![]() ![]() Henson saw it as not only that, "but a great opportunity to work with students, too." ![]() His experience in using scientific instruments to locate sub-surface anomalies made him a perfect choice to help the Strahan, family. ![]() During a previous survey, Henson's team confirmed the existence of at least three unmarked graves, prompting the additional grant. Last year, Henson received a grant from the National Parks Service and funding from the University to support a search for the graves of Cherokee Indians who died in Southern Illinois during the infamous Trail of Tears forced relocation in 1838-39. In recent years, Henson has become a regional authority on using non-invasive methods to find lost graves. The family had come to a dead end after years of genealogical research led them to the alleged family cemetery in Randolph County, south of the community of Tilden. Harvey Henson, a research project specialist in the Department of Geology, College of Science, led the search after state Historic Preservation Agency officials contacted him in 2004 on behalf of the Strahan family. The find was a triumph for the team and the family, but also might instruct other historic preservationists on how to find the many lost gravesites of the state's settlers, which officials say are disappearing every year. Using high-tech equipment such as ground-penetrating radar, and old-fashioned sleuthing, the group found the circa-1850s cemetery this year, after all surface traces were wiped away 30 years ago. Time marches on but the Earth never forgets, even after 150 years.Ī researcher at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, along with a group of high school students, proved that fact once again when they located long-lost graves of early Illinois settlers in a farmer's field. ![]()
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