Cemetery Photo Project


Project consists of photographing the entrances or the cemetery so a non visitor can gain a feeling of what cemetery looks like.

In addition to being an visual aid, the coordinates determined by GPS on unlisted cemeteries will be submitted to USGS for updating the GNIS database.  These coordinates can assist an researcher in finding the cemetery.  I want to express many thanks and gratitude for the responsiveness of the USGS personal and organization in making the additions and changes to the GNIS database.  As the database is used by numerous other private, educational, and commercial firms , it is imperative that the database be constantly maintain and current.



Project consists of three counties in Kansas, three counties in Missouri and three counties in Oklahoma.  They do join each other.



Click on county name to view.                                           Status of GNIS update

Cherokee County, Kansas                         Submitted Dec. 2004- GNIS updated on 1/3/2005
    
Crawford County, Kansas

Labette County, Kansas

Jasper County, Missouri

McDonald County, Missouri

Newton County, Missouri

Craig County, Oklahoma

Delaware County, Oklahoma

Ottawa County, Oklahoma






CAUTION:  This is a document is progress.   Pages and notes will  be added as acquired.







The source document for these cemeteries is the USGS GNIS database. I have found that the GNIS database contains errors as to position of the features.  As we are presenting cemetery data, the feature list contains the cemeteries as presented by the GNIS database.  If I found a postion in error, I show the correct position that I determine it to be. Also contained on these pages are cemeteries that I find in the counties that were not listed in the GNIS query.  As I find other souces of cemetery locations I will add to the listing and will be showing the GPS positions as I can determine.  New GPS positions are sometime taken on the road next to cemetery and other times inside if a interior road exists and is travel able.
The URL for the GNIS database and query form is:
 http://geonames.usgs.gov/
and 
    http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form

 The pages contain Geographic Postions as determined by GPS receivers. I use Garmin GPS units, both colormap in vehicles and emap that are handheld.  I find that the accuracy of the units are in the 25 to 35 feet range. The datum used is WGS 084 and the latitude and longitudes displayed are in hddd mm ss.s format.   Cemetery positions not listed by GNIS or ones listed by GNIS, but in error are provided for your help, but not supported.   If you understand GPS these will help. If not, Don't use.
You could a gps system of your own to find the points and/or  you could use an internet program called Mapquest to use with the coordinates.  You can enter Latitude and Longitude without conversion: and produce a map of the location. Now if you can read a map you are in business.
The URL is:   http://www.mapquest.com/maps/latlong.adp
Be sure to use the proper format for entering positions!

More information on USGS, GNIS and associated mapping can be found at:

http://geography.usgs.gov/index.html

A hint
""""From many miles, days and hundreds of cemeteries:""""
Sometimes when using an GPS, and you are comparing known values for a feature like a cemetery to your GPS unit. However your GPS does not have the feature loaded and all you have to compare is the GPS coordinates (Lat's and Long's).  I live where Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri get together. Our Latitude is 37 degrees north and the Longitude is 94 30 west.  A simple conversion at this Latitude that can be done in your head, is that 1 minute of arc equals 1.1 miles in latitude and 1 minute of arc equal 1.0 miles in Longitude.
So if your gps shows a lat of 46 minutes and your known point is 54 minutes (difference of 8 minutes), then you need to drive  westerly a distance of 8.8 miles (8 times 1.1).
I have found in my travels from Pennsylvania to Arizona that this simple conversion works well at all longitudes and close enough for most latitudes. It really works well in midwest were the roads are mostly on section lines and are a mile apart.
Another handy conversion is that 1 second of arc is equal to roughly 100 feet.
If you were directed to this page directly, perhaps you may want to visit the true beginning of this series at this web site:
GO TO:     http://www.AdamsonAncestry.com/

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