The Union Campground Cemetery was established and used from the 1840 through 1920.  After the last burial, the cemetery was gradually forgotten and fell into neglect until it was rediscovered in 1992 by the founders of the Union Campground Cemetery Association, an organization that is dedicated to restoring and preserving the cemetery.

As with most cemeteries, gravestones in the Union Campground Cemetery are markers for the individuals who are buried there, indicating where they have been laid to rest.  However, gravestones are also memorial sculptures; the shapes of the gravestones, the symbols carved on them, and the epitaphs all give insight into the individual–as well as being a reflection of the time period in which the gravestones were created.

In addition to basic information such as name, birth date, and death date, gravestone epitaphs may provide commentary on the person’s life, on his or her social status, religion, and/or attitude towards death, or on the feelings of the person’s family and friends.

In the Union Campground Cemetery, there are a variety of gravestone shapes.  Some gravestones have peaked tops, also known as a peon or two-way top, and these represent the roof of a house. Another shape with its roots in architecture is the Gothic headstone, inspired by the arches in gothic cathedrals; this headstone is rounded and comes to a sharp point on top, and it was quite popular during the Victorian era.  Another popular headstone shape is called the ogee, which has a modified scroll shape with a raised center; this shape is derived from the tripartite style headstone that was popular in Colonial times, and it is said to represent a burial mound.  Many gravestones in the cemetery have a simple cambered top, which is also known as an arched top or an oval top, and is based on the headboard of a bed.  Also very popular here is the square tablet gravestone; this is one of the oldest-known gravestone shapes, based on the stele, a Greek stone monument to the deceased.

This white marble headstone was found partially buried and in fragmentary condition in the Union Campground Cemetery.  The surviving parts of the epitaph read, “Died, Nov 15 1881, Age 52 years, 1 M, 27 Days, loving husband and dear faithful friend is buried here.” Unfortunately, the man’s name is missing from the headstone fragments, and there are no records in the burial listings compiled by the Union Campground Cemetery Association that match the epitaph’s information.  However, we can gain some small insight into the nature of this man’s life from the gravestone, which is made of the relatively expensive material of marble, but with a reserved, classic cambered top, and also from the simple but heartfelt epitaph that his friends and family chose to have engraved on his headstone. Researched, Reconstructed, and Conserved by Paige Whitcomb

Not much is known about Thomas J. Whitlock, and this is in great part because he died very young: He was born on April 11, 1863, and he died just after his first birthday, on May 28, 1864.  Whitlock’s grave has both a headstone and a footstone of marble; the headstone has a cambered top, and his footstone is made in the form of a tablet.  Presented together, the headstone and footstone are made to resemble a headboard and footboard, and Whitlock’s grave likewise represents his final resting place in the form of a bed. The body is placed toward the east between the headstone and footstone, so that it could face the new day, the rising sun, and according to Christianity, the second coming of Jesus Christ.  The writing on the headstone faces west, however, so visitors can read the epitaph without walking on the grave. Researched, Reconstructed, and Conserved by Tana Redman

For more information, you may contact the researcher(s) noted in the title of this exhibit entry, or Dr. Billie Follensbee, the professor of the course, at BillieFollensbee@MissouriState.edu