By MICHAEL SOUZA

NARRAGANSETT • Pier resident Evelyn Wheeler is the chairwoman of the Rhode Island Advisory Commission on Historical Cemeteries.

Part historian, part archaeologist and part researcher, she is the driving force behind the effort to inventory and maintain historic cemeteries throughout the state.
With Halloween fast approaching, it’s easy to equate cemeteries with ghosts and frightening tales of unimaginable horror.
The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth.
“Each cemetery has historical monuments that are hundreds of years old,” said Wheeler on Tuesday.
“Many of them are of families that have been here for hundreds of years, that helped found this town, when it was a part of South Kingstown,” she said. “Names like Hazard, Kenyon, Congdon, Perkins, they all have a deep historical significance.”
As head of the commission, Wheeler takes her mission very seriously. She has organized their goals thoroughly, for she understands that the graveyards are the foundation of historical research.
The commission has existed for only 18 months, largely through her efforts.
“I remember I had some questions regarding one of the cemeteries in town. When I called the state to see who was in charge, I soon realized the answer was “nobody,” she said.
That was enough for Wheeler to take action, and she is a force to be reckoned with. Due to her efforts and her fellow commission members and volunteers, there is a statewide movement to investigate and document the historic sites.
“There’s plenty of work to be done. We’re always looking for volunteers. Nobody owns the cemeteries, so all the help we get is through volunteers or relatives of the families, if they’re around,” she said.
Already she has managed to arrange maintenance with eight historic cemeteries in town. However, there are currently six that are not maintained. Wheeler is looking to change that.
“Grass needs to be cut and brush needs to be trimmed. We’re hoping for people to “adopt” a historical cemetery. Occasionally a Girl Scout troop or nearby land owner will help out.
“We’ve had a lot of help over the years and we’re very grateful. The town has put some of the information on the parks and recreation Web site and they’ve helped with hauling the brush,” she said.
And you never know what can happen.
“While we were cleaning the cemetery near the South Ferry Meeting House we discovered a stone outside the stone wall. The state volunteered some help and more stones were found.
“Now there’s an area 65 feet by 135 feet cleared and we found at least 50 more stones,” said Wheeler.
The finding was historically significant, but unfortunately the details have not yet been noted.
“There’s a lot of historical research involved and we need some help.
“We haven’t recorded the new stones because we don’t have the manpower.
“Once we get the information we need to research deeds and look through old town records. It’s time consuming,” said Wheeler.
As if that isn’t enough, there are eight cemeteries out there that are in town records as actually existing but have yet to be found. Their points of reference have been lost in the passages of time.
“You might read that a monument is, say, 30 feet from Old Boston Neck Road, she said. “But where that road was 200 years ago is different that the road today,” said Wheeler.
“When we locate anything interesting, we take GPS coordinates,” she added.
There are plenty of opportunities for volunteers, and Wheeler welcomes the undertaking.
“These are an important part of the historical record. With a little help we can make some progress,” she said.
The advisory commission will be holding a statewide cleanup of historical cemeteries on Saturday, Nov. 3. All those interested in volunteering for the cleanup or assisting in research can call Wheeler at 789-3503 or email her at eviewhee@verizon.net. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
For more information on the commission visit www.historicalcemeteries.ri.gov/  . For information on adopting a cemetery near you, visit www.narragansettri.com/parks/cem2.htm