The Warren County Historical Society is just learning the history of a piece of property it owns, and what a story it’s telling so far.They knew the lot had been used as a cemetery and they had a hunch some bodies could still be buried there. After a recent ground-penetrating radar scan by GeoModel, it’s safe to say that 87 people are still laid to rest on the property, said David Avis, treasurer for the Warren County Historical Society.“We know there are 87 grave sites that have something there,” he said.Now each grave site is surveyed and has a recorded GPS location, compliments of Lewis-Bade, Inc.The grave sites are on a 1.64-acre property that sits between Morgan Road and South West Street in Warrenton, next to Morgan Park and the Warrenton City Pool at 312 S. Morgan Road.The exact spot is notable for its collection of mid-1800s headstones and a fenced area that marks the Barr family burial plot.“It was not an active cemetery when we got it. There was a small, gated area in the center of it with headstones from the outlying cemetery inside of that,” said Avis.He said the historical society acquired the land by donation several years ago and has maintained it since then.“The headstones are neat, old, carved stones. They date back to the 1850s,” Avis said. “They’re laying down. They should be standing up . . . But this cemetery wasn’t taken care of. Stones there are broken.”Jerry Prouhet is a director for the Warren County Historical Society. Prouhet is a local historian and researcher. He has a special interest in preserving and recording the history of local cemeteries.“This one has been mistreated,” Prouhet said. “There are stories I’ve heard but I don’t know are true.”Although his research continues, Prouhet believes most of the bodies from the old cemetery were moved to the “new” — and present — Warrenton City Cemetery at 712 West Booneslick. Bodies were moved at a family’s request and their expense. A lot of families didn’t have the resources or interest. Some simply didn’t know they had a relative buried in Warrenton.Prouhet said 1975 was the last time records mention anybody was “moved from the old cemetery.”The cemetery headstones were moved from their original placements. They are neatly lined up on the ground and being cleaned up with care.“We’ll never know where the headstones actually belong,” Prouhet said.Records indicate the names of the 87 people buried in the cemetery, but not where they were laid to rest.Prouhet said, “Pleasant M. Giles and Adam Zumwalt Kent were in a partnership together. Looking through the probate records, it looks like they were lending money to people because there were a lot of notes due them.”Giles was born in 1824. He died in 1859. Zumwalt lived from 1829-1862.John A. Pulliam built a mercantile store around 1838. He served as county treasurer from 1848 to 1861.John W. Crawford, James McGuire and Robert W. Stewart each served in the Civil War.During his research, Prouhet also found someone who had gained fame. John Hurtgen is buried in an unmarked grave at the old cemetery. Hurtgen’s death made national news when he was gunned down by George Lee in 1879 in Joseph Guggenmoose’s saloon on Main Street.Townspeople created a mob scene. They wanted to hang Lee without a trial. The sheriff calmed the crowd. Later on, a jury acquitted Lee because witnesses said Hurtgen showed his gun first. Despite the acquittal, Lee left town after the verdict, still in fear for his life.The old city cemetery has a future. Avis said the ground radar and surveying was the first step toward determining what to do with the property. He said historical society members are discussing ideas such as a monument, display, log cabin, but nothing has been determined just yet.

Jerry Prouhet, left, cleans headstones to read their inscriptions at the former Founders Cemetery in Warrenton on March 2. With him are Walter and Roxie Schroeder. All three are members of the Warren County Historical Society. 

Record photo/Adam Rollins

Matt Turner of GeoModel uses a ground-penetrating radar to search for possible grave sites in the former Founders Cemetery in Warrenton on March 2. 

Record photo/Adam Rollins

The fenced in area at the Old Warrenton Cemetery, property owned by the Warren County Histroical Society, marks where members of the Barr family, Martin, Jane and Benton, were buried. They lived and died during the 1800s. Other headstones inside the fence belong to other individuals originally buried on the property. 

Submitted photo