----------------------------
The "Virginian's Burying Ground"
was named from the fact that a
number of the early Virginian
settlers were buried there
(the family of Jacob and Isabella
Dragoo, and their daughter-in-law's
brother Samuel Barnhouse).
-----------------------------
This cemetery is also known
as the "Dragoo Cemetery".
(It was "incorrectly" listed
as the McCoy Cemetery when
it was recorded in 1980).
------------------------------
This Dragoo "family" cemetery was
originally located on a farm.
The farm property was later
annexed to the City of Buchanan,
Michigan as part of the "Treat
and Howe Addition", and was then
divided up into "city" lots.
This pioneer cemetery is located
in Section 26 of Buchanan Township,
just within the city limits of
Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan.
------------------------------
This cemetery is "now" located
in the backyard of a private
residence at 936 Chippewa Street
(between Remus Drive and Walnut St.),
on the North-West side of town.
(See map below).
Note:
This cemetery is on PRIVATE property.
Please be courteous, and ALWAYS
ask permission from the property
owners, before entering upon this
private property.
------------------------------
There were known burials in this Dragoo
"family" cemetery for 53 years,
from 1837 to 1890, spanning four
generations of the Dragoo family.
------------------------------
An Officer in the Civil War named
William Harrison Barnhouse (who
married Jacob Dragoo's granddaughter
Isabel Dragoo), is also
buried here with his parents
(Samuel and Nancy Barnhouse),
and two of his children.
William's father Samuel Barnhouse
was the brother of Ewell Dragoo's
first wife Jane (Barnhouse) Dragoo.
------------------------------
The other surnames in this
cemetery are also, all related
(by marriage), to the family of
Jacob and Isabella Dragoo, who came
from Barrackville, Monongalia County
Virginia, to the settlement of
"McCoy's Creek" (now known as Buchanan,
Berrien County Michigan), in 1834.
------------------------------
The names of the 28 people who are known
to be buried in this cemetery, were taken
off of the old headstones found there
many years later.
There may have been additional people
buried there, for whom no headstones
were later found.
-------------------------------
Note: In addition to the 28 people
known to have been buried in this
cemetery, there were five other
children of this family, not listed
(for whom no headstone was found),
who died during this time period,
who "possibly" could also be buried here
with no headstone (or possibly just had a
wooden cross/marker which deteriorated
over time).
1. Lavina Dragoo, the daughter of
John Fleming Dragoo Sr. and his wife Barbara. Died between 1843-1850.
2. Edith Dasie Kirkendall, age 4, the child
of John Fleming Dragoo Sr.'s daughter Lurinda
and her husband William "Van" Kirkendall.
Died in 1873.
3. Lucinda Ann Tomlinson, the two-year-old
daughter of Benjamin F. Tomlinson and
his wife Harriet A. Barber. Died in 1872.
4. Philo W. Smith, the 19 year old son of
Charles Smith and his wife Fanny Weaver.
Died in 1874.
5. Infant son McCoy, the son of
William McCoy and his wife Catherine Weaver. Died between 1853 and 1859.
-----
Also...Louisa (Hunter) Dragoo
(the first wife of Ewell's son
John Irving Dragoo),
who died between 1862 and 1865,
and their first child Lorina.
Lorina died between 1860 and 1870.
--------------------------------
Another child of this extended family
who is "unaccounted for" is:
1. Mariah Barnhouse, the daughter of
Samuel Barnhouse and Nancy Upton.
----------------------------------
Headstones that were once found in
this cemetery, and recorded, but
could not be found in 2012, are:
1. Samuel Barnhouse.
2. Catherine (Hines), wife of J. B. Price,
and dau. of Christina Dragoo and John Hines.
3. Harriet A. (Barber) Tomlinson,
the wife of Benjamin F. Tomlinson.
4. Libby A. Warfield.
----------------------------------
UPDATE: In the spring and summer of
2012, several members of "Friends of
Oak Ridge Cemetery" in Buchanan, MI
(with permission from the new landowners),
cleaned up the large pile of brush and
poison ivy around a tree, found many of
the old and broken headstones
(and "dug up" a few more), cleaned them,
and "reconstructed" this pioneer cemetery.
A special "THANK YOU" to Bob Cooley,
Tom Lister, Donna Lace, and
Robert D. Brown.
To them we owe a tremendous debt of
gratitude, for preserving a piece
of Buchanan's history!
---------------------------
Written by Nancy Heib
(a descendant of
Jacob and Isabella Dragoo).
--------------------------------------------