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American Pioneer
& Cemetery Research
Project
Internet Presentation
Version 061609
Update - Version
112011
Update – Version 010713
PUNTENNEY CEMETERY
By Kevin Hart
Certified APCRP
Coordinator & Historian
Contents
Grave of
Gabriel G. Felix (Male)
Photo by: Kevin Hart
Cedar GLADE Cemetery
is located in Yavapai County off of Highway 89A at N34* 58.503’, W112* 23.297 (WGS83) It is
also known as Puntenney Cemetery.
George and Lucy
Puntenney arrived in Arizona in 1879. Shortly after their arrival they
identified a large amount of limestone on Hell Canyon’s south rim and proceeded
to build the territory’s first limekiln. Being lime was an important commodity
in the development of the west they proceeded to build a small community. Lime
is used in producing mortar as well as plaster and is used in the production of
glass and castings, refining sugar, and tanning of leather. Puntenney Lime
Company was reported to be shipping as far as California with their product.
George and Lucy
proceeded to develop the Puntenney Lime Company and a small community developed
around it. George built a one-room schoolhouse in the community.
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Photos
by: Kevin Hart – Left, appears in 2009. Right Photo enhanced by Neal Du Shane
The
Puntenney Cemetery has been incorrectly identified as the “Cedar Glade
Cemetery”.
The
actual Cedar Glade Cemetery is approximately 1/2 mile to the NE across Hell
Canyon at the Ghost Town of Cedar Glade which is now identified as Drake,
Arizona
There was an original
town called Puntney, which was later changed to Puntenney.
There was a Post
Office from 1893 to 1932. According to Az. Place names George Puntenney built
the first lime kiln at this site.
Map by: Kevin Hart
It is simple to reach
if you read a map right. Which I was having trouble doing, mistaking one road
for another. Take 89 north past Paulden. Take a right on an unmarked road just
past mile marker 344. Follow the road for .9 miles and take a left at the
intersection on FSR 9042P for .2 of a mile to reach the cemetery. The cemetery
is fenced off by 4 strands of barbed wire and a zigzag gate to keep out the
cows and other big creatures.
Photo by: Kevin Hart
It
has 34 graves, there is only one marked grave. That marked grave is of a young
boy. The inscription is written in Spanish. Translated it reads:
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Translated Infant Son |
Photo by Kevin Hart
There is a grave
fenced in with wrought iron and 2 graves next to each other who might have been
husband and wife.
Photo by: Kevin Hart
Besides that the other
graves are mostly just small rock used to cover the graves. Several of them had
small American flags on them. They are well worn and probably put there several
years ago.
Photo by: Kevin Hart
There are several
trees within the cemetery and a few of them have been cut down, with the
branches thrown off to the side and the thicker parts hauled off for firewood.
Photo
by: Kevin Hart
The cemetery map
shows what I was able to ascertain about the gender and age of the interred.
There were several graves where I was unable to get significant research
results. But due to the size of the grave I determined whether it was a child
or an adult.
If not for the well
worn sign and the marker and wrought iron fence I would have thought it was
just a corral as I passed by. That is how well worn down derelict it is.
Cedar Glade Cemetery - Puntenney, AZ |
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A=Adult, C=Child, F=Female,
M=Male, NR=No Research Info. |
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By: Kevin Hart 06/14/09 - Not To Scale |
The community of
Cedar Glade functioned with the infusion of railroad workers living there and
maintaining the railroad line. A heavy steel viaduct spanned Hells Canyon
between Puntenney and Cedar Glade. The viaduct was completed in 1901, spanned
646 feet, 186 feet high at the center of Hells Canyon. The 108 year old trestle
shudders and quakes when an infrequent train passes over Hells Canyon, whistling
a sorrowful acknowledgment to the restful souls who once lived in Cedar Glade
and Puntenney.
The name Cedar Glade
was changed to Drake in 1920 after William A. Drake what was put in charge of
constructing a cutoff line there. This was in keeping with the railroads policy
of naming railroad stops after bigwigs in the company.
* * * UPDATE INFORMATION * * *
By Neal Du Shane
In the past there are
two easily confused Pioneer Cemeteries within ¾ mile of each other at the ghost
towns of Puntenney and Cedar Glade, separated by Hell Canyon. To access either
requires approximately a three mile drive around and over Hell Canyon.
Extensive research and interviews of the Puntenney family were conducted to
bring clarification to the names of the two cemeteries. The confusion came when
someone posted a sign at the Puntenney Cemetery incorrectly identify it as the
Cedar Glade Cemetery. Even Topographical maps have incorrectly identified the
Puntenney Cemetery as the Cedar Glade Cemetery.
Sign reads: “Puntenney Cemetery For
the Ghost Town Of Puntenney, AZ”
Based on APCRP’s
extensive research and documentation a new Puntenney Cemetery sign was placed
over the incorrect sign.
TEAM APCRP 11/08/11
L-R Back Row: Ed Block, Kathy Block, Harvey Jones, Key
Jones, Bob Gibney, Bill Mitchell, Pat Mitchell, Dana Sharp, Bob Galloway
L-R Middle Row: Bruce Colbert, Neal Du Shane, Barbara Marcel,
Jim Marcel
L-R Kneeling: Bobbi Wicks, Frank Zurita
Puntenney family
unmarked grave identified by Bobbi Wicks
Team APCRP got busy
researching the graves within the fenced area and found a few outside the
current marked Puntenney Cemetery. Bobbi Wicks has had contact with a Puntenney
family member and wanted to identify their family member’s grave and this was
accomplished with stones placed around the grave to give it more permanent
identification.
Neal Du Shane teaches
Frank Zurita how to identify unmarked graves, Bill Norman documents.
Frank Zurita
identifies one of his family member’s final resting places. |
Frank Zurita takes a moment to pay his
respect after placing one of the markers he made for his relative, Bill
Norman observes and pays his respects. |
Marker made and
placed by Frank Zurita at the grave of Benito Flores Jr. |
Marker placed and rocks define the grave
of a two month old baby. Relative of Frank Zurita |
In addition to the
work that has been completed here over the past four years, each
year new information is found to lend historical restoration to this
cemetery. This year in addition to documenting the correct name for this
cemetery APCRP received a telephone call from Frank Zurita of Las Vegas that
has family buried in unmarked graves in this cemetery. His goal was to document
their burials, identify their actual graves, then
place a marker that he had made, at each grave to pay honor and respect to his
heritage. With a little training on APCRP research techniques Frank was able to
find, identify and place a marker at three grave sites of his beloved family
member’s final resting site.
UPDATE:
By: Neal Du Shane – APCRP Certified Coordinator
Kevin Hart – APCRP Certified Coordinator
Placement of Francisco Osuna marker
L-R, Ruben Sanchez, Patricia “Patsy”
Beeby, David Beeby,
Manuel O. Sanchez, Michael Douglass, Yulanda “Yolie” Douglass, Ruben Sanchez, Roxann
Sanchez Puntenney
Cemetery, November 10, 2012 |
For the past ten
years or so, since we researched and documented this cemetery, it has been
incorrectly identified as the Cedar Glade Cemetery. In actuality this is the
cemetery at the Ghost Town of Puntenney, AZ, logically it would be called the
Puntenney Cemetery and death certificates support this conclusion based on the
individuals documented as being buried in the Puntenney Cemetery and the graves
identified.
Since APCRP
identified and pointed out this oversight, we have had inquiries from family
members that indicate they have searched for a Puntenney Cemetery for years and
could never find one. Indicating they are in search of finding the graves of
family members buried in Puntenney Cemetery.
Puntenney Cemetery Sign in 2011 |
Roxann Sanchez |
The confusion seems
to reside in the fact this total area was referred to as Cedar Glade which
would encompass the communities of Cedar Glade (name later changed to Drake),
Puntenney, and Wood Siding etc. The topographical maps of this area have for
years shown a cemetery at the Ghost Town of Puntenney and did not identify the
actual Cedar Glade cemetery one half mile away across Hell Canyon to the NE. In
an attempt to clarify the correct name for Puntenney Cemetery someone placed a new sign there in
2011.
The Forest Service removed
it and has placed a new sign here and does indentify it as the Puntenney
Cemetery but also states A.K.A. Cedar Glade Cemetery, which is still incorrect
as the actual restored Cedar Glade Cemetery is currently in the Drake Cement
facility one half mile away across Hell Canyon. It is open to visitation at
Drake Cement, simply by going to the security building and asking permission to
visit it. Well worth the effort.
Red ground flags identify the unmarked
graves size |
Kevin Hart holding ground flags, observes
relatives placing the marker at the grave of Francisco Osuna |
Regardless, since
correctly indentifying the Puntenney Cemetery and the graves here, APCRP
receives numerous inquiries from family members wanting to pay respect to their
beloved relatives who were interred here. Such was our contact with Ruben
Sanchez some months ago who was trying to find the grave of their relative. Francisco
Osuna was born December 8, 1924 and perished December
10, 1924. Francisco was only two days old, with the Death Certificate stating
his Place of Burial as Puntenney, AZ. His parents were Enrique and Petra Osuna who resided and worked at Puntenney. The family knew
he was buried in Puntenney Cemetery but was never able to indentify his unmarked
grave.
Ruben Sanchez places rocks to identify and
outline Francisco’s grave |
Marker made and placed by Ruben Sanchez |
Manuel O. Sanchez
pauses a moment to reflect. |
Arrangements were
made to meet the relatives at the Puntenney Cemetery to see if we could
identify the grave of Francisco. Kevin and I, plus eight relatives met at 8:00
AM at the Puntenney Cemetery. The most notable of the attendees was Manuel O.
Sanchez who was born and lived a short time in Puntenney before his family
moved to another community. Unfortunately Manuel was too young to remember anything
about Puntenney or the configuration of the structures within the community.
Reviewing the
evidence and documents we had accumulated we were able to identify the grave of
what we believe to be Francisco Osuna. Ruben had
premade a marker for Francisco’s grave site. Members of the family prepared the
grave site and placed the headstone at their beloved family member’s grave.
APCRP finds many of
the current day unmarked grave sites originally had markers made of wood, over
the years they have decayed or termites destroyed them and are
no longer visible with only faint traces of a grave but still visible to a
trained eye. We find very few that can be identified as vandalized other than
by natural sources or wild life and/or live stock. Untrained individuals are
quick to miss identify and not take the time to research the obvious and lump
all decay and destruction as being by vandals. This is especially true in unfenced
cemeteries so it is critical to keep these historic Pioneer Cemeteries
enclosed.
American Pioneer
& Cemetery Research
Project
Internet Presentation
Version 061609
Update 010713
Copyright
©2003-2013 Neal Du Shane
All rights reserved. Information contained within
this website may be used
for personal family history purposes, but not for financial profit or gain.
All contents of this website are willed to the American Pioneer & Cemetery
Research Project (APCRP).
HOME | BOOSTER | CEMETERIES | EDUCATION | GHOST TOWNS | HEADSTONE
MINOTTO | PICTURES | ROADS | JACK SWILLING | TEN DAY TRAMPS