Just a couple of miles from our current RV Resort is the Shiloh Cemetery. For us it was an educational visit. Many of the grave mounds are covered and adorned with clam and other shells neatly arranged in rows — this is an unique feature frequently seen in cemeteries in the Cedar Key, FL, area.
As well as being a decorative tradition, shell coverings keep rain from washing the sand away from the grave mounds. Some gravesites are noticeable only because of a scattering of shells.
Some of the graves had many personal adornments including photos, toys, clothing/household articles, and empty beer or liquor bottles/cans. As you can see from some of these photos there are several grave sites with chairs and benches placed alongside.
It’s recorded there are approximately a hundred unmarked graves, almost as many as marked.
Some graves are marked only with metal markers that are unreadable while others are marked with plain slabs and/ or blocks. Some have wooden sticks driven into the ground and some are only covered with shells. Many of the unmarked shell covered graves appear to be for children as evidenced by their small size.
Shiloh Cemetery has historical significance in that members of many pioneer families of this area are buried there.
And the site of the notorious 1923 Rosewood, Florida, massacre lies only a short distance away. Some of the residents or family members of the residents may be buried at Shiloh Cemetery. The actual town of Rosewood no longer exists and is marked only by a small sign on a local highway.
We often find these small detours off the beaten path leading to interesting historical snapshots of events and local lives.
The road less traveled often leads to the greatest adventures
Or at least some interesting ones which take turns you couldn’t predict. Thanks, Steve.
An amazing little side-story, EB. Although not so “little” for the people who lived in Rosewood when the massacre occurred. I’ve never seen a cemetery that looked anything like this one. And Steve’s right – just think how many more of these “little” adventures await down the road. For us older citizens travel is the very best method of education. The world awaits.
Yes, Paul, the real story was probably that of Rosewood and as I wrote this I contemplated how to address it. My conclusion was to simply mention and link to it so those interested, such as yourself, could make of it what they would. Human beings can be savages and we kid ourselves if we think we’ve move very far, or at all, beyond certain core divisive issues….race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
Yes, it’s the small and unexpected stories and adventures where the treasures lie…and travel is a viable way to find, understand and know them. Bonnie and I often marvel how much this journey has and will give back to us — even having only been at it for a short while.
Quite interesting EB, quite different from any cemetery you would find around here. Mostly because they are grass covered and “objects” are generally discouraged because of needing to move them for mowing. I think all the objects you photographed in this place tell a bit more of a story.
Mark, we found the objects very interesting and revealing of the people who were buried there as well as those they left behind — although there is no way we can verify if the stories we “read” are close to true.
You’re right, many places wouldn’t allow this due to the difficulty of maintaining the grounds — which, when I think of it, is a little sad. I read somewhere the families come in annually to do a major cemetery cleanup.
Is there a separate cemetery for Blacks? As a child, I recall my father, who owned a funeral home in Ocala, bring a body to Cedar Key to bury it. We had to anchor up the casket into the ground to keep it submerged. Any idea of the name or location of the Black cemetery? Thanks. James…
Hi James. At the time we visited Shiloh Cemetery we were RV’ing and just passing through so I don’t have much information on Cedar Key cemeteries. However, below is a link for most if not all cemeteries in the Cedar Key area which may include the one your father used.
https://roadsidethoughts.com/fl/cedar-key-xx-levy-cemeteries.htm
Good luck with your search and thanks for the comment.