Baker Cemetery

A shrouded, overgrown cemetery in the midst of an upscale neighborhood provides a setting for a city mystery and one Scout's vision.  The old Baker Cemetery is a small cemetery just west of Tottenham Court in the Devonshire subdivision.

On March 30, 1837, James McClure patented a section of land from the U.S. Government which today would be the square parcel surrounded by Dallas to the west, Wellington to the east, Cruger to the north, and not quite to Kingsbury to the south.  On June 22, 1849, James and wife Mary deeded a small piece of that land to be used as a public cemetery.

The earliest burials at the site pre-date its designation as an actual cemetery.  The earliest known burials are three of McClure's children, a son (name unknown) buried in 1834 and daughters, Martha and Mary, buried in 1838.  In 1842, it also became a burial place for children of nearby farm residents. Four children from the Baker, Thomas, and McCorkle families were buried in the cemetery in 1842, all aged four or younger.  Until the cemetery was dedicated to the County in 1849, the only subsequent burials were five more young deaths in the McCorkle family.

After the 1849 official designation as a public cemetery, activity became rarer yet more in keeping with a traditional cemetery. The first elderly person buried in the cemetery was Martha Cunningham Moore, who died in 1853 at the age of 80. The cemetery was probably colloquially named Baker Cemetery during its active time because it was on property surrounded by the Squire Baker farm. 

Burials at Baker Cemetery averaged about one every four or five years through 1879, then dropped off considerably. There is only one known addition to the cemetery after 1900: Walter Hadley West, who died in 1934, was buried with his wife's family, the last burial in Baker Cemetery.

After 1934, activity at the cemetery ceased. Overgrown and unused, it became a target for vandals and a wildlife haven. Unkempt and unmaintained, trees sprouted in and around the graves, turning the quarter-acre cemetery into a tangled mess and shrouding its presence from the outside world.

In the modern era, the first hint of anyone noticing a cemetery in this area of Washington came in 1980, when Don Smelz began planning the fourth addition to the Devonshire subdivision, which would extend Westgate Drive up the hill to the pool area and construct Tottenham Court.

Smelz inquired with the city about his rights to potentially move the cemetery. If that was not an option, would an easement for public access to the property be required from his proposed new road? City administrator Rod Clausen and city attorney Ken Black advised Smelz:  "No, you cannot move a cemetery because it is not where you want it."

A slight issue developed when Clausen and Black were erroneously told by an old-timer that the cemetery was private, which was never the case.  Going strictly on the memory of one Washingtonian,  Smelz was advised that he did not need to provide an easement to a private cemetery from Tottenham Court.  Despite this advice, a ten-foot easement was wisely provided for visitors to the cemetery between what is now 1114 and 1115 Tottenham Court.

At some point, it was discovered that the cemetery was indeed a public cemetery deeded to Tazewell County. In 1983, the Tazewell County Board coordinated some workers from the Tri-County Urban League to do what is believed to be the first attempted cleanup of the property.

After that cleanup, the cemetery was ignored again as houses sprung up on Tottenham Court right next to it.

In 1998, the city needed to acquire some right-of-way property to fix a bridge on Dallas Road from the owners of the developed area, then Circle Four Realty.  As a codicil to this agreement, the city also agreed to take full responsibility for the upkeep of Baker Cemetery while Circle Four looked for a way to transfer ownership of the property to the city via a quit claim deed.  Since 1998, the responsibility for the maintenance of Baker Cemetery has been with the City of Washington.

Nothing happened at the start.

In 2004, local resident Shawn Hoskins saw an opportunity to earn an Eagle Scout badge and set her sights on the old cemetery.

Hoskins originally contacted the city seeking projects to complete the badge. The city initially did not want her to take on the Baker Cemetery challenge due to safety concerns, but she persevered and eventually convinced city officials to approve the project. 

Hoskins found the cemetery completely overgrown.  One nearby resident didn't even know there was a cemetery, and another was tossing garbage on the property, completely oblivious to what lay beyond the thicket.

Hoskins' first task was daunting: finding a way into the thick overgrowth, which some local residents described as "walking into Vietnam," even to begin her project.  She eventually found access by carving a path to the cemetery from the west.  City equipment had to be brought in to remove a rusty iron fence surrounding the property. Dozens of scouts assisted, and local restaurants provided workers with food. Despite weather challenges, the project was eventually completed, and Shawn received her well-deserved badge.

Today the city of Washington provides regular maintenance to Baker Cemetery to honor those who lie there and honor the work of Shawn Hoskins.

Veterans buried in Baker Cemetery:

James H. Holland: son of Washington founder William Holland, Civil War Veteran

James McClure: Indian and Black Hawk War veteran

James C. McClure: Civil War veteran

James Seaman: Civil War veteran

Thomas Seaman: Civil War veteran