ONEIDA
19th century cemetery unearthed near school
ONEIDA (AP)—Officials said a crew digging to an underground oil tank behind an elementary school in Oneida, in Central New York, unearthed a 19th century cemetery.
Police were called to the site behind the Willard Prior Elementary School on Thursday after the crew dug up a headstone, a second partial headstone and some human bones.
Oneida City Police Chief David Meeker said he was talking with officials of the Division of Cemeteries for New York State about what to do next.
Authorities said the headstone was that of Richard Emerson, who died in 1849 at age 57.
A local historian said the site was a community cemetery between 1841 and 1875. In time, the cemetery fell into complete disrepair. It eventually was turned into a park before becoming the site of a school building.
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