Center Township Faces Overgrown Cemetery Challenge

Jesse Harper, the Center Township Trustee, recently discovered a significant challenge at the entrance to a neglected wilderness area under his jurisdiction. “It’s not in any of our records in the office,” he stated. Although maps suggest the abandoned cemetery is within Liberty Township, it falls under Center Township’s responsibility to restore.

The site, known as Kine 3 Cemetery, is currently so overgrown that Harper cannot locate the headstones. At the entrance, two dog headstones dating back to 1972 are visible, but the presence and number of human burials remain uncertain. “Truth be told, we don’t know how many people are buried here, how many headstones are here,” Harper admitted.

“Until I brought you out here, this gate hasn’t been opened in eight years,”

James Coleman, owner of Edge of Liberty Farm, resides adjacent to the cemetery and informed Harper about the overlooked site. When Coleman bought the property a decade ago, the cemetery area was inaccessible, described as a swampy and snake-infested zone.

Over time, Coleman added a pond and created a path leading to the cemetery. Although his property edge aligns with the cemetery and township border, assumptions that it was in Liberty Township proved incorrect. Given the importance of the Kine family in the founding of Porter County, Harper expects some Kines are buried there.

The cemetery, measured by Nancy Calafati, Coleman’s wife, is a 24-foot by 24-foot area filled with dense vegetation. Harper plans to hire a crew, followed by volunteers, to clear the area and honor those buried. A local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter has committed to assisting once access is feasible.

Before commencing these works, Harper aims to verify property boundaries using a surveyor, while also arranging liability insurance for volunteers’ protection. As headstones could be buried under layers of mud, Harper emphasizes careful clearance to avoid damage.

“We don’t want to damage any of the headstones, any of the burial grounds,”

Access currently relies on Coleman’s agreement to use his property, avoiding the need for more forceful measures, such as eminent domain. “We’re just going to ask them nicely,” Harper remarked.

Harper hopes to engage professional services to find buried headstones, having learned about such companies at conventions. He anticipates that by next spring, volunteers will assist in reclaiming this historical site.

Anyone interested in joining the effort may contact the Center Township Trustee’s Office at (219) 462-0810.