Collection Overview
Title: Blue Grass Army Depot Cemeteries, 1942-1994
Extent: 3.0 Folders
Date Acquired: 12/01/2016
Languages: English [eng]
Scope and Contents of the Materials
In 1941 the United States Army began purchasing land to build the Blue Grass Ordnance Depot, now known as the Blue Grass Army Depot. The army purchased two tracts of land outside the boundaries of the Depot and contracted with Sidney E. Haigh Company to remove nearly 1700 graves from dozens of family cemeteries to these tracts. Cemetery A on Highway 421 was for 'white' reinternments, and Cemetery B on Speedwell Pike was for 'colored' reinternments. During this process the Army created a number of surveys and reports relating to the removal, and in the years to follow there have been many news articles and several lawsuits filed relating to the upkeep and maintenance of Cemetery A in particular. This artificial collection was created to provide improved access to these materials which have been scattered throughout various collections.
Administrative Information
Box and Folder Listing
- Folder 1
- Barcode: 31234013927650
- Item 1: A listing of bodies disinterred, transported and reinterred from the Bluegrass Ordnance Depot..., undated
- Copy of the report by Sidney E. Haigh Company inventorying each reinternment from the Blue Grass Army Depot to Cemetery A and B.
- Item 2: Deed from Fred Ballew to Sidney E. Haigh, 8 Apr 1942
- Copy of a deed for property on Speedwell Pike, presumably for Cemetery B.
- Item 3: News Clippings, 1973-1994
- Articles from local newspapers about the condition of the cemeteries. One clipping names the trustees for Cemetery A.
- Item 4: Deposition of Thomas H. Hocker, 22 Apr 1994
- Deposition taken for the petitioner Joseph Ballew.
- Item 5: Blue Grass Army Depot Cemetery A, 1996
- This item compiles information from several sources to get an inventory of the burials in Cemetery A.
- Item 6: Blue Grass Army Depot Cemetery B, 1998
- This item compiles information from several sources to get an inventory of the burials in Cemetery B.
- Folder 2
- Barcode: 31234013927668
- Item 1: Blue Grass Ordnance Depot Cemetery Tracts, 1942
- This volume includes a brief description of each cemetery arranged by the tract number and landowners name from the Land Acquisition Map.
- Folder 3
- Barcode: 31234013927676
- Item 1: Land Acquisition Map, undated
- Copy of the future Army Depot landowners survey showing boundaries, roads and cemeteries.
- Item 2: Map of Property Tracts Showing Depot Layout, Mar 1942
- Shows property boundaries and cemeteries.
- Item 3: Reinternment Area A, 19 Dec 1947
- Map of Cemetery A showing where burials occurred, roads and landscaping.
- Item 4: Reinternment Area B, 24 Feb 19??
- Map of Cemetery B showing roads and landscaping.