The 140-year-old George-Hasty Cemetery in Siloam Springs may have found new owners as a preservation group said Saturday they were willing to take on the responsibility for the site.
The Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group’s board voted unanimously in support of a motion indicating the group’s willingness to assume ownership of the cemetery.
James Farley of Siloam Springs attended Saturday’s meeting to ask the group to take on responsibility for the adjoining cemeteries. Farley said ownership of the cemeteries has been handed off between a nearby development and Siloam Springs in recent years, with neither entity being willing to claim permanent ownership of the land and responsibility for its upkeep. He said both the city and the development filed quit-claim deeds assigning the cemetery to the other and something needed to be done.
At A Glance
Cemetery Preservation
The Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group was formed in 1996 to preserve cemeteries and burial sites in Benton County. The group also helps organize maintenance of cemeteries and educates the public and government officials about Arkansas cemetery laws and preservation guidelines. Information about the group can be found at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arbccpg/.
Source, Staff Report
Nancy Feroe, president of the board, said the cemetery predates the founding of Siloam Springs, going back to the time of an early Quaker settlement in the area. She said many families and individuals with long ties to Siloam Springs and Benton County are buried in the cemeteries. Dorothy Miller, another board member, said her records show there are at least three Civil War veterans buried in the cemeteries.
“It could easily qualify for the Arkansas Historic Register and possibly the National Historic Register,” Feroe said.
Board member Wilma Fields said the larger problem is finding people willing to do the work to maintain the cemetery, including clearing brush, mowing and trimming. Miller said finding volunteers with family ties to the sites or an interest in historic preservation, is usually the best way of getting regular and continuing maintenance done on older cemeteries.
Farley said a Siloam Springs police officer has been doing some volunteer work on the cemeteries and he’ll ask him if he is willing to continue. Feroe and other board members said forming an association dedicated to maintaining and preserving the cemetery is another possible step. Farley said he knew several people in the Siloam Springs area who might contribute to such an association.
Farley said he will approach Siloam Springs about deeding the property to the cemetery preservation group and report back to them.
The board also endorsed the resumption of $10 annual dues for its members. The group reorganized last year, Feroe said, and suspended dues for one year. She said the dues will help offset some of the costs, including the group’s newsletter and other activities.