The Families of Historic Columbian Cemetery group is working on several project to improve, maintain, and protect the cemetery grounds. Here are some things we are working on getting accomplished with this group:

Research of who is buried in the cemetery, putting records and photos online for families of those buried there, etc.

Creating and maintaining a permanent record is an important aspect of what we do. This web site (creation, maintanence, and hosting), genealogical research, and photos of stones and grounds thus far have all been 100% donated. It's a big project, and we still have a lot more info yet to be put online.

Repair, resetting, clean up, and care of stones

A recent wave of vandalism has left many stones broken and knocked over. Please see the vandalism page for details on how we're working towards repairing them. Also in the works: digging out buried stones (some have sunken into the ground), etc.

Removal of garbage left all over the grounds

Litter is frequently left by visitors, vagrants, vandals, etc., including hypodermic needles and other harmful items.

Keeping the bushes, trees, and grass trimmed

For an example, see a before and after of a stone which wasn't visable due to grass and weeds.

Finding a way to secure the cemetery at night, keeping vandals and vagrants out during the night, while still allowing visitors during the day

A lot of the damage to the cemetery is done during the night, so some means of keeping people out is essential. They have knocked over and broken many tombstones, leave graffiti on the caretaker's shed and nearby building walls, and frequently use the caretaker's shed -- see a photo of their use of the toilet in the shed - warning, it's not pretty).

If you're interested in helping with any of the above, or if you have your own ideas of how to help the cemetery, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at families@fohcc.org. Your input and assistance will be very welcome.

For reference purposes, our cemetery fund, Columbian Cemetery Restoration, has its own tax ID number: 77-0605422.

To donate any amount to the FOHCC, you can do so four different ways:

1. Donate via PayPal. You can use your credit card, debit card, or bank account to donate via their secure server. Please click on the button below:

2. Send check, money order, or cashier's check to:

3. Drop off a donation at any branch of US Bank.

Make sure you specify the donation is for the Columbian Cemetery Restoration fund. If you could drop us a note so we can add your name to the list of contributors, that would be great.

4. Purchase books, movies, etc., via our Amazon.com links.

5. Buy an HCC shirt, mug, mousepad, etc., from our store at CafePress.com

All funds raised via all of these methods will be used for the purpose of bettering the Columbian Cemetery. Thank you for your support.