Scouts repair fence at historic cemetery

South Parker County – Grant Burnette of Scout Troop 75 in Weatherford received his Eagle Scout certification for a project straightening an historic wrought iron fence around the Blackwell family plot in an abandoned cemetery that bears the family name, along with names of other Parker County founding families. At age 13, he is one of the youngest recipients of this distinguished award not only in Parker County, but in the United States.

The Abandoned Cemetery Association (ACA) said it “is honored to have him choose a project at one of our cemeteries. His diligence, documentation, leadership, and other skills were an outstanding example how the scouting organization promotes and prepares young boys and girls for the future by offering them hands-on experiences and leadership endeavors.”

The fence surrounding this family plot was once part of the fence around the Parker County Courthouse completed in 1886. An early picture shows a horse tied to the fence hinting it was taken before the arrival of the automobile, the early forms of which spooked horses. Exactly when it was taken down is not known, but it was probably removed after arrival of the automobile to speed traffic flow around the Square and to provide more space for First Monday activities when that event was held on the Square.

A tree had pushed one side of the fence into tombstones which not only threatened to topple them, but also to cause iron stains to form on the limestone. The project required digging out 13 footings, gently pulling the entire fence back to an upright position, then bracing and refilling the holes dug around the footings.

The ACA cares for 78 abandoned cemeteries throughout Parker County. Your donations help maintain these cemeteries and pay for materials on projects such as this one. Contributions may be mailed to: ACA, PO Box 61, Weatherford, TX 76086, or made through its website at https://www.acaparkercounty.org/.