National Register Record for CEMETERY PATENT 110

Historic Name: CEMETERY PATENT 110
Current Name: BEZION CEMETERY; SECONDINE CEMETERY; CALIFORNIA CREEK CEMETERY; DELAWARE CEMETERY
Address: COUNTY ROAD 412, 3.25 MILES NORTH OF INTERSECTION WITH US 60
City: DELAWARE VICINITY            County: NOWATA
Section: 1           Township: 26N           Range: 15E          
Description of significance: A PATENT CEMETERY IS PUBLIC LAND SET ASIDE FOR THE BURIAL OF NATIVE AMERICANS. CEMETERY PATENT 110 CAME INTO BEING NOT LONG AFTER THE DELAWARE TRIBE MOVED FROM ITS FORMER LANDS IN KANSAS INTO ITS NEWLY ACQUIRED LANDS IN THE CHEROKEE NATION. THIS CEMETERY WAS CREATED BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS, ALLOCATING UNALLOTED CHEROKEE LAND FOR USE AS A BURIAL GROUND FOR THE DELAWARE TRIBE. AN ACT OF CONGRESS IN 1913 TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP OF THE CEMETERY FROM THE CHEROKEE NATION TO THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA AND THE NOWATA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. MOST BURIALS DATE TO A PERIOD BETWEEN 1867 AND 1940, WITH ONLY 18 BURIALS SINCE THAT TIME. THERE IS NO KNOWN PLAT OR RECORD OF ALL OF THOSE BURIED IN THE CEMETERY. MOST GRAVES ARE GROUPED TOGETHER BY FAMILIES. IN 1914, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 300 GRAVES. BUT IN 1970, A CENSUS SURVEY FOUND ONLY 174 GRAVES. IT IS ONE OF THE FEW PATENT CEMETERIES LEFT THAT REMAINS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY USED BY NATIVE AMERICANS. LISTED IN NATIONAL REGISTER 9/9/2001.

Type: SITE
Historic Function: FUNERARY: CEMETERY
Current Function: FUNERARY: CEMETERY
Area of Significance 1: EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
Area of Significance 2: ETHNIC HERITAGE: NATIVE AMERICAN
Architectural Style: None
Architect: None
Year Built: 1867            Original Site: YES
Condition: GOOD
Restricted: N
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: 5/11/2001