From the WPA Project in the late 1930's.

Located 3 1/2 miles Southwest of Bunker Hill

The Headwoodriver Cemetery is an old abandoned cemetery located on the Zimmerman farm on Section 33. It derives its name from the Wood river which runs through the quarter-section in which the cemetery is located. No one in the vicinity knows anything about the cemetery. The fieldmen were within a mile of the cemetery inquiring about the cemetery but the residents of that vicinity did not know of any cemetery around there. The owner of the land said he recalled seeing two stones in the timber which lead to the finding of the Headwoodriver Cemetery.

In 1879, Mr. Jones sold part of his land to the trustees of the cemetery for a burial grounds. The deed conveying the title to the land over to the trustees reads as follows:  THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that the Grantors:  Isaac N. Jones and Kitturok A. Jones, his wife of the town of North Litchfield in the County of Montgomery and state of Illinois for and in consideration of the sum of $15.00 in hand paid, CONVEYS and WARRANTS to Abraham Prewit, Simpson Finley and Robert Howerton, acting trustees of Headwoodriver Cemetery and their successors in office of the County of Macoupin and State of Illinois the following described real-estate, to-wit:

1 square acre of land in the NE corner of the NW. 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 33, T.7 N. R.8, West of the Third Principal Meridian, situated in the County of Macoupin and State of Illinois hereby releasing and waiving all rights under and by virtue of the Homestead Exemption Laws of this State. (This deed is dated November 1, 1879 and was recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds for Macoupin County, Illinois in Book "CQ" of Warranty Deeds at page 426 on December 30, 1879.) The Headwoodriver Cemetery is not incorporated. There are no known trustees to the Headwoodriver Cemetery at the present time.

The Headwoodriver Cemetery is an abandoned burial grounds and is in a forgotten state. No one in the vicinity known anything about it. There are approximately 70 graves in this burial grounds and they are all covered with weeds and brush. There is no driveway leading to the cemetery. Only 2 stones are standing in the cemetery, the other graves have no markers. The hedge which was


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placed for a fence is still standing. This cemetery sets on a hill, giving the grounds good drainage.

To reach the Headwoodriver Cemetery one travels about 2 miles South of Bunker Hill and at the intersection turn West for about 2 miles, there one must leave their vehicle and walk westward to the graveyard. It is hard to find the burial grounds as one does not know he has reached it until you notice the stones. The hedge fence may help to locate the cemetery.

There are no veterans known to be buried in this cemetery.

The oldest grave that we can locate by the dates on the markers is that of Millie Wood, wife of A. Pruitt who died in 1861. This marker is one of the two stones in the cemetery. There may have been earlier burials but there are no markers on the graves.

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Name of Cemetery HeadWoodRiver
Location
Oldest Grave Millie Wood, wife of A. Pruitt Died 1861,
Number of lots Could not locate more than two
Number of graves 70 or 75
Number of graves to be filled None
Number of graves to be leveled None
Number of Veterans graves that need stones need govt markers None
Number of stones in cemetery that need resetting 2
Number of stones that need recutting 2
Rods of fence around cemetery about 52
Condition of fence good
Rods of fence to be repaired none
Rods of fence to be replaced none
Number of people interviewed 2

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