UNION REPUBLICAN
March 9, 1905: A NEW COUNTY GRAVEYARD NEEDED
At a meeting of the county Commissioners, Monday, it was ordered that no more burials be made in the Liberty Graveyard. The plot is full. The only place of interment now is
near the County Home. There is need and a desire for a more convenient place for burial and the Commissioners will be urged to furnish the same. This is a matter that should
receive early and favorable action by the Board. (Contributed by Betsy Hendrix)
March 16, 1905: A NEW COUNTY GRAVEYARD NEEDED
Last week THE REPUBLICAN printed a notice that the County Commissioners had ordered that there be no more interments made in the Liberty Graveyard as that place was full
to overflowing. This leaves no place of burial for those who cannot afford to purchase ground in the Salem Cemetery, nearer than this side of the County Home. The distance is
considerable and by no means convenient for people who frequently, from necessity, have to walk, in attending the last sad rites of their dead. The Commissioners should
purchase a plot nearer the city and we again kindly call their attention to the matter and hope that they will give it very early consideration. (Contributed by Betsy Hendrix)
March 23, 1905: THE COUNTY GRAVEYARD AGAIN
We are told that interments are being made at the County Graveyard although the County Commissioners at their last meeting made an order to the contrary, for the reason that
the plot has been filled to its utmost limits and all burials that are now being made are from necessity on top of those already buried there. THE REPUBLICAN has urged the
County Commissioners to make some provision for the interment of the county dead. There is a graveyard near the County Home, but the distance is unreasonably far for the
many who from necessity, rather than choice, commit the remains of their departed ones in the plots provided by the county. We erect a magnificent Court House, spend
thousands to feed, fatten and clothe the county convicts, issue bonds to build railroads, and increase valuations to meet the demands necessary to "keep in the ?? ", and with it
all, our County Home is about as humble looking, within and without, as any abode of average respectability in the county, and the dead of the poorer and unfortunate class have
been buried up to the present time in the LIBERTY or UNION GRAVEYARD, upon which very low dollars of money has ever been spent for appearance sake, and now that it is
full of sacred dust, there seems to be unreasonable delay in the purchase of another plot, either North, South, East or West of the Twin-City, at some desirable and convenient
spot. Our County Commissioners can rest assured that no complaint will ever be raised upon money expended in any reasonable amount upon the County Home or a
respectable, conveniently located County Graveyard. The County Commissioners may infer that the City of Winston should aid in the latter provision as most of the demand is
from those residing within the corporate limits. This, to a great extend, is true, as few people from the county at large ever come to Winston to bury their dead, as they have local
graveyards of their own. Be that as it may, the fact is plain, we need at once another public graveyard and the county singly, or jointly, with Winston, should provide one without
delay. Death does not wait the convenience of many and hence immediate action is the more urgent. (Contributed by Betsy Hendrix)
March 30, 1905: THE COUNTY GRAVE-YARD- Mr. Bailey Kindly Replies - Should Not the City Take Part- A Cemetery Suggested- Sale of Lots, Etc.- Provision For the
Future While accessible Real Estate is Reasonable
A LETTER FROM MR. BAILEY- Winston-Salem, n.C. Mar. 24, 1905: Local Editor-- I notice your piece in paper of 23rd inst., to reference to county graveyard. The County
Commissioners have this matter under consideration and will certainly make provisions to meet the needs of the people interested as early as possible. Your truly, M.D. Bailey,
Chairman
THE REPUBLICAN notes the above with gratification and will say in justice to Mr. Bailey and his Board that its frequent suggestions along tis line were not made with a desire to
dictate or criticise, but because such a convenience had become an actual necessity and while the Board were admittedly considering the matter, definite action was tediously
slow in view of the fact that death is ever busy and does not wait upon the convenience and deliberations of man. THE REPUBLICAN also believes that the City Aldermen should
take a joint interest in this graveyard question for the demand is more from the city than the county at large. In connection with the above subject the following card, printed in
the DAILY SENTINEL, Saturday, speaks for itself:
COUNTY GRAVEYARD QUESTION: To the Editor-- I have noticed some pieces in your paper and also in the Republican, in regard to buying some land to bury the poor of the
city. This is a commendable act, and is approved by all good citizens. It should be done at once. There seems to be no place at present to bury these poor people, except in
the Strangers' plot, owned by our neighbors and good people, the Moravian Church, and it costs $15 a grave. Two gentlemen in this city have an option on two acres of land for
$100, and if the city and county don't buy ground somewhere soon, they will do so themselves to bury the poor. It is the city and county's duty to provide this ground, and we ask
them to attend to it at once CITIZENS
With such general interest manifested and the County and no doubt the City officials, willing to do their duty, there is no reason why we should not provide a Cemetery while we
are at it and sell lots, bury the poor free and have a City and County "City of the Dead" in keeping with our living pretentions [sic]. As our populations increases there will be
need for such a place, in addition to the Salem Cemetery and the time to provide for the same is now, when conveniently located land can be purchased a great deal cheaper
than will be the case in years to come. While a new County Grave Yard is assured by Mr. Bailey, at the earliest possible moment, the enlistment of the city and the public in a
Cemetery is a step further and is presented in the belief that such is needed now and will be more and more the case as the years go rolling by. (Contributed by Betsy Hendrix)
April 27, 1905 - THE COUNTY GRAVEYARD AGAIN
The purchase of a County Graveyard by the County Commissioners or jointly with the City Aldermen, still hangs fire. THE REPUBLICAN has called attention to the matter several
times, and presumably with so much earnestness that Chairman Bailey, of the Commissioners, wrote us a letter, indicating due and early consideration of the subject. It is an
question that brooks no delay. Suitable land can be bought for the purpose and the need is urgent, for deaths are constantly occurring and those without means have either to
rely upon the donations of friends and a generous public to buy a place in the Salem Cemetery, or take the other alternative and carry their dead to a point near the County
Home. The truth of the matter is, a burial ground should have been provided as the UNION GRAVEYARD was filled up and thus this inexcusable delay would have been
obviated.. We can vote thousands in bonds, pave streets, erect commodious public and business buildings and do great and noble tings for the living, yet our pauper dead are
forced to take their chances for a burial plots by the failure of those in authority to provide for the demand. We are still inclined to the opinion that the City should join with the
County Commissioners and while a purchase is being made, let it be large enough to constitute a general cemetery, where family plots can be purchased and free permits
granted those not able to pay for the same. Next Monday the County Commissioners meet in regular session. Let us hope that immediate and definite attention will be given to
the graveyard matter. (Contributed by Betsy Hendrix)
Nov. 30, 1905: THAT COUNTY GRAVEYARD
The need for a County Graveyard, like Banco's ghost, will not down. THE REPUBLICAN has not referred to the matter recently, hoping that with the interest manifested by recent
suggestions, the matter would assume definite shape. But action on the project seems to hang fire. It is the opinion of the Local Editor that the City and County should combine
and furnish some more accessible point than the Poor House plot for the burial of the dead. THE REPUBLICAN has suggested some point along the car line, either North of the
City or on South Side and an agreement with the Car people to furnish a funeral car at a nominal rate, which could be done cheaper than with the expense of a hearse and
conveyances. The Aldermen have a Cemetery Committee and the County Commissioners meet once a month. A joint meeting and some action regarding the selection of a
public graveyard does not seem a very difficult problem, when the urgent need for some more available location than is at present provided, is taken into consideration. The
Moravian Graveyard serves its purpose, as does also the Salem Cemetery, but there are very many people who cannot use the former, owing to rules governing it, and the
latter, from the expense incurred, and hence it becomes the duty of the city and county to provide such a necessary convenience to this class of our citizens. The motive of THE
REPUBLICAN is not in the spirit of fault finding or criticism, but in the interest of those who are not able to help themselves and feel more keenly their pecuniary inability when the
hand of affliction falls heavily upon them.
(Contributed by Betsy L. Hendrix)
JAN 11, 1906: NOW UP TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
The City Aldermen are to be commended for their effort to provide a Cemetery for the city, regarding which THE REPUBLICAN has had much to say during the past year. At a
recent meeting the Aldermen ordered the purchase of a plot of ground of$1,000. The land adjoins Piedmont Park, is in an eminence and comprises of 11 1/2 acres. The road is
macadamized to within a hundred yards of the place selected. It is the determination of the city to greatly beautify this graveyard. It will be plotted off in family lots, laid off in
walks and a large pavilion built in the center where services can be held and where the people who visit the grounds can be protected from the weather. It has been suggested
that the County Commissioners act with the Aldermen and bear part of the expense and this our County Fathers are privileged and should do. They have intimated their desire,
per Chairman M.D. Bailey, in these columns to provide this very pressing need at the earliest opportunity. The City Aldermen have taken the initintory [sic], and THE
REPUBLICAN trusts there will be speedy and hearty cooperation by the two bodies. There is but one objection to the location and that is the distance from the city but with the
extension of the street car line to Piedmont Park and eventually the possibility of a funeral electric car, even this objections will be easily obviated.
Jan 3, 1907 : History of Government, City of Winston-Salem - All America City 1766-1966 Bicentennial by Robert W. Neilson, Director of Public Works,pg 503
Page 503: WOODLAND CEMETERY: The matter of purchasing a site for a City Cemetery was discussed by the Board on Sept 7, 1905 and recently
appointed Cemetery Committee was instated to see if a joint arrangement could be made with the county. The Cemetery Committee reported to the Board on
Dec 21, 1905 that a suitable site for a cemetery had been found near the Piedmont Park property......containing 11 1/2 acres and known as Phelps Place, now
owned by Mr. T.M. Butner.....the burying ground purchased and improved by Cemetery Committee, as authorized by the Board of Alderman, shall be known as
"Woodland Cemetery"
Jan 1907: The Wachovia Moravian Vol. XX, page 3: The City of Winston has laid out the \Voodland Cemetery, near Piedmont Park.
June 20, 1919: History of Government, City of Winston-Salem - All America City 1766-1966 Bicentennial by Robert W. Neilson, Director of Public Works, pg 662
WOODLAND CEMETERY CARETAKER: Mr. J.G. Hanes made a motion that the matter of building a house for the cemetery keeper be referred to the Cemetery Committee....
CITIZENS CALL FOR A
NEW CEMETERY!
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