The Old Salem Church Cemetery

Today I found a list of "endangered" cemeteries, with names submitted by members of the public.

The entire list can be found at www.savinggraves-us.org.

One of the cemeteries appearing on this list is located in Attala County, the Old Salem Church Cemetery, established in 1875. The location is near Dossvile Road, in Kosciusko Township, and is on rural, mixed use land, that can be accessed only by crossing private property. The newest grave, according to the submitter, is dated 1899.

Also according to the report, tombstones were "toppled," "buried," "disentigrated," and "broken." The report indicates some tombstones may have been removed, and an overgrowth of vegetation, including vines, was a problem at the time of the report. Previous reports of problems have been made with the Mississippi Tombstone Project.

Mississippi is one of those states that has enacted laws that govern upkeep and preservation of cemeteries, including small family cemeteries. Hopefully, the problems with the Old Salem Church Cemetery have been remedied by now.