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AFTON CEMETERY |
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AFTON CEMETERY |
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Cemetery History
After the reorganization of the County of
DeKalb, the Township of Afton was created from the southern portion of DeKalb
Township and the northern
portion of Clinton Township, in 1853.
The
township is noted for the large tracts of rich farm land throughout the
countryside. The head waters of the
Little Rock Creek begins in Section 14
and runs southeastwardly through the township of Squaw Grove.
The
AFTON CENTRE CEMETERY is located in the Northeast Quarter of
Section 21. Perry Road, between
Waterman Road and South First Street, is
approximately five miles south of the City of DeKalb.
The main entrance to
the cemetery is south of Perry Road.
The
cemetery was surveyed in the 1858. “Mr.
William P Tyler of the
Town of Afton deeded to President
and Directors of Afton Cemetery Corporation of Afton, County
of DeKalb, State of Illinois, for the sum of $100 for the burial of inhabitants
of Said Town the following parcel of land to wit:
Part
of the N. E. Quarter of Section 21
Township thirty nine (39) North
of Range Four (4) East of Third P. M. bounded as follows:
Beginning
at a stone on the North line of said Section (21) Nineteen chains
& 13 links West of the North East East corner thereof and running thence
West on the section line Eight (8) chains and Eighty Eight and a half links
(88 ˝) to a stone thence South 5 degrees E. four chains and thirty four (34)
links to a stone thence South 12 degrees E. four chains & 93 links to a
stone
thence North 85 1/4 degrees East three chains & 62 links to a stone thence
North 88 ˝ degrees E. two chains & twenty
five links to a stone thence
North 9 4/5 degrees East nine chains forty one links to the place of beginning
containing seven 7/100 acres variation six one half degrees East.
Witness:
Jabez W. Ward, J. P.
Signed Wm. A. Tyler
Dated April 7, 1859
Deed Book 25 pg 398.”
POINT
OF INTEREST
Located in the cemetery is prairie land which is owned by the Afton Cemetery Association. The prairie covers four and one half acres of the cemetery and is representative of the virgin black prairie soil of the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division of Illinois. Afton Cemetery Prairie was included in the Illinois Natural Arears Inventory. This inventory checked nearly 4,000 old cemeteries for remnants of prairie vegetation. Only 24 cemeteries, including Afton Cemetery Prairie, qualified for the inventory.