Wyandot National Burying Ground (Huron Indian Cemetery) (Tour) - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. Modern Entrance to the Cemetery

Wyandot (Wyandotte) National Burying Ground serves as a sacred final resting place for around six hundred to eight hundred people of Wyandot descent, starting with those who perished on the arduous and forced journey from their homes in the Great Lakes to what is now Kansas City, Kansas. Generations of Wyandot are buried in the cemetery, and thanks to the actions of tribal members starting with Eliza "Lyda" Burton Conley and her sisters Helena and Ida, most of this cemetery was spared from development. Through armed occupation of the cemetery and legal efforts, the sisters were able to thwart development plans and preserve the burial grounds at several moments in the early 20th century. Although some of the cemetery was lost to urban development in the mid-20th century, the grounds are a National Landmark. As history has shown, not even a federal treaty can guarantee the preservation of the cemetery, but more people are learning the historical significance of the site thanks to the current efforts of tribal members, historians, and local residents.

2. Gravesite of Union Soldiers

After African American soldiers who perished in the Battle of Westport were not allowed to be buried next to their white counterparts in the burial ground near Westport. Upon learning this, members of the Wyandot welcomed the internment of African American soldiers here.

3. Grave of Lucy Armstrong and Unmarked Graves

Lucy B. Armstrong became a member of the Wyandot by virtue of marriage to John Armstrong, a member of the tribe and an attorney. Lucy Armstrong worked to keep records of the tribe. Armstrong preserved records, including a journal that has been instrumental in understanding the history of this cemetery. Lucy Armstrong was also an abolitionist and suffragist.

4. Zane and Shipp Families; Darren Zane English

This is the final resting place of many members of the Zane and Shipp families. This part of the cemetery also includes the remains of Darren Zane English, who became the first person buried at the cemetery since 1965. Thanks to the efforts of family members and the support of tribal leaders, the remains of Darren Zane English were buried here in 2021.

5. The Conley Sisters and Wyandot National Burying Ground

This section of the cemetery contains the graves of the Eliza, Helena, and Ida Conley, their parents, and other members of the Conley family. Without the three Conley sisters, this cemetery would have surely been lost as developers sought to acquire this land for commercial real estate projects over many decades. Starting in 1906, Eliza "Lyda" Burton Conley and her two sisters, Helena and Ida worked to prevent this from happening. At a critical moment, they armed themselves and occupied a small fort at the cemetery, warning all would-be developers from disturbing burial grounds. At critical moments, the Conley Sisters used techniques ranging from legal strategies to physical resistance to prevent the removal of graves or the sale of the cemetery. The three sisters shared Wyandot lineage and are buried here among their kin. According to local stories, Helena Conley's final resting place even displays a warning about a "curse" that will befall anyone who harms the sanctity of the cemetery, perpetuating the sisters' preservationist crusade to the present. The three sisters passed away in the 1940s and 1950s, and this cemetery is a monument to their perseverance. The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and became a National Historic Landmark in 2016.

6. Eudora Emmons

This is the final resting place of Eudora Fish Emmons, the namesake of the town of Eudora, a community that is located just west of Kansas City, Kansas. Eudora was the daughter of Shawnee leader Paschal Fish and the wife of Dallas Emmons, who was adopted into the Wyandot tribe. She passed away on April 10, 1877. The grave was unmarked when tribal member Ebenezer O. Zane Sr., worked with reporter and local historian William E. Connelly to complete a survey of the cemetery in 1896.

7. Cemetery Gate and "Trespassers Beware" Sign

At the time of the Conley Sister's successful defense of the cemetery, an iron gate was located just north of this location. Eliza Conley and her sisters chained the gates together and created a sign that declared "trespassers beware" in addition to their long legal fight and occupation of the cemetery.

8. Charles and Maria Garrett; Wyandot Origin Story Mural

This corner of the cemetery includes the remains of Charles and Maria Garrett, among many other unknown burials. It is important to notice how much of the hill was cut along the west and north edge of this part of the cemetery - an indication of many graves and remains that were removed. across Minnesota Avenue to the north, one will see a mural on the side of an adjacent building. The mural presents the Wyandot Nation's creation story.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Wyandot National Burying Ground (Huron Indian Cemetery)

Created by David J. Trowbridge on February 6th 2022, 12:29:12 am.

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Description

In 1843, over 664 members of the Wyandot Nation traveled from the Lake Huron region and established this cemetery for those who did not survive the difficult journey. A year earlier, the tribe ceded all lands of Michigan and Ohio to the federal government in exchange for lands in Kansas. After they arrived, the survivors found that the land promised to them had already been claimed by others. The small tract of land near the river was too low to bury the 50-100 Wyandot who had died of illness, so the tribe chose this hill to bury their dead. Because of its prime real estate location, over the next century and beyond, developers and city leaders attempted to move the burials to another cemetery. Legal fights ensued, and supporters of the cemetery's preservation prevailed, but only after more than a century of effort. The initial preservation victory was largely the result of Lyda, Helena, and Ida Conley, three women of Wyondot lineage, who armed themselves to protect this land and led a legal challenge that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Thanks to their continued effort and more contemporary support, the cemetery was saved from would-be developers in the early 1900s and urban development plans in the mid-20th century. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. In 1988, the Wyandot Nation of Kansas and the Wyandot Nation of Oklahoma mutually agreed that the remaining cemetery must not be used for other purposes. The preservation fight continued into the 21st century, with preservationists scoring yet another victory when the cemetery became a National Historic Landmark in 2016.

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