I placed this cache near a site that I’d like to increase community
awareness of - the burial site of a community of black freedmen
that settled in the area shortly after the Civil War. This tiny
cemetery is located, oddly enough, in the middle of the suburban
neighborhood in which I grew up. Few people know it exists. Until
recently, it had been almost completely reclaimed by nature and was
often the target of vandals. A grand attempt at restoration was
made in 2003-2004, and (thanks to the efforts of many volunteers)
over the course of several weeks it went from being an entangled
jungle with a few barely visible, broken, and overturned headstones
to a dignified resting place for the people buried there. I first
visited it after becoming aware of its existence about a year ago.
On a return visit last week, I found that the conditions of the
cemetery and surrounding area had deteriorated greatly in that
short time. I took pictures on both visits and would be delighted
to share them with anyone that is interested.
After placing the cache, I wrote a detailed account of my visits
to the cemetery, and the way in which I first came to hear about
it. I’d be happy to share that as well, but thought it a bit
lengthy to post here. It is my hope that the more people know about
the cemetery, the better chance it has of being protected and
maintained. At very least, I hope that fellow geocachers practicing
“cache in, trash out” will help keep the area litter-free.
Searching for “Faulkey Gully Cemetery” on the web will provide
you with several links containing more information about the
cemetery. Among them is a site that chronicles its restoration in
great detail, complete with before and after pictures. Please feel
free to contact me for the link to this website, or to read my
account of, and/or see the pictures I took on my recent visits.
This cache is housed in a small, plastic, rectangular container
covered with camouflage tape. Inside are several small trade items,
a log book and a “special” prize for the FTF. If you are the first
to find the cache, please don't feel as if you have to leave
anything in exchange for the FTF prize - you've earned it. If you'd
like to take/leave something in addition to that, please feel free
to do so.
I hope you’ll enjoy the hunt, the cache, and your visit to this
little-known historical site!