comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to mitigating the impact of flood damage. By understanding the implications of water damage on both the graveyard and nearby properties, homeowners can take proactive steps to protect their homes and preserve the integrity of the final resting places of loved ones. Whether through flood mitigation measures or investing in flood insurance, prioritizing flood preparedness is essential for safeguarding against the unpredictable nature of flooding and ensuring the safety and well-being of both residents and the surrounding community.

Chalmette National Cemetery: A Historical Cemetery With a Rich Past

February 19th, 2009

The War of 1812 essentially ended on January 8, 1815 with the Battle of New Orleans on Chalmette Battlefield in southern Louisiana.  Four soldiers killed in that war were buried nearby on a large tract of land that would later become a national cemetery housing soldiers and veterans of every war from the Civil War to Vietnam - including the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II.

It was during the Civil War, in May of 1864, that the 17.5 acre strip of land along the Mississippi River began being used as a burial ground for both the Confederate and Union dead in Louisiana.  After the war, hastily buried soldiers around the state were moved to the more permanent national cemeteries.  Over 12,000 of them found a final resting place in what is now Chalmette National Cemetery.  In 1868, the 132 Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery were moved by the Ladies Benevolent Association of New Orleans, with permission, to Cypress Grove Cemetery in New Orleans.  In the following years, over 7,000 Union soldiers from around southern Louisiana and Mississippi were re-interred in the cemetery.  While the cemetery is said to hold 12,000 Civil War dead, close to 7,000 of these are unknown soldiers.

Over the years, veterans and new casualties of war were buried in Chalmette National Cemetery; today, after a halt on new burials some time after the Vietnam war, the cemetery holds over 15,000 occupants.  It is also the final resting place of many soldiers' wives and children.

A part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Chalmette, Louisiana, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 5, 1966 along with Chalmette Battlefield, which sits adjacent to it.  A veritable treasure trove of history lies buried beneath the green grass of this national cemetery.

The cemetery holds 113 members of the Native Guard; the first African-American soldiers in the Union Army.  On September 27, 1862, the 1st Regiment of the Louisiana Native Guards was sworn into service.  Controversial as the militia unit was, they contributed greatly to the war effort and later focused their energies on Reconstruction and promoting black rights.

The story of the Native Guards began with their enrollment as part of the Louisiana militia and ended with their participation in the civil rights movement during Reconstruction. As a militia unit, the Native Guards paraded with Confederate troops and sought to contribute to the Southern cause in other ways. After the fall of New Orleans, many of the officers and some of the men embraced the Old Flag by forming the first officially-sanctioned black regiment in the Union Army. During the war, the Native Guards fought at Port Hudson, Mansura, and Mobile. They also guarded prisoners, built fortifications, and contributed to the Union war effort in numerous other ways. Their service in the Union Army was as honorable as it was controversial. When the war ended, veterans of the Native Guards entered a third phase of their unusual career when they took up the struggle for black civil rights.  - from The Louisiana Native Guards

Another piece of buried history lay beneath the damp earth at plot 4066 in Section 52 and was not discovered until 1994 when some old papers were found, forgotten, in the attic of an old home in upstate New York.  The grave, from 1864, reads Lyons Wakeman, but the lost papers proved the grave's occupant was actually named Sarah.  Nineteen year-old Sarah Rosetta Wakeman - known as Rosetta - found that posing as a man got her better paying jobs, and when the prospect of making $13/month as a soldier came up, Sarah jumped at the chance.  She saw action as Private Lyons Wakeman of the 53rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers, but succubmed to dysentery in a New Orleans hospital on June 19, 1864.  The book An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, alias Pvt. Lyons Wakeman, 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers, 1862-1864 details Rosetta's experiences in the Union Army during the Civil War from the complete collection of her letters home.

The cemetery was greatly damaged when Hurricane Katrina's path of destruction passed over the old burial grounds.  Particularly damaged was the historical red brick fences around the cemetery.  A wonderful article that appeared in NOLA.com details the reconstruction the cemetery has undergone and the work that still needs to be done:

The vast majority of the gravestones have been patched together, but other contractors are working to rebuild the two red-brick walls lining the graves, some of which date back to 1870.
The $3.7 million wall restoration is the most expensive post-Katrina project undertaken in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, which includes the Barataria Preserve on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish.  - from NOLA.com Historic Chalmette National Cemetery returning to life by Chris Kirkham

I highly recommend giving Historic Chalmette National Cemetery returning to life a read, as it details not only work being on the cemetery at present, but some interesting tidbits about the cemetery's colorful history.

I never realized this important cemetery was so close to home, or so close to New Orleans (only about 6 miles away from the heart of the French Quarter).  It's absolutely on the top of my list of cemeteries I want to visit now; though I intend to wait until reconstruction is complete.  It's a graver's dream to stumble upon something so full of history so close to home, and I believe I've done just that with Chalmette National Cemetery.

Nearly Forgotten

November 5th, 2008

I almost missed the grave of Katie Lane when I dropped in on Harelson Cemetery for an impromptu graving trip.  It was against a fence; deep within a thick mess of underbrush.  You had to fight your way in just to get to where she was buried - if that is even the original spot of her headstone.

Katie, barely nineteen years-old when she died in 1903, is one of those "forgotten" graves - and persons - that are so important to me in my hobby and research.  It saddens me to think that she is not remembered, not looked for, and never commemorated.  Flowers have probably not been put on her grave in close to a century; eyes have probably not been laid upon her headstone a dozen times in the last ten years.

No one thinks to remember young Katie; there is no one left to care that she lived or died.

The best that I can do for her is memorialize her here.  All I could find, so far, was mention of her living with her family in the 1900 U.S. Census.

Katie L. Lane lived in what was then East Baton Rouge parish, Police Jury Ward 7, with her parents Joseph and Emma Lane.  I believe this area is now considered part of Iberville parish.

Her father, sixty-two years of age at the time, was from New York and a carpenter.  Her mother, whose surname I only know begins with a "G", was a Louisiana native and was fifty-one in 1900.  Katie was fifteen at the time.

She lived with a bevy of siblings:

  • Mary Bell, 27
  • Maud D., 25
  • Pearl E., 21
  • Ethel, 18
  • Carlile A., 11
  • Leslie B., 7

From the 1920 Census, I see her parents still living and all of her siblings, even her older sisters now in their forties, single and living with them.

This is all I could find - so far - on poor, forgotten Katie L. Lane.  It is my hope that she will be remembered or perhaps someone will stumble across this post and recognize her as an ancestor.  Until then, rest in peace, Katie; you are not forgotten.

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