Below
is the first letter sent by Jeanne to some known descendants
of pioneer families.
What
is the Arnold Hill Cemetery Association?
Its a group
of descendants of the pioneer settlers of Randolph County,
West Virginia buried in Arnold Hill Cemetery. We
have a common purpose -- to care for this cemetery by giving
freely of our time and labor. Now we need to expand our circle.
We must gather together related families and fellow
citizens to ensure the permanent care of this cemetery and
those interred there. Our aim (and our responsibility) is
too respect and preserve their final resting place.
What is the mission of the Association? Our mission
is to commemorate the lives of our ancestors and to commit
the time, effort and money required to preserve their graves
and to celebrate their lives. Arnold Hill Cemetery
is threatened by neglect, insufficient funds and insensitive
public policy. We must strive to increase awareness and highlight
the importence of this historic cemetery and its place in
maintaining family, community and state values
-- a source of pride and preservation for future generations.
Perhaps our motto can be "It takes a village"
Can
you tell me more ?
Yes. Arnold
Hill Cemetery is in a sad state of neglect in spite of the
efforts of many to restore it. Those people are our heroes,
they have worked tirelessly for many years but they need help.
The cemetery needs immediate refurbishing and a plan
to provide perpetual care by future generations. Its our hope
that Arnold Hill Cemetery Association will lay the groundwork
for this.
Where
is it ? On some mountain top ?
No, as a
matter of fact, its right in your backyard. Its very easy
to find. Its located on Arnold Hill Road just south of Elkins,
W.V. directly behind the airport in Randolph County. We can
make it a beautiful place.
Can
you tell me some history of this cemetery?
Yes. The
cemetery, four miles from Beverly, is called the Baptist,
the Collett and the Arnold Hill Cemetery. It was founded in
1806. There was a church there known as the Old School Baptist
Church. On August 2, 1806, at the home of Jacob Kittle, a
meeting of ten members was called. They were Jacob Kittle,
Daniel Canfield, William Hixon, John Chenoweth, Mary Kittle,
Mary Holder, Elizabeth Moore, Mary Schoonover, Margaret Schoonover
and Deborah Hart -- all pioneers. Henry Petro deeded them
an acre of land and a log building was erected on the site.
You can research Maxwell's History of Randolph
County and the Randolph County Historical Society Magazine
for additional information.
Do
I have ancestors buried in Arnold Hill Cemetery?
We don't
know. All we can do is provide you with the names of people
buried there and you will need to decide if they are "family".
The list of people buried there my wonderful cousin, Christine
Simmons, copied from the WPA records. There may be others.
Some surnames on the list include: Allan, Behon, Buckey, Bush,
Callison, Chenoweth, Collett, Everett, Foggy, Hyre, Isner,
Kittle,Knote, Long, Lough, Lytle, Mclain, Mclane, Rider, Robinson,
Schoonover, Shoemaker, Ward, Weese, White and Wright ...
I
am descended from some of these pioneer families. How can
I help preserve their memory and the wonderful heritage they
have given me?
You can so by becoming aware of many neglected cemeteries
in your community. Arnold Hill is not the only one in Randolph
County. There are many. But we all now know about Arnold Hill
and can no longer ignore it. To restore it and preserve it
for our children and their children, we need money. Please
send your fair share to:
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