Outside of Du Bois, set back about a half mile from a gravel road, sits an old pioneer cemetery. 185 men, women and children are buried there. In a way, this cemetery tells us the story of the first citizens of Pawnee County.
Roots like these are important to any community and the stories of these individuals cannot be forgotten. After all, how can you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been? In this series, I will endeavor to do justice to the brave pioneers who settled this area by telling as much of their story as I can uncover, one cemetery at a time.
We start with the Cincinnati Cemetery, a pioneer cemetery established in 1859. Though many of the stones are weather worn and covered in moss, rendering them almost illegible, it remains remarkable that the cemetery is in as good of condition as it is, given its age.
The cemetery is surrounded on all sides by farmland and enclosed with a barbed wire fence. Upon entering the cemetery, one is greeted by a large stone marker, simply stating “Cincinnati Pioneer Cemetery Est. 1859.”
The oldest grave in this cemetery is that of Sarah Cromwell, who died in 1858. The newest grave is that of Charles Heiniger, who died in 1984.
58 different surnames can be found on the graves of those buried there and there are seven graves whose occupants have been lost to history.
In the middle of the cemetery, a large tree grows. Underneath it are buried 3 members of the Smith family: William Smith (1806-1881), Martha Smith (1820-1894) and Sarah Smith (unknown-1885).
The Cincinnati Cemetery is quiet and peaceful; its soundtrack only birdsong and the wind swishing through the grass.
In the coming months, I will go through each family buried there and relate the stories to be found by those who are gone, but not forgotten.