Allen County commissioners were told Tuesday there may be as many as 38 graves on former county poor farm property three miles north of Iola.
Butch Cuppet, who has searched for graves in area cemeteries, checked the site and came away convinced there are 38 graves, Bill King, director of Public Works, said. Cuppet is a public works employee.
King said Cuppet em-ployed a process called witching — similar to water witching — in which he uses hand-held rods that supposedly are affected by the present of human re-mains and give an impulse that he feels.
“He’s done it many times before in other cemeteries and has found unmarked graves,” King said.
King said a drain pipe was installed in a deep ditch between old U.S. 169 and the cemetery Tuesday afternoon, to give easier access for mowing and other maintenance.
Meanwhile, Commission Chairman Gary McIntosh said several people had called after a story in Saturday’s Register rekindled interest in the cemetery.
David Allen, who said earlier he would construct durable steel crosses for the cemetery, told McIntosh nine four-foot-tall crosses were ready to install as soon as they were painted.
McIntosh said Allen mentioned placing the crosses about eight feet from a fence that divides the cemetery, on county right of way, from farm ground owned by Allen County Community College.
“If we’re going to mow it, I’d prefer the crosses be against the fence,” to accommodate equipment, King said.
The cemetery became an issue last year when ACCC officials said they had difficulty maintaining it and removed wooden crosses, which had fallen into disrepair. Their contention was it was questionable whether there were bodies buried there.
JOE HURLA, representing 360 Energy Solutions, Lawrence, proposed an energy audit of the courthouse, with no charge to the county unless the firm is successful in attracting a grant from federal stimulus money to make the building more energy efficient.
Commissioners instructed Hurla to move ahead, as McIntosh noted, “We’ve nothing to lose in finding out what we might be able to do.”
They will decide next Tuesday whether to sell three lots the county has access to by default from the last tax sale. The lots didn’t sell and while they didn’t directly become county property, the county has the right to sell them to recover tax money. Lot locations are 610 S. Third St., 6 W. Cam-eron and 814 South St.
Commissioners were told a tea party rally would be on the courthouse lawn Thursday starting at 6 p.m.
