Found an old gravesite... (this is not going where you are thinking.)

[normalizer]

Hiking in the woods on a friends farm and found the grave of a man born 1806 and died 1861. There are a couple other stones around it that look like grave markers, but nothing written on them or what was written has long since been eroded.

The only homes in the immediate area seem to be modern or 20th century era, nothing too old.

Anybody know if it was customary to bury one's dead near homes/habitation in the 19th century? My mother remembers burying the family dead on the hill above the house as a very young child (1920's-30's).

I'm trying to figure out where to search for remains of homes of the era and google earth isn't helping. Very secluded forest/hill area. Gonna start checking creeks and whatnot.

 

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[DigIron2]

I would say yeah!There's bound to be a old foundation somewhere.I would look for some traces of a old road.Sounds like a small family cemetery and i doubt they went to far to bury them.Good luck on your hunt

 

[surf]

...Anybody know if it was customary to bury one's dead near homes/habitation in the 19th century?..

Yes it was.

"Albany has a long and complicated history of caring for its dead. Births were a frequent occurrence in early Albany households. Death was a constant reminder of the frailty of life as almost half of those born to early Albany parents did not live long enough to marry. Infants, children, adults, and the aged were buried in church cemeteries located in various parts of the old city and in family plots located near city homesteads and in the countryside." Burying the Dead in early Albany

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[FLauthor]

Try the county court house for the old Government Survey Plats usually dated in the 1800's or early 1900's. Any pioneer homes can be cross referenced with the help of the tax people on a modern map and also who the current owner is. If there is a local Historical Society in the area you are researching or live then for the few dollars, join it and carry their card in your wallet. Inform them that you'd like to act as their Field Representative to explore old home sites for relics and bottles of the past. Donate items to their museum, bottles naturally a Amber Warner Safe Tonic bottle goes into my collection first, if a second is found then it'll go to the museum with your name of it as the finder. It's amazing what doors will open to you when people know you are contributing your services to the preservation of your area's history.

 

[wingmaster]

Look for the old dump site, it will probably the most visible way to find the old home site. The place where the dump is won't be to far from where the home stood, usually they would just dump the stuff down a hill and most home sites back then was on high ground. HH

 

[RvPrepper]

Man I look for the out house use da nose.

 

[Gaspipe]

Yeah very common practice here in New England.

 

[Tejaas]

Very common throughout the southwest.

Far enough to not compromise the well, but not so far that livestock would rub on the stones.

Around here, usually atop the nearest hill.

 

[MissIron.Maiden]

Yes in PA it was common too. Oddly some if the ones I have seen where in center of crop fields. With remnants of iron fence around it. Usually within view of the house. It's possible the homes u see now have been built on what was left of the home n barn.

Depending on how old we are speaking , 1600's and 1700's even , homes once they became too derelict were burnt to tbe ground for the soul purpose of gathering the nails.. Which when hand forged n cut were very expensive in those days. However now that I think of it, if the graves are still visible Then we arnt talking that far back.
Look for the smallest trees , the most shrubby, thicket part of the woods. That may indicate a woods trying to regrow up through foundations.. Also look for any evidence of rock piles ( what pay have been rock cleared from a site to build or fields to plant. If it's still tbere , I think your going to be able to find it.
Use the cemetery as tbe nucleus and head out in all directions from there . Let us know!!!

 

[duggap]

I'm going to tell you something that will probably make you laugh at me, but it did work for me. Around here back in the day the tradition was for the front door of the house to look at the entrance to the family plot. Why I don't know but I found the old house site just that way. It was almost a quarter mile away. I definitely know it does not work every time but it may be worth your checking it out. Let me know if it works and I'll toast a beer to you.

 

[dnewbury2]

Try a website called historicaerials.com. It shows aerial photos of your area and allows you to compare them to old topo maps and will reveal many long gone home sites.