Pioneer cemeteries and the settlement frontier in nineteenth-century Iowa: insights from HGIS

1. "Pioneer cemeteries and the settlement frontier in nineteenth-century Iowa: insights from HGIS"� Gail Brown Adviser: Deryck Holdsworth The title of my research is "Pioneer cemeteries and the settlement frontier in nineteenth-century Iowa: insights from HGIS."� I picked this research, because I want to see if applying gis to pioneer cemeteries will reveal historical patterns that otherwise are not visible. The title of my research is "Pioneer cemeteries and the settlement frontier in nineteenth-century Iowa: insights from HGIS."� I picked this research, because I want to see if applying gis to pioneer cemeteries will reveal historical patterns that otherwise are not visible.

2. Introduction What is Historic GIS? As you know, GIS gives us the ability to join spatial and temporal data. One of the benefits of historical GIS, according to Ann Knowles, is that it is possible to visualize previously unknown patterns. These new patterns can give us insight into where and how quickly change happened. Looking at 19th century Iowa through cemetery data may reveal information about living in and settling the state in the 1800s. As you know, GIS gives us the ability to join spatial and temporal data. One of the benefits of historical GIS, according to Ann Knowles, is that it is possible to visualize previously unknown patterns. These new patterns can give us insight into where and how quickly change happened. Looking at 19th century Iowa through cemetery data may reveal information about living in and settling the state in the 1800s.

3. Louisiana Purchase Just a little background. Iowa is bordered on the east by the Mississippi River, and on the west by the Missouri River. Iowa was part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase made by Thomas Jefferson, which included the land west of the Mississippi river to the Rocky Mountains. Prior to the 1830s only a few white people lived in Iowa, and the majority of those lived in settlements along the Mississippi River. The Mississippi river was a major navigational route. By the 1830s settlements were found along the Mississippi River, starting at the southern tip of what is now Iowa, moving north. This implies that the earliest graves will be in this area. Just a little background. Iowa is bordered on the east by the Mississippi River, and on the west by the Missouri River. Iowa was part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase made by Thomas Jefferson, which included the land west of the Mississippi river to the Rocky Mountains. Prior to the 1830s only a few white people lived in Iowa, and the majority of those lived in settlements along the Mississippi River. The Mississippi river was a major navigational route. By the 1830s settlements were found along the Mississippi River, starting at the southern tip of what is now Iowa, moving north. This implies that the earliest graves will be in this area.

4. Iowa Boundaries 1840 I intend to focus on the most southerly corner of Iowa, along the border of Missouri. Early travel tended to follow rivers. Three rivers in this part of Iowa, Skunk River, Des Moines River and Cedar River, were used in the 1800s to navigate to the interior part of what is now Iowa. All of these rivers eventually empty into the Mississippi River and were important for transporting goods and people when river level was high and when they weren�t frozen. I intend to focus on the most southerly corner of Iowa, along the border of Missouri. Early travel tended to follow rivers. Three rivers in this part of Iowa, Skunk River, Des Moines River and Cedar River, were used in the 1800s to navigate to the interior part of what is now Iowa. All of these rivers eventually empty into the Mississippi River and were important for transporting goods and people when river level was high and when they weren�t frozen.

5. Study Area and Major Sites The three counties where I plan to conduct my research are Lee, Van Buren and Henry County. I believe that these will be historically significant since they are the earliest settled part of the state. These counties were also home to a variety of historical events. In the 1840s the Mormons set up a staging area for there west. The Quakers settled in Salem, IA and took an active part in the underground railroad. Two of the earliest forts in Iowa, Fort Madison and Keokuk, were built along the Mississippi River in the area included in these three counties. In the 1840s the Mormons set up a staging area near Sugar Creek to prepare for their journey west. Between 1846 to 1869, more than 70,000 Mormons traveled along an integral part of the road west, the Mormon Pioneer Trail. The trail started in Nauvoo, Illinois, traveled across Iowa, to the Missouri River. Within the three counties there are approximately 300 cemeteries. Van Buren County has 114 cemeteries, Lee County has 113, Henry County around 90. I believe this should give me enough spatial, temporal and attribute data to study a how a small piece Iowa changed over time. Hopefully, I will be able to determine if further is research is of value. At this point, I don�t know how many of these cemeteries qualify as pioneer cemeteries. The three counties where I plan to conduct my research are Lee, Van Buren and Henry County. I believe that these will be historically significant since they are the earliest settled part of the state. These counties were also home to a variety of historical events. In the 1840s the Mormons set up a staging area for there west. The Quakers settled in Salem, IA and took an active part in the underground railroad. Two of the earliest forts in Iowa, Fort Madison and Keokuk, were built along the Mississippi River in the area included in these three counties. In the 1840s the Mormons set up a staging area near Sugar Creek to prepare for their journey west. Between 1846 to 1869, more than 70,000 Mormons traveled along an integral part of the road west, the Mormon Pioneer Trail. The trail started in Nauvoo, Illinois, traveled across Iowa, to the Missouri River. Within the three counties there are approximately 300 cemeteries. Van Buren County has 114 cemeteries, Lee County has 113, Henry County around 90. I believe this should give me enough spatial, temporal and attribute data to study a how a small piece Iowa changed over time. Hopefully, I will be able to determine if further is research is of value. At this point, I don�t know how many of these cemeteries qualify as pioneer cemeteries.

6. Cemetery Focus The goal is to create a GIS database containing information from multiple sources, including gravestones. Putting data into one place will make it possible to look for clusters in the data to see if it reveals patterns that historically significant. Teri Russ states that �. . . data from cemetery studies can often provide valuable insight into a culture�s life ways that written history and archeology alone cannot.� When data is entered into a database, it becomes possible to query it and look for patterns that may be lost in the written word. I plan to physically map the gravestone locations within the pioneer cemeteries. In Iowa a pioneer cemetery is defined as a cemetery that has had fewer than 12 burials in the last 50 years. All three counties have data available online, which can be entered into the database, but of the three counties I plan to look at, only Lee County has cemeteries marked as being Pioneer Cemeteries. I plan to do research over the summer and determine what cemeteries I need to map. An added benefit, though not the intention of the study, is that these old cemeteries will be mapped, and not lost forever even if the stones eroded. The goal is to create a GIS database containing information from multiple sources, including gravestones. Putting data into one place will make it possible to look for clusters in the data to see if it reveals patterns that historically significant. Teri Russ states that �. . . data from cemetery studies can often provide valuable insight into a culture�s life ways that written history and archeology alone cannot.� When data is entered into a database, it becomes possible to query it and look for patterns that may be lost in the written word. I plan to physically map the gravestone locations within the pioneer cemeteries. In Iowa a pioneer cemetery is defined as a cemetery that has had fewer than 12 burials in the last 50 years. All three counties have data available online, which can be entered into the database, but of the three counties I plan to look at, only Lee County has cemeteries marked as being Pioneer Cemeteries. I plan to do research over the summer and determine what cemeteries I need to map. An added benefit, though not the intention of the study, is that these old cemeteries will be mapped, and not lost forever even if the stones eroded.

7. Define Cemetery Places where dead people were buried For this research, I am defining cemeteries as places where people are buried. Some of the literature has more specific definitions, such a church yard intended for church members only, a family burial ground typically located on what used to be a farm, a military cemetery, and finally the public cemeteries. I�m defining my study by date, not type of burial site, and will incorporate data from stones pre-1900.For this research, I am defining cemeteries as places where people are buried. Some of the literature has more specific definitions, such a church yard intended for church members only, a family burial ground typically located on what used to be a farm, a military cemetery, and finally the public cemeteries. I�m defining my study by date, not type of burial site, and will incorporate data from stones pre-1900.

8. Define Time I�m plan to restrict my research to Iowa in the 19th century. The first official white settlers didn�t arrive in Iowa until the 1830s. Iowa became a territory and then a state in the 1840s. The population table above shows that the fastest growth rate was between 1850 to 1880s. By the 1870s, farms and small towns blanketed the entire state. Most of the present towns of Iowa existed by 1875. By the 1900s, farming underwent changes. Instead of performing field work by hand, farmers used modern machinery to cut hay, plant corn, and bind oats. Most farmers used draft horses for hard labor. By restricting myself to 19th century the data is a bit more manageable, and I believe I am capturing the pioneer era. 1840-50 change = 149,102 1850-60 change = 482,699 1860-70 change = 519,107 1870-80 change = 430,595 1880-90 change = 287,682 1890-1900 change = 319,556 Total Change 1840 � 1900 = 2,188,741 1900-1990 change = 770,702 I�m plan to restrict my research to Iowa in the 19th century. The first official white settlers didn�t arrive in Iowa until the 1830s. Iowa became a territory and then a state in the 1840s. The population table above shows that the fastest growth rate was between 1850 to 1880s. By the 1870s, farms and small towns blanketed the entire state. Most of the present towns of Iowa existed by 1875. By the 1900s, farming underwent changes. Instead of performing field work by hand, farmers used modern machinery to cut hay, plant corn, and bind oats. Most farmers used draft horses for hard labor. By restricting myself to 19th century the data is a bit more manageable, and I believe I am capturing the pioneer era. 1840-50 change = 149,102 1850-60 change = 482,699 1860-70 change = 519,107 1870-80 change = 430,595 1880-90 change = 287,682 1890-1900 change = 319,556 Total Change 1840 � 1900 = 2,188,741 1900-1990 change = 770,702

9. Data Sources Andreas Atlas maps from 1875 Iowa Abandoned Towns, David Mott 1930 A dictionary of Iowa place names, Thomas Savage, 2007 Iowa grave stone project Census data from the 1900s http://iowagravestones.org/history.php http://iowagravestones.org/history.php

10. Andreas Atlas Data The Andreas Atlas has a copyright of 1875. It contains maps of all of counties in Iowa. Iowa Department of Natural Resources scanned and georeferenced each of the counties. The data on the maps include churches, post offices, mills, cemeteries, railroads and settlements.The Andreas Atlas has a copyright of 1875. It contains maps of all of counties in Iowa. Iowa Department of Natural Resources scanned and georeferenced each of the counties. The data on the maps include churches, post offices, mills, cemeteries, railroads and settlements.

11. Post Offices, Towns, and Cemeteries I plan to digitize the towns, railroads, post offices, and cemeteries and enter the attributes into the database. The two books Iowa Abandoned Towns, David Mott 1930 and A dictionary of Iowa place names, Thomas Savage, 2007, have the dates most of towns and post offices were established and abandoned, if applicable. By entering those dates into a database I will be able compare the settlement dates with the dates from the gravestones to infer population growth, lifespan of residents, etc. I can also compare county wide data with the census data to see if there is some sort of correlation between number of deaths and populate rate.I plan to digitize the towns, railroads, post offices, and cemeteries and enter the attributes into the database. The two books Iowa Abandoned Towns, David Mott 1930 and A dictionary of Iowa place names, Thomas Savage, 2007, have the dates most of towns and post offices were established and abandoned, if applicable. By entering those dates into a database I will be able compare the settlement dates with the dates from the gravestones to infer population growth, lifespan of residents, etc. I can also compare county wide data with the census data to see if there is some sort of correlation between number of deaths and populate rate.

12. Andreas Cemetery and State Historical Society The Iowa State Historical Preservation Society gave me a shape file that includes boundaries of known cemeteries in Iowa. The state database only has the polygon and the name of the cemeteries. In the Andreas Atlas, the cemeteries are marked with a cross, but there isn�t any name associated with the cemetery. Since the Andreas Atlas is hand-drawn, I won't know until I get into the field if the cemetery markers that are close to the state polygon boundaries are the same cemetery or not. There are, though, cemeteries on the Andreas Atlas that don�t have any state boundaries near them. This either means the state just doesn't have the boundaries, or that the cemeteries longer exist.The Iowa State Historical Preservation Society gave me a shape file that includes boundaries of known cemeteries in Iowa. The state database only has the polygon and the name of the cemeteries. In the Andreas Atlas, the cemeteries are marked with a cross, but there isn�t any name associated with the cemetery. Since the Andreas Atlas is hand-drawn, I won't know until I get into the field if the cemetery markers that are close to the state polygon boundaries are the same cemetery or not. There are, though, cemeteries on the Andreas Atlas that don�t have any state boundaries near them. This either means the state just doesn't have the boundaries, or that the cemeteries longer exist.

13. State Data with Andreas Plats Iowa DNR also has a layer called populated places. This is just a point layer that includes the name of the populated places in Iowa. Populated places are defined as settlements that have more than 25 people and at least one business. Many of the towns in the Andreas Atlas are in the populated places file. There are, however, towns in the 1875 Andreas Atlas that are not in the populated places file. This suggests that some of the towns from the 19th century no longer exist. Iowa DNR also has a layer called populated places. This is just a point layer that includes the name of the populated places in Iowa. Populated places are defined as settlements that have more than 25 people and at least one business. Many of the towns in the Andreas Atlas are in the populated places file. There are, however, towns in the 1875 Andreas Atlas that are not in the populated places file. This suggests that some of the towns from the 19th century no longer exist.

14. Cemetery Data Data from the Iowa Gravestone Photo project will be entered into a database. This includes, DOB, DOD, gender, age, marriage status, family ties, and any military information or fraternal organizations. Right now, all county information is separate, so comparisons aren�t possible. Joining data will enable me to compare data within a county and across counties lines. Once the data is entered my goal is to try to determine if using GIS in this manner will allow historians to see patterns, such as a surge in the number of deaths across an area that might suggest an epidemic, that might otherwise not be viewable. For example The mean first death date and mean last death date within a cemetery may parallel the start and abandonment of a settlement. As a settlement matures, and more services become available, the question is does the average age of death go up, signifying better access to health care and goods. A study done by Jimenez and Cossman shows there is a seasonality of death. Their research states that young peoples death rate was 36% higher in the summer, and adult death rate was 26% higher in the winter. Given Iowa�s extreme temperatures, and the lack of temperature control in the pioneer homes, I�m wondering if this trend also hold for early settlements in Iowa. Since many of the early stones either have age at death, or at least DOB and DOD should be possible to see if there is a significant difference in the number of people dying at a particular age. Will spatial query show that settlements closer to railroad lines of a large town have a higher average age at death, suggesting better access to health care. It may be possible to infer if more women in childbearing ages died then men of the same age group? Data from the Iowa Gravestone Photo project will be entered into a database. This includes, DOB, DOD, gender, age, marriage status, family ties, and any military information or fraternal organizations. Right now, all county information is separate, so comparisons aren�t possible. Joining data will enable me to compare data within a county and across counties lines. Once the data is entered my goal is to try to determine if using GIS in this manner will allow historians to see patterns, such as a surge in the number of deaths across an area that might suggest an epidemic, that might otherwise not be viewable. For example The mean first death date and mean last death date within a cemetery may parallel the start and abandonment of a settlement. As a settlement matures, and more services become available, the question is does the average age of death go up, signifying better access to health care and goods. A study done by Jimenez and Cossman shows there is a seasonality of death. Their research states that young peoples death rate was 36% higher in the summer, and adult death rate was 26% higher in the winter. Given Iowa�s extreme temperatures, and the lack of temperature control in the pioneer homes, I�m wondering if this trend also hold for early settlements in Iowa. Since many of the early stones either have age at death, or at least DOB and DOD should be possible to see if there is a significant difference in the number of people dying at a particular age. Will spatial query show that settlements closer to railroad lines of a large town have a higher average age at death, suggesting better access to health care. It may be possible to infer if more women in childbearing ages died then men of the same age group?

15. Spatial Relevance One of the reasons I want to try to map the pioneer cemeteries gravestones is to see if there is special significance in terms of burial places. Doris Francis, in her review of Warner states that cemeteries can reveal social status. In Van Buren county, there is a grave stone for a Negro slave. Her grave is located by itself at the far edge of the cemetery near the fence, removed from any other stones. Is this unique to that one cemetery, or will there be other burials like this? I plan to mark these stones using compass and tape, since I don�t have a GPS unit that will give 2 foot accuracy. Parts of Iowa have six- inch aerials, but the three counties where I plan to work, are rural in nature and do the buy up. Iowa is in the process of completing 1-foot aerials with four bands and I hope that comes available by summer. Many of the older cemeteries, though, are well wooded. Finally, It may be possible to do a trend surface analysis based on the DOD over the three counties. By using DOD as the Z value I may be able to map pioneer movement in early Iowa. An article by Source: Abler, Ronald F., John S. Adams, and Peter Gould. Settlement times of Pennsylvania towns shown as vertical lines. One of the reasons I want to try to map the pioneer cemeteries gravestones is to see if there is special significance in terms of burial places. Doris Francis, in her review of Warner states that cemeteries can reveal social status. In Van Buren county, there is a grave stone for a Negro slave. Her grave is located by itself at the far edge of the cemetery near the fence, removed from any other stones. Is this unique to that one cemetery, or will there be other burials like this? I plan to mark these stones using compass and tape, since I don�t have a GPS unit that will give 2 foot accuracy. Parts of Iowa have six- inch aerials, but the three counties where I plan to work, are rural in nature and do the buy up. Iowa is in the process of completing 1-foot aerials with four bands and I hope that comes available by summer. Many of the older cemeteries, though, are well wooded. Finally, It may be possible to do a trend surface analysis based on the DOD over the three counties. By using DOD as the Z value I may be able to map pioneer movement in early Iowa. An article by Source: Abler, Ronald F., John S. Adams, and Peter Gould. Settlement times of Pennsylvania towns shown as vertical lines.

16. Conclusion I have know what of knowing if using GIS to map pioneer cemeteries will show patterns of historical significance. If it does, I think my next step will be to work within the framework of the earliest settled counties in Iowa along the Mississippi River. I have contact with several counties that do have pioneer cemeteries listed and it may be possible to begin with those. I have no idea if using historical GIS to map pioneer cemeteries will show patterns of historical significance. Deryck and I have talked about this extensively, and decided that it�s valid to map three of Iowa�s earliest counties and see if patterns reveal themselves. Once I have all the gravestone data entered, it will be possible to do that. If patterns do emerge, I think my next step will be to work within the framework of the earliest settled counties in Iowa along the Mississippi River. Hopefully by then my technique will be refined and the process will take less time.I have no idea if using historical GIS to map pioneer cemeteries will show patterns of historical significance. Deryck and I have talked about this extensively, and decided that it�s valid to map three of Iowa�s earliest counties and see if patterns reveal themselves. Once I have all the gravestone data entered, it will be possible to do that. If patterns do emerge, I think my next step will be to work within the framework of the earliest settled counties in Iowa along the Mississippi River. Hopefully by then my technique will be refined and the process will take less time.