Minutes of the Friends of the Geer Cemetery 08/08/2005

In attendance: Deidre Barnes; R.K. Bryant, Jr.; Allen Dew; Jesse Eustice; Carrie McNair; Mamie and Calvin Sheppard, Guest: Jim Wise of the News & Observer

5:00 Meeting called to order by Chairman Bryant.

• The Fayetteville Area Neighborhood Development group invited RK Bryant Jr. to their meetings
  
• RKB clarified his reference to a study done by a Hillside High School student who had differentiated between Urban Renewal and Redevelopment (http://pantheon.yale.edu/%7Eysf4/durham/index.html : Website based on research for extended essay required for I.B. matriculation at Hillside High School. 2004 / Yonah Freemark)
  
• A Permanent Geer Cemetery Sign: RKB has met with Nathaniel McLaughlin and he is interested in the project of building a Brick sign/ DD Barnes Father may assist with the creation of the permanent sign.
  
• There is a map showing the Geer Reservation on the north eastern edge of Brodie Duke’s property in the early twentieth Century
  
• There is a Department of the Interior Map of Fish Dam Road which was done by students at the School of Science and Math
  
• Fish Dam Road was an Indian Train to the dam where they hemmed up fish to catch for food.
  
• In Carrie McNair's collection of Whetstone Magazines (Pub. By NC Mutual) there are photos of employees Elwood McNair (Carrie McNair’s late husband) and R.K. Bryant, Jr. our Chairman and others.
  
• Clarification of our recent discussion regarding people who knew of the Cemetery:
  
• A Mr. Joseph Cassidy lived on the corner of Lawson and Fayetteville Street knew of Geer Cemetery. He died in 1926. He was fireman on the Southern RR train and would play "Oh Happy Day" on the train whistle when arriving in Durham near Duke University. Older people remember this. His wife was a beautician in Hayti and her name was Luia. Another person named Kelly Bryant (Kelly Winslow Bryant, cousin of RKB) married Ida Horton a relative of the Cassidy's.
  
• We have identified one marker that was there prior to 1908. Carrie McNair identified these burials prior to 1908. Someone whose marker is engraved "1905"
  Sammy Warren died 1904. Sallie R. Husband's stone is dated before 1832-1905 and she was one of the founders of White Rock Baptist Church in 1866. She has a living great-grand daughter (Mrs. Madge Holeman Harry).
  -Other items mentioned in our discussion were: -- 1985-1992 Geer Cemetery Project
  -- 1990 Book: Reclaiming Yesterday by Denise Rowson. There is a copy in the NC Room at the Durham County Library.

New Agenda Items
Maintenance:

• RKB contacted Jay Reinstein for information on the upkeep of Geer Cemetery.
  
• First, Reinstein clarified that in the prior contract with TROSA there was a distinction between clearing and follow-ups. The city has accepted that that contract has been fulfilled.
  
• In regards to the letter drafted by Frank Hyman for FOGC to the City of Durham:
  Apparently City Council has approved a clean-up contract: Jay Reinstein reported that the city said they would perform maintenance twice this year (2005), and twice next year (2006).
  Guillo Rodriguez called RKB to tell him that they were writing the contract – and they will give RKB a copy of the contract so that we can get our projects (Grid map and Sign, etc.) coordinated with the City's (vegetation maintenance)
  *Bids were received and TROSA got the contract again:
  --They are drawing up contract for:
  ---2 cleaning visits this year during growing season
  ---2 cleaning visits in 2006 during growing season
  ---Responsible person: Guillo Rodriguez: --Durham City Gov't Asset Management: 560-1054
  
• RKB suggests that after one clean-up we will stake off the cemetery and make a map of the identifiable grave locations, etc.: grid
  
• RKB asked Jesse to call RKB when she knows that TROSA is out there working. Jesse Agreed.
  
• Mamie Sheppard reported that the vines in the Cemetery are growing up, and the vines that were in the trees are still in the trees. She asked if those would be cut out of the trees, and if any future work would be inspected to assure the work has been done properly.
  
• Although burning is used in rural areas, burning will not be possible in this urban setting.

About the construction of sign near Camden Avenue:

• Nathaniel McLaughlin will meet RKB at the Cemetery about a possible brick sign built with bricks donated by TROSA. We will try to visit the cemetery before our next FOGC meeting. Mr. McLaughlin somehow missed our August meeting. Carrie McNair knows him – he is a fine singer – Mr. McLaughlin laid the block work at RKB's house.
  
• Carrie McNair took measurements from the NCCU sign on Fayetteville Street. Height 12 bricks: 32 inches high
  The white plate at the end of the curve is 4 inches thick (CM drew a design), corner posts 18 blocks high.
  
• We all need to take pictures and make sketches of signs we like.

Committee on Grants:
-no report

Seeking info on ownership of cemetery property:

• It is the wish of the FOGC that the city take over the perpetual care of the Cemetery.
  
• Allen Dew observed that The Town of Chapel Hill has taken over ownership and maintenance of two Black Cemeteries. He said therefore somebody in Chapel Hill might know why they did it and how they did it.
  
• Evidence that the Cemetery belongs to the City: Beechwood opened about 1929, and Geer burials essentially stopped at this point. The death certificates show that the places of burial were in the City Cemetery. At that time the city owned the Maplewood Cemetery for whites. Why do most of the vital records indicate the burials in Geer Cemetery as "City Cemetery"?
  --We need a survey of the Geer Cemetery because there is an encroachment on the property on the Camden Street side where a shed appears to be on the cemetery property.
  --We will check to see if George Love, Jr. who contributed to our fund might know a surveyor for us.
  --Wasn't George Love a City Attorney?

Publicity:

• Jim Wise: News & Observer Columnist was present. We talked about some current publicity for the cemetery.
  
• Support for the Project: Victor Gordon: Parish Street Project Coordinator, City of Durham: Office of Economic and Employment Development wanted to attend, but was unable to attend this meeting due to another commitment. He donated a copy of "Preservation Guidelines for Municipally Owned Historical Burial Grounds and Cemeteries" published by Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management. 2002

• In looking at Robert L. Poole’s Death Certificate the group talked about Robert L. Poole, RKB’s grandfather. Did RKB know that his grandfather was buried in Geer? Not until his relatives told him.
  RKB’s Grandfather Robert L. Poole kept a detailed journal type diary. He had a Brick Layer’s Union Card in 1903. He wrote about being a slave, about going to Shaw University.
• Dr. Barnetta McGhee’s books:
  1. "In Search of Kith and Kin" (1989 and 2005)
  2. "Somebody Knows My Name" on slave marriages
  3. "A Quest for Enslaved Ancestors: The Extended Family of Griffin Fountain of Virginia and North Carolina"
  Names: Robert Lee Poole; Hugh Poole; Lee Poole; Inez Poole; Robert Edward Poole.
  The Fountain Family, Dr. Lavonia Allison, the Hesters, Hunts, McGhees and many, many others may be found in these publications.
  
• Comments on People and Personalities:
  Backfield coach Cleveland "Chick" Harris of the pro-football team in Houston, was a Boy Scout in RKB's Troop 187 at Burton School. While he was a scoutmaster, Mrs. Annie Dunigan, a 5th grade teacher at the school, asked him for $2.00. He questioned it but gave her the money and she then told him that he was now a member of the school's P-TA. The school had no auditorium, no cafeteria, a small room of books then called a library and about seven or eight classrooms. When the nurse examined the children, it was done in the hall. Seats were put in the hall outside the principal's office as an assembly. The principal's office (Mr. E. W. Midgette) was so small there was not enough room for a man, a wife and a child to be seated in there at one time. The principal had to do a make-shift to meet with all three at the same time.
  
• Geer Family Information:
  DD Barnes talked about her family connection to the cemetery: Her great grandfather was buried in the Geer Cemetery. His name was John Wesley Geer. Her Grandmother’s maiden name was Geer as well. Fannie Geer Barnes' father was a son of Fred Geer by a slave – RKB met Fannie Barnes in 1943 in Durham Business and Professional Chain. He had a very interesting talk with her just before she passed at age 98 on January 16, 2004.
  
• We need to ask B. Lau about a photograph collection which she has access to: are there any photographs of the Cemetery?
  
• Carrie McNair reminded the group that we had discussed putting gravel on the Cemetery Lane. DD Barnes assured the group that she and Jesse had seen the lane (had even tried to rake leaves off of the lane) before the Tour of the Cemetery in January.
  
• RKB said he would get a copy to Jesse of the videotape of his presentation to the Durham Orange Genealogical Society Meeting on the history of the Geer Cemetery rescue project which started in 1985.

Our next meeting was scheduled for September 12 at 5:00 in the Conference Room at the Durham County Library

Meeting was adjourned at 6:30 by RKB, informal discussions continued.

Minutes submitted by Jessica T. Eustice, M.Ed. 8/20/05