Hidden beneath trees and foliage in the middle of a modern day subdivision lies a small, nearly forgotten piece of Northland history.

The peaceful one-eighth of an acre is home to the Craig-Williams Cemetery, a cemetery that dates back to the mid-1800s.

This small, nearly-hidden family cemetery is one of more than 200 cemeteries in Clay County. Instead of providing places to go for a spook, these resting places of many original Northland settlers offer a small window for looking into the past.

Kenneth Neth, Clay County Archives cemetery committee chairman, said there are 229 Clay County cemeteries on record and more are still waiting to be found.

He said many are found through old newspaper clippings, memories of people and historical records. Most of the cemeteries are family sites, such as the Craig-Williams Cemetery that were chosen as places to bury family members on the family’s land.

The Craig-Williams Cemetery is believed to have 19 graves, according to Neth, and it is not currently cared for.

Area cemetery researcher Krislin Fenner said it is not clear who currently owns the small cemetery, but it is still designated as a cemetery in the land plat of Highland View subdivision in Kansas City North. It is located just north of Northeast Barry Road between North Tracy and North Virginia avenues.

“I’m still digging for some of its history,” Fenner said about the Craig-Williams Cemetery.

She said she has not been able to locate documentation for when the cemetery passed from the last known owner, James Moore, to someone else.

Some have said the county holds the deed while others have said the city holds the deed, according to Fenner.

Fenner has been researching southern Clay County cemeteries for approximately two years. She is working on a book about her discoveries that will document the history of that portion of the Northland.

“People don’t realize how much history you can get out of these cemeteries,” Fenner said.

The Craig-Williams Cemetery is the resting place of members of two families that settled the area and built homes nearby.

One of Fenner’s favorite grave stones in the Craig-Williams Cemetery is that of Sallie Bell Craig. According to Fenner’s research, Bell died at the age of 17 from burns she suffered when her dress caught fire. The young woman’s grave is marked with a stone topped with ornate carved roses.

The public access easement to the cemetery has been blocked by privacy fences enclosing the back yards of homes surrounding it. It is surrounded on all sides by private property but a state statute allows anyone to cross the private properties to access the cemetery.

The statute states that if public access is not available, private property may be reasonably crossed during reasonable hours for purposes usually associated with cemetery visits.

“I have used that statute several times,” Fenner said about her countless cemetery excursions.

Although many Northland cemeteries still remain undisturbed such as the Craig-Williams Cemetery, some small cemetery owners and family members of those buried there have had to face the realities of modern development.

Neth said some have had to be moved to allow for new roads and buildings for modern development.

Fenner said she is never happy to hear of a cemetery being moved and it is important to locate them and learn their history.

“You can connect people and families,” she said. “I think it’s important out of respect for them.”

who is buried there?

- Craig, Benjamin H., Aug. 24, 1867, to April 28, 1902, son of James W. and Louisa

- Craig, Elijah D., June ?, 1845 to April ?, 1877

- Craig, James W., Feb. 6, 1808, to Aug. 30, 1893, wife, Louisa

- Craig, Mandy, nanny of the Craig family

- Craig, Sallie Bell, April 25, 1852, to March 25, 1870, daughter of James H. and Amelia

- Craig, William G., Jan. 7, 1849, to Jan. 22, 1879

- Moore, Ardella M., Jan. 30, 1879, to March 8, 1880, daughter of J. W. and A. W.

- Moore, Salle R., Dec. 28, 1877, to Feb. 17, 1878

- Williams, Elisha, Feb. 6, 1810, to Nov. 17, 1880, wife, Rachel D.

- Williams, Hearis, March 18, 1803, to May 30, 1850

- Williams, Jane, April 8, 1771, to Aug. 17, 1845, husband, William

- Williams, John A., March 10, 1807, to March 23, 1864, children, John A. Jr.

- Williams, Johnson, Feb. 6, 1880, to Oct. 5, 1844, son of William and Jane

- Williams, Rachel D., Nov. 16, 1822, to Nov. 9, 1856, husband, Elisha

Source: Clay County MOGen Web

BRIEF HISTORY

Widow Jane Williams settled in Clay County in 1823 with some of her sons, Johnson, John, Elisha, William and Hearis. Williams and two of her sons, John and Johnson, received land grants for land along Northeast Barry Road to the east of North Oak Trafficway where they started a hemp plantation. Most of the original Williams family members are buried in the Craig-Williams Cemetery that is on the land once owned by Jane Williams and her sons.

James and Louisa Craig and some of their children also are buried in the cemetery. Louisa Craig was the widowed wife of John Williams who later married James Craig. The Craig’s built a home near the cemetery site and had several children together.

There is a gravesite for the Craig family nanny, Mandy Craig, with no marked dates in the cemetery.

Elisha Williams and his wife Rachel lived on the land, too. Two of their grandchildren, Ardella and Sallie Moore, are buried at the site.

There are other gravesites that are not marked in the Craig-Williams Cemetery. They are marked by depressions in the earth and surrounded by yucca plants, but who is buried there remains unknown.

Source: Information compiled by Krislin Fenner from newspapers, county archives and census records

Staff writer Meagan O’Donnell can be reached at 389-6606 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .