Marble Hill: Marble Hill Cemetery

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    There is another interesting cemetery to be noted in this tour, but this one has a more pleasant history than the last. The Marble Hill Cemetery is the town’s first official public cemetery, and it is additionally one of the first public cemeteries founded in the entirety of Bollinger County. Among its stones, you can see multiple generations of people who lived in Marble Hill, from settlers moving West to Civil War veterans.

    The first suspected burials took place as early as 1851, when many settlers heading West were in the area. Several families paused in the area before continuing their trek further into the vastly unknown region of America. The markers for these settlers who died in the area were made of wood, and have not stood the test of time. However, the earliest-dated markers made of stone go back to 1854. 

    The cemetery was not made an official burial ground designated to the public until 1859. Eventually, more space was needed to house the dead in these grounds. The first addition was made in 1895, when a group of townspeople purchased 150 square feet as an expansion. The second addition was made in 1924, which added 180 by 150 feet. 

    One of the notable features of Marble Hill Cemetery is the sheer amount of veterans spanning different generations buried inside its grounds. There are veterans from every war all the way back to the Civil War. Many of these veterans are relatives, as well. 

    A unique example of the lifespan of the tight-knit community of Marble Hill can be demonstrated by the Conrad family. Three generations of veterans from the Conrad family are laid to rest there: Jacob Jonas (1835-1905), David James (1872-1952), and Paul James (1915-1971). These men served in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War II, respectively. They were also heavily involved in their community, serving as sheriff, county clerk, and local farmer, respectively. This is a sight only seen in small communities that started early in American history like Marble Hill.