Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana
In the early-mid 1960's the Westield Women's Club embarked in a
"beautification project" that resulted in the removal and stacking of the grave
markers in the Westfield Old Friends Cemetery on south Union Street. They contacted Conner
Prairie and offered them the stones but were told that the museum wasn't interested in
any stones with dates of death after 1836. When a few interested citizens learned of the
"project" and expressed their dissatisfaction with the treatment of this
graveyard the stones were re-set in four rows on the back of the cemetery along with a
single marker with the names of all known burials and a marker commemorating the civil war
veterans buried there. All of the burials remained in place with no way of determining the
exact location of the dead, since the markers ahd been moved from their original
locations.
Fast forward to 2010:
The City of Westfield Parks Department has commenced construction of a new park to be
named the Old Friends Memorial Park on the property. This will include constructions of
walls, trail ways and water fountains. Initial demolition in the northwest end of the
property has already yielded intrusion into a grave. A backhoe sits on top of graves ready
to disturb more graves. All of this is within the rights of the City of Westfield as a
municipality. The Hamilton County Cemetery Commission is initiating action to at least
bring a pause to this project for further consideration by the Westfield city government.
If you are interested in genealogy in Hamilton County and share our dismay that a local
municipality would show such utter disregard for the remains of our ancestors, please
contact the City of Westfield Parks Director, Melody Jones, at (317)804-3100 and share
your displeasure with this project. You may write Ms. Jones at 2728 E. 271st Street,
Westfield, IN 46074. In an election year, disfavor expressed about an issue like this goes
a long way.
Bob Goode
Hamilton County Cemetery Commission