Society for Historical Archaeology announces the 2025 Awards
The Oak Grove Colored - Johnston Cemetery Team awarded
The Mark E. Mack Community Engagement Award honors those individual researchers or research project teams that exhibit outstanding best practices in community collaboration, engagement, and outreach in their historical archaeology and heritage preservation work.
https://sha.org/about-us/awards-and-prizes/
Mark E. Mack Community Engagement Award
3rd Place Community Engagement Award
Honoring Rev. and Mrs. Talton Cooper at NCTC - Graham Campus
3rd Place Community Engagement Award
Dr. Tamra Walter and team in New Orleans receiving the award from the Society for Historical Archaeology.
The SHA Certificate
Honoring Rev. and Mrs. Talton Cooper at NCTC - Graham Campus
3rd Place Community Engagement Award
We provided a certificate to those who helped us with revitalizing this historic cemetery
Honoring Rev. and Mrs. Talton Cooper at NCTC - Graham Campus
Honoring Rev. and Mrs. Talton Cooper at NCTC - Graham Campus
Honoring Rev. and Mrs. Talton Cooper at NCTC - Graham Campus
Rev. Talton Cooper is the the pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Mt. Zion is the only African American church in the City of Graham. He and his wife Shirley Cooper were recognized for supporting the revitalization of the historic cemetery.
Reclaiming the Land
This is a picture of the back of the "fenced in" section of the cemetery parcel taken on August 2, 2023. The fenced area was approximately 50 X 85. The 1923 deed records the land donated by Addie Graham for the cemetery was 50 X 200. This parcel of land was considered the "colored section" of Oak Grove Cemetery. It is located across the street (North) of Oak Grove. In July 2023, City, County, ISD, and Central Appraisal representatives denied ownership or knew who owned the cemetery parcel to Rev. Vanessa A. Sims. She continued to seek answers. A 1923 deed was finally reported. The questions remains: What deed was used in the planning of and the addition of 3 lanes for the US 380 Bypass?
Road Equipment, a Container, Trash, Debris, an easement, and other debris was on the cemetery parcel. The section of the cemetery with the road equipment (behind the white fence) was sold to a private citizen.
Texas Tech Archaeology Team begins mapping cemetery land in March 2024
The container on the left is on cemetery land.
The NE section of the cemetery parcel
The City of Graham citizens had no idea the cemetery parcel extended to this NE area. The 2024 Survey that was paid for by the "descendants and friends of descendants" revealed unknown boundaries of the cemetery.
Texas Tech Archaeology Team
Mara DeGregorio
Mara DeGregorio
Mara DeGregorio
Mara De Gregori, originally from Luxembourg,a small country in the heart of Europe,
She obtained her Bachelors degree in European History and Anthropology from the University of
Bonn, Germany. Currently in her first year as a graduate student at Texas Tech University,
she is pursuing Anthropology with a specialization in Archaeology. Her academic pursuits are
particularly directed towards the Maya civilization in Mesoamerica.
Ray Wallace
Mara DeGregorio
Mara DeGregorio
I’m just a country boy who has spent his life in various parts of Texas. Along the way I’ve earned a BA
and MA in Anthropology from Texas Tech and a Graduate Certificate in GIS from UT Dallas. Music,
animals, and my wonderful wife Joni help me cope with the harsh realities of the world.
Brandon Tully
.Brandon Tully was born and raised in Benton, Arkansas. He received a bachelor’s degree
in history from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) in 2014. After attending the
2014 Arkansas Archaeological Society Summer Training Program, he began working in the field
of cultural resources management (CRM). In total, he worked in CRM for 8 years before
deciding to pursue a master’s degree. His work in CRM involved projects in 17 states, the
majority being in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. He has been a graduate student studying
under Dr. Brett Houk at Texas Tech since 2022. and is working toward a master’s degree in
anthropology with an archaeology focus. Primary research interests involve prehistoric North
American sites.
Abigail Sink
I am Abigail Sink, and I’m a graduate student at Texas Tech University (TTU). I also completed my undergraduate studies in anthropology, focusing on historical archaeology, at TTU.
I am currently researching coffin hardware from a Freedmen cemetery in Marshall, Texas as a part of
a community lead project. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. as a step toward my goal of pursuing a career in academia. I grew up in Southeast Texas, and I enjoy reading in my free time.
Reclaiming and mapping the land required a Survey
Survey January 2024
Map by Texas Tech Archaeology Team
Encroachment of Cemetery
Dr. Tamra Walter needed a survey prior to begin mapping the cemetery. Young County claimed there was no money in their FY 23-24 budget to pay for the survey. Rev. Vanessa Sims, her family, J. V. Jackson and some Graham residents paid for the survey.
Thanks to them Dr. Walter and the Texas Tech Archaeology team was able to begin mapping the cemetery in March 2024 and cemetery land that was sold was able to be reclaimed.
The survey revealed that an easement had been placed on cemetery land.
Encroachment of Cemetery
Map by Texas Tech Archaeology Team
Encroachment of Cemetery
Aerial photo showing encroach of cemetery property. The adjacent parcel west of the cemetery was the location of the Colored School and the African Methodist Church. In the January 5, 1922 issue of the Graham Leader, it was reported that the AME Church was burned down after it's completion
Map by Texas Tech Archaeology Team
Map by Texas Tech Archaeology Team
Map by Texas Tech Archaeology Team
Markers were found outside the eastern fence between the fence and drainage ditch. The markers indicate that the actual boundaries of the cemetery extended beyond the current fence. A new survey will be needed once the mapping of the cemetery is completed.
Hypothetical Map of Graves
Veteran Headstone Relocated
Map by Texas Tech Archaeology Team
Currently there is only 41 documented graves at the cemetery. This Hypothetical Map of Graves was completed by Dr. Walter and the Texas Tech Archaeology team. It shows the total number of graves (159) that could fit within the original cemetery boundaries described by the deed.
Veteran Headstone Relocated
Veteran Headstone Relocated
Veteran Headstone Relocated
A headstone with the name of Charles McCuiston lay alongside inside five other headstones (see the indentations) just inside the fence. Research indicated that Mr. McCuiston ( a veteran) was interred at a cemetery in Lawton, Ok. It was reported that the headstone was relocated to Lawton, OK.
We honor him and thank him for his service.
Pin Flags Installed
Veteran Headstone Relocated
Veteran Headstone Relocated
Thanks to Young County Historical Commission members. After the Texas Tech Archaeological Team located unmarked graves, members of the Young County Historical Commission purchased and installed "Pin Flags" to further protect the work of the archaeology team and to identify the unmarked graves.
Texas Tech Archaeology Team Investigations Photo's
Possible burials outside the fence
Dr. Tamra Walter - Professional Archaeologist
Dr. Tamra Walter - Professional Archaeologist
This section of the cemetery is outside of the fenced area. Someone shortened and changed the boundaries of the cemetery. Possible burial were found outside the fenced area near the creek.
Dr. Tamra Walter - Professional Archaeologist
Dr. Tamra Walter - Professional Archaeologist
Dr. Tamra Walter - Professional Archaeologist
Dr. Walter is looking at a section of the cemetery that was sold and has a drainage easement placed on it.
Texas Tech Archaeology Team Huddle
Dr. Tamra Walter - Professional Archaeologist
Texas Tech Archaeology Team Huddle
Dr. Tamra Walter huddles with her team. They began mapping the cemetery in March 2023. .
Headstones dumped in cemetery
This section of cemetery was sold
Texas Tech Archaeology Team Huddle
Headstones just inside the fence were dumped in the African American cemetery. Research of the names on these headstones indicates that the people are interred at other cemeteries.
This section of cemetery was sold
This section of cemetery was sold
This section of cemetery was sold
The white fence, tree trunk, debris and road equipment has now been removed from this section of the cemetery. The citizen that purchased this section of the cemetery has given up claim to this section of the cemetery.
Infant grave marker found
This section of cemetery was sold
This section of cemetery was sold
Texas Tech archaeology team cleared this area outside the fence. Baby Scott burial marker found outside the fenced area. The archaeology team, descendants, and a few citizens of Graham cleared this area of trees and debris. Other graves were located in this area. The large road equipment in this photo has been moved from the cemetery land.