NCCLEVEL-L Archives
Archiver > NCCLEVEL > 2006-10 > 1161035334
From: Derick Hartshorn <>
Subject: Re: [NCCLEVEL] Help us preserve a historic site
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:48:54 -0400
References: <7.0.1.0.2.20061014145922.03a06518@charter.net><004101c6efca$c066c270$6700a8c0@Larry><7.0.1.0.2.20061016133257.039908f0@charter.net><00ae01c6f153$f77dbc70$6700a8c0@Larry>
In-Reply-To: <00ae01c6f153$f77dbc70$6700a8c0@Larry>
Mr. Larry Simpson,
The letter copies regarding the Gilleland
Cemetery to other parties were sent by ME. Mr.
Jeff Thomas, currently residing in New Jersey,
had no knowledge of what help to seek or who to
write to when he first initiated this cemetery
restoration project. Someone told him to write to
me as the "Catawba County guy who knows where the
bodies are buried." I have taken it on myself to
do what I thought was the right thing to do
regarding the present Gilleland cemetery
desecration. The current property owner, Mr. Gary
Dellinger, was contacted and failed to return
calls and letters to Mr. Thomas, long before I
became involved in this matter. I would never
have been involved had Mr. Dellinger chosen to do "the right thing."
My web site,
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nccatawb/Gilleland-cemetery.htm
, will continue to be the source for any and all
forthcoming information on this effort.
I might add that each and every effort to
preserve any threatened historic cemeteries are
unique situations. The location of these sites
has everything to do with the approach needed.
The locations andaccess to the sites, involved
property owners and legal jurisdictions determine necessary actions.
Most individuals upon whose property these
threatened cemeteries lie have, in my experience,
been totally cooperative. The fact remains that
the land on which these cemeteries lie are NOT
the property of those who own land on which they
may lie, according to NC law. Some property
owners are ignorant of NC General Statutes and it
is the duty of responsible parties to remind them of that fact.
You probably are not aware of the efforts Mr.
Thomas made prior to your first knowledge of this
effort. No matter, he has done everything "by the
book" and has been remarkably restrained in his
actions. He is to be commended for his restraint
and the temperate language used in his
communications. I might add, Mr. Dellinger was
the first person contacted when this first became
an issue. Every attempt has been made to work
with him but, since he has failed to receive any
response from the land owner, this issue has
unfortunately reached the stage where legal means
seem to be the only remaining alternative.
Please bear in mind, I am a disinterested party
and am writing this based on the information I
have received. I have been involved in the
protection and restoration of many cemeteries in
Catawba County, North Carolina. (Please see
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nccatawb/wilson1/cemetery.htm
) While working with property owners who have
cemeteries on their land, I have experienced 100%
cooperation in isolating these sacred sites with
fences and/or walls. I fully expect the rights of
Mr. Dellinger will be protected while, at the
same time, this historic cemetery will be
accorded the legal protection it deserves.
Meanwhile, I urge all interested parties to print
and sign the cemetery preservation petition and mail it.
Please see http://www.rootsweb.com/~nccatawb/GillelandPetition.pdf
Derick S. Hartshorn
www.Hartshorn.us
At 02:50 PM 10/16/2006, you wrote:
>Thanks for the update. As it stands now Mr.
>Thomas wrote a letter to Mr. Dellinger after the
>first newspaper article. The letter is dated
>Saturday Oct 7 and assuming it was mailed the
>same day before the mailman came Mr. Dellinger
>should have gotten it a couple of days before
>the second newspaper article appeared. That's
>nice. Mr. Dellinger is finally contacted and
>asked for permission after mass emailing, a
>website, attorneys, and newspapers articles have gone out.
>
>Let us know if Mr. Dellinger has more to add
>already stating that he has no problem with Mr.
>Thomas putting a fence around the cemetery and
>asking for Mr. Thomas to contact him when asked by the newspaper.
>
>If Mr. Dellinger were to deny reasonable access
>then I am there for Mr. Thomas.
>
>I still think that events as presented are
>running backwards to what they should have been.
>
>Larry
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Derick Hartshorn" <>
>To: "Larry Simpson" <>
>Cc: "Jeff Thomas" <>
>Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 2:03 PM
>Subject: Re: [NCCLEVEL] Help us preserve a historic site
>
>
>Mr. Simpson,
>
>I am assuming that you have only heard one side
>of this cemetery question. If that is the case, I
>am forwarding a copy of the letter Mr. Thomas
>sent to Mr. Dellinger. Since you have had no
>contact with the property owner, you probably
>have assumed facts that are not as they appear.
>Mr. Thomas was born in Georgia and as such is
>quite familiar with the Southern way of doing
>things. He has been civil and respectful in all
>ways. He has attempted to contact Mr. Dellinger
>in the hope of reaching some accommodation with
>out success. You letter has been only one of
>hundreds I have read that has sided with an
>unreasonable property owner. As the list owner of
>the NCCLEVEL list, I have been actively involved
>in the protection, restoration and maintenance of
>cemeteries in the Catawba Valley. Hopefully, you
>will take time to read and understand all the
>facts concerning this project before you make
>incorrect judgements. I am attaching a copy of
>the letter I have sent to the hundreds of responses.
>
>Derick S. Hartshorn, list administrator
>CATAWBA-WEST
>NCCATAWB
>NCBURKE
>NCGASTON
>NCCLEVEL
>NCLINCOL
>NCTRYON
>NHAMHERS
>HARTSHORN
>
>-------------------------------------
>
>In attempting to provide some assistance for Mr.
>Jeff Thomas, who has been trying to reach an
>accommodation with the land owner in which the
>Gilleland family cemetery lies, I have been
>overwhelmed with responses. Rather than try to
>answer each and every person who has written, I
>am reluctantly sending a stock response to all who have replied.
>
>Speaking for Mr. Thomas, I would like to thank
>everyone for the written support they have
>provided. Each and every petition that has been
>signed and returned to Mr. Thomas is one more
>important step toward the eventual protection of
>this small, but vital piece of our heritage. Not
>just for the Gilleland family or the citizens of
>Catawba County, but for folks everywhere who care about historic preservation.
>
>I now recognize that it will be difficult to
>transmit signed petitions electronically to Mr.
>Thomas so I urge everyone to spend 37ยข and sent
>it via snail mail to Jeff. The address can be
>found at the bottom of the petition:
>http://www.rootsweb.com/~nccatawb/media/GillelandPetition.pdf
>
>As for contributions to a preservation fund, I
>have no control or opinion over that. I don't
>even know if a fund has been started. I do know
>that Mr. Thomas relayed to me that he and his
>family were willing to spend family funds for any
>legal action that might become necessary.
>
>In addition, the Hickory Daily Record has
>published a follow-up story to the first article
>that originally informed the public about the
>difficulties Mr. Thomas had in trying to reach a
>settlement with the current land-owner. The piece can be found at:
>http://www.hickoryrecord.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=HDR%2FMGArticle%2FHDR_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149191164709
>
>This will be added to the current Gilleland Cemetery page:
>(
>http://www.rootsweb.com/~nccatawb/Gilleland-cemetery.htm
>) as well as any developments as they occur.
>
>Hopefully, the processes and procedures required
>to bring a recalcitrant land owner into
>compliance with North Carolina State General
>Statutes will provide a model for others who have
>experienced the same kind of frustration.
>
>Meanwhile, please present the petition to family
>and friends and make your voices heard.
>Everywhere, the "little guy" and those who can
>not speak for them selves (in this case, the
>dead) are being ignored and dismissed by the "big guys."
>
>--Derick
>
>Attch: Jeff Thomas letter to G. Dellinger
>
>At 03:55 PM 10/14/2006, you wrote:
>>Just what is the problem? The land owner seems agreeable to me. From the
>>newspaper article is looks like Thomas needs to develop some manners. The
>>landowner has a right to protect his property. What would you have him to
>>do, leave the gate open all the time? How did Thomas get those pictures?
>>He certainly didn't ask for permission to cross the property to get to the
>>cemetery. Maybe Dellinger is hard to contact, maybe not. The newspaper was
>>able to contact him easily enough.
>>
>>I agree that something must be done to preserve these old family cemeteries
>>but being threatening is not the way to start first contact. My Scott-Irish
>>blood would not take kindly to a stranger telling me what I have to do. So,
>>instead of jumping on Mr. Dellinger lets inform Mr. Thomas how things get
>>done in the South and help him get it done in a more gentile fashion.
>>
>>"Dellinger has no problem with allowing a fence around the cemetery. He does
>>have a problem with access to the cemetery. He says he can't leave the gate
>>unlocked all the time.
>>
>>Dellinger wants to work with Thomas. He just hasn't heard from him.
>>
>>"If he really cares about his ancestors, and was truly sincere about keeping
>>up the cemetery, he would call me," Dellinger said. "If I have a problem, I
>>go to the source, I don't go to a newspaper." "
>>
>>Larry
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