Depleted Texas lakes expose ghost towns, graves

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DROUGHT_DISCOVERING_ARTIFACTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-11-20-13-22-50


In this Oct. 5, 2011 photo, a child's grave site, normally at least 20 to 30 feet underwater, has joined other remnants of old Bluffton, Texas, resurfacing on the now dry, sandy lake near Bluffton, as the Texas drought shrinks the state's largest inland lake. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

BLUFFTON, Texas (AP) -- Johnny C. Parks died two days before his first birthday more than a century ago. His grave slipped from sight along with the rest of the tiny town of Bluffton when Lake Buchanan was filled 55 years later.

Now, the cracked marble tombstone engraved with the date Oct. 15, 1882, which is normally covered by 20 to 30 feet of water, has been eerily exposed as a yearlong drought shrinks one of Texas' largest lakes.

Across the state, receding lakes have revealed a prehistoric skull, ancient tools, fossils and a small cemetery that appears to contain the graves of freed slaves. Some of the discoveries have attracted interest from local historians, and looters also have scavenged for pieces of history. More than two dozen looters have been arrested at one site.

"In an odd way, this drought has provided an opportunity to view and document, where appropriate, some of these finds and understand what they consist of," said Pat Mercado-Allinger, the Texas Historical Commission's archeological division director. "Most people in Texas probably didn't realize what was under these lakes."

[The Straight Story]

1. K&R - cool, I should go ghost hunting there :) (nt)

[xchrom]

2. i bet you could get some great pictures. nt

[The Straight Story]

3. Yes indeed. Have a bunch of local cemeteries here, beautiful stone work

Interestingly enough, some of the newer stones are interesting, they use an etching technique that lets you basically put any kind of artwork on the stones.

One at Greenlawn here is all written in Vietnamese and is in several different colors.

[xchrom]

4. wow. very cool.

i've seen only but a few of those in california.

[The Straight Story]

5. Should have the pics up soon, they are on my son's camera

While he was up here we did some ghost hunting there and took pics of it and others, we should have them on photo bucket soon.

[xchrom]

7. I look forward to seeing them! Nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. kick. if a lake recedes, why is it considered 'looting' to pick up artifcacts?

[The Genealogist]

8. I hope someone goes in and records as many graves as possible

before the water eventually does come back. That is, if nobody did a recording of the cemetery before the waters came in.