Grafton, 1929
Interpretive Signs
The signs and new expanded brochure are finished. We hope you enjoy reading them the next time Victor Hall of Hurricane helped with the editing along with many others. Jim Peters of Interpretative Graphics helped fabricate and will install the signs. We will install one sign near the schoolhouse and one at the cemetery as well as two side panels in the window of the schoolhouse that will help bring Grafton’s history to life. State History through a Town of Rockville Certified Local Government matching grant and many other donors. Our web site was also updated with new information gathered from the sign and brochure projects.
Hard Year of 1866
Here is an excerpt from the cemetery sign. The cemetery information was researched by Ron Morris. In the four years after Grafton’s founding in 1862, death came in its usual manner, taking the young, the sick, the old: Mary Lavina Andrus died at one year of age; Mary Jane York, 28, died of tuberculosis, Byron Lee Bybee, 65, died of “poor health.” And there were accidents: Joseph C. Field, 9, was dragged to death by a horse. But when the year 1866 hit, the settlers must have wondered if their Heavenly Father had abandoned them. Thirteen people died in rapid succession, taken by epidemics, a tragic accident and by the friction caused when new folks rub up against old. Many headstones are missing. It’s believed 74 to 84 graves exist. The Grafton Cemetery also includes Southern Paiute people who worked and lived alongside early settlers.
Date, Name, Age, Cause of Death
- January 18, 1866 JohnWilliam York 10 years Diphtheria
- January 25, 1866 Asa Uriah York 3 years Diphtheria
- January 25, 1866 James Jasper York 5 years Diphtheria
- February 9, 1866 Frances Ann Field 7 years Diphtheria (Daughter)
- February 9, 1866 Sarah Ann Brook Field 37 years Diphtheria (Mother)
- February 1866 Sarah Ellen Field 5 years Diphtheria (Daughter)
- February 15, 1866 Loretta A. Russell 14 years Accident—Swing Broke
- February 15,1866 Elizabeth H. Woodbury 13 years Accident—Swing Broke
- April 2, 1866 RobertM. Berry 24 years Killed by Indians (Brother of Joseph)
- April 2, 1866 Isabella Hales Berry 20 years Killed by Indians (Robert’sWife)
- April 2, 1866 Joseph S. Berry 22 years Killed by Indians (Brother of Robert)
- August 4, 1866 George Judson Andrus 1 year Scarlet Fever
- September 1, 1866 Medora Andrus 6 months Scarlet Fever
- 1866 Else Marie Bybee 45 years Unknown
Other Activities
Neal Takach, of Sun Design completed putting the exterior fascia on the Russell home and oiled all the exterior wood as well as the wood Berry Fence enclosure at the cemetery. Funds are still needed to rehabilitate the interior of the Russell home, which would include re-pointing and repairing all interior adobe brick walls, fixing the holes in the floors, sanding and oiling the inside wood and plastering the walls on the main floor. We received funds from many donors and a matching grant from the Division of State History through a Town of Rockville Certified Local Government grant to replace the viewing platform stairs at the schoolhouse. The work was completed by local stone mason, Brad Quinn and the stairs were constructed of native sandstone. In March, for the third year the fourth grade classes from Washington City Elementary recreated pioneers pulling hand carts into Grafton. The Hurricane scouts cleaned the cemetery as an Eagle project. Don and Ann Black from Queen Creek, Arizona donated a bell for the Bell tower of the schoolhouse It’s similar to the bell that is currently outside the historic rock schoolhouse in Rockville. Work continues to finalize the National Register nomination for the Grafton History District.
Grafton Reunion
The annual Grafton Reunion will be held September 29th 2007 at the town site from 12-2:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. Bring your lunch, hat and chair and memories to share.
The Partnership will have items to sell to raise funds for the Grafton Project such as books, pictures of Grafton and t-shirts.We are also selling genealogy charts of the Russell,Wood and Morris Families. If you want to donate an item bring it with you. There will be a program and if you have any stories you would like to tell about Grafton or a song to sing please call us so we can include you in the program.
We invite you to donate to the Grafton Heritage Partnership.We are dedicated to preserving Grafton and we can’t do it
without your support. You can donate with a credit card on our secure web site, click on Support Us.
Grafton Heritage Partnership Project, PO 630184, Rockville, 84763
Jane Whalen, President 435-635-2133 janewhalen@earthlink.net, Jack Burns Vice President
Therese Feinauer, Secretary, www.graftonheritage.org