AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Conservation under the ground is just as important as preservation above the ground. Graves and cemeteries hold answers to many questions we have about the past which are difficult to uncover without disturbing burials. Geophysical methods allow researchers to see beneath the surface in a non-invasive manner. Two of these methods, electrical conductivity (EC) and ground-penetrating Radar (GPR), are being used to identify potential burials in a cemetery with a long history but few markers at the Southwest City Cemetery (sometimes referred to as “Southwest Cemetery”) in Eudora, Kansas.

Geophysics can be useful in cemeteries as a non-invasive tool for conservation. EC and GPR provide valuable data that aids in preservation planning and can inform conservation and risk assessment efforts without any unnecessary disturbance. Additionally, geophysical methods can aid heritage researchers through the identification of unknown burials. In Eudora, Kansas, geoscience is working in conjunction with conservation methods to help preserve generational memory and conserve Southwest Cemetery, an African American cemetery. By providing a non-invasive and efficient way to map and assess subsurface structures and features, geophysics can help to improve our understanding of these important historical and cultural resources, and ensure that they are preserved for future generations (Beven, 1991; Kaulb, 2019). It is postulated that, through a combination of electrical conductivity, ground-penetrating radar, and conservation efforts, an under-represented community in a small Kansas town can come back to life through death.

Southwest City Cemetery was founded in the 1850’s and was the first cemetery in Eudora. As the first cemetery in Eudora, it was used by most of the township for around ten years until white citizens decided to segregate burials. It is unknown exactly what happened, but beginning in the 1860’s Southwest Cemetery became a primarily African American cemetery. Individual accounts have even suggested that white families disinterred their dead and moved them to the new cemetery, ultimately leaving the old cemetery for people of color (Beckman, 2019). The last burial known to take place was in the 1980s, based on visible headstone dates (Beckman, 2019).

Despite over 120 years of use, there are very few grave markings remaining making it difficult for drive-by traffic to know what the plot of land represents. The cemetery was once on the edge of town, but is now at the center of a popular neighborhood. The people interred at Southwest deserve to have their history preserved. Eudora has had a long history of African American occupation, and the goal of this project will be to remember the forgotten and connect them back to the community they rest within. This presentation will provide 1) an overview of the history and background of Southwest Cemetery; 2) results of the geophysical survey and historical research analysis of the site; and 3) recommendations for future preservation opportunities to recognize and remember an important community in Eudora’s history.