Researchers have confirmed the names of 106 people whose remains are buried in Ypsilanti Township’s Woodlawn Cemetery, the only documented Black cemetery in Washtenaw County.
Many grave markers have been lost over time. Engineering firm Terracon Consulting has been surveying the cemetery with ground penetrating radar.
Joseph Snider is slowly pushing the device in a grid pattern and uploading the results.
“So, every 25 centimeters or about a foot, I collect another line of data. This makes for a really dense and large data set, which is really what you’re looking for when you are trying to identify things as subtle as an historic grave.”
Woodlawn Cemetery was established in 1946 and recorded as abandoned in 1965.
After falling into deep disrepair, volunteers began a cleanup this spring. Many are relatives of those thought to be buried at the location.
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