Greets all!
Well, another Saturday put to bed! Finally some sun and nice weather,
perfect for exploring!
Before I recap the days travels, two shameless plugs: First, I just
upgraded to a Garmin eTrex Legend GPS from a Garmin 12. It contains a
basemap of North America, is half the size and weight, and has a much better
display. I cant get over how much better it is, especially when entering
data by hand. It has virtual keyboard that you can use to enter alphanumeric
information much faster then the old way of having to scroll through each
letter. Second, I finally got around to buying TopoUSA version 3.0 (PC
mapping software). I had been using version 2.0 prior to that. To make a
long story short, they fixed everything that annoyed me about 2.0. UTM
support is now native, although you can still use lat/long if you wish; the
2D maps are now contour shaded, and are much more visually attractive and
useful. One of the nicest features of the new software is the ability to put
your crosshair on a location and the software will tell you county and
zipcode! Waypoint entry is also much simpler and there are now many more
tools available when setting up routes. For $99 (which covers the whole
country) you cant beat it.
Here we go! This time around I spent the day running down several sites in
Madison and Tipton counties. All coordinate data is in UTM format using
NAD27-CONUS datum. If anyone wants generic directions to any of these sites,
shoot me an email.
Sumner Cemetery: 16T 0583830 4452990. Mostly older stones, well cared for.
Interesting and off the main drag.
Wilkins Cemetery: 16T 0591836 4455551. Very small family plot. Mostly
contemporary, very few old stones.
St. Joseph Cemetery: 16T 0597575 4456395. Contemporary Catholic graveyard.
Duck Creek Cemetery: 16T 0597336 4457078. Recommended! Not visible from the
street, and you have to cross a cornfield to get to it. All old stones, well
kept, some slight possible vandalism (a few stones knocked over) but a very
enjoyable site. The dirt path meets the street at 16T 0597245 4457295, park
your car here unless you drive something with 4X4!
Sigler Cemetery: 16T 0603364 4453423. Recommended! Another cemetery out of
plain sight, located on a dead-end street over a hill. Many interesting
stones, the vast majority very old. Well kept and great atmosphere, very
historical and fascinating. My favorite from this set, well worth the trip.
Howard Cemetery: 16T 0604423 4454295. Located on a main road, quiet and well
kept. Mostly older stones, with some interesting designs.
Stoker Cemetery: 16T 0607196 4457135. This took a while to find. Its at the
end of a private drive. Very small family plot, maybe 10-15 graves, mostly
children. The driveway is located at 16T 0607227 4457485. Not much to see,
very modest.
I have pictures of all these sites, and will have something online everyone
can access very soon.
Hope you guys are enjoying the weekend! See ya out in the field.
Robin