One of Samuel’s sons, John A. Aikman, died in 1845 followed by Samuel’s death in 1849. Their graves were located on a knoll under a grove of trees near a crabapple thicket just West of North Court Street. These plots formed the nucleus for the Aikman Cemetery. Neighbors lay their dead nearby and when Marion grew into a city, the Aikman family donated the land to the city. As time moved on and more space was required, additional land was purchased from Robert M. Hundley and the location became Marion, Illinois’ first cemetery.
There is evidence to suggest, however, that the site might have been already in use previously. In 1934, in the depth of a financial depression, when work projects were in vogue, the old and mostly forgotten cemetery was brought back to life under the administration of Mayor C.H. Whitcomb and Public Property Commissioner J.S. Johnson.
A committee from the Marion Women’s Club became interested in the restoration. The committee was composed of Jennie R. Hentz, Minnie Lilley Copeland and Nannie G. Parks. Later, Mrs. Fed Bradley, Mrs. Robert McKinney and Miss Elfora Aikman, a descendant of one of the first persons buried there were added to the committee.
In the restoration of 1934, one of the broken slabs recorded the death of Margaret Ferguson, daughter of T.D. and A.E. who died July 8, 1839, the year that Marion came into existence.
The project also shed light on the year 1866. The story goes that in the summer of 1866, H.C. Hopper attended a political meeting in Cairo, Illinois. When he returned home he became ill. His illness was diagnosed as cholera which became epidemic and claimed the lives of many people, including Hopper and his 19 year old wife Nancy. The broken gravestones record their deaths on the same day, August 22, 1866.
A memorial marker at the cemetery states there were originally 179 interments located here including five Civil War Confederate soldiers. One of the soldiers was Phillip Thompson Corder, 7th Tennessee Calvary, C.S.A., who was murdered January 1, 1869 by Sam Cover in Marion, Illinois.
Many persons were buried there before the Civil War and several as late as 1890. The latest grave found in 1934 was Malvina London, wife of J.T. London, buried in 1918.
Conspicuous among the white stone markers is one which stands at the head of an underground concrete mausoleum buried even with the surface. Imbedded in the concrete is a marble block etched with the words, “Soldier of the Black Hawk War.” The slab at the head indicates the occupant as the grave of George H. Harrison of the Mounted Rangers of the Illinois Volunteers, Black Hawk War, January 12, 1848. It was at one time suspected, but later rejected, that the soldier’s horse was buried with him in this monument. This investigation was written up and is available at the Williamson County Historical Society.
Records of burials in this cemetery were said to have been lost in the courthouse fire of 1875.
When Rose Hill Cemetery was established North of Marion, Illinois in 1884 some of the graves in this old cemetery were moved to the new plot.
Ironically, after the restoration in 1934, the cemetery was once again forgotten about. I can remember as a kid stumbling upon this location and was amazed it was so neglected then (early 1960’s). Fortunately, it was once again rediscovered by the City in the 1990’s and is now actually maintained on a regular basis as part of the City Cemetery system.
(Data extracted from Glimpses of Life by Homer Butler; 1905 Souvenir History; Marion City Cemetery; compiled by Khani Duncan and edited by Sam Lattuca on 02/18/2013; Photos and Google map location by Sam Lattuca)