The State Archives houses historical cemetery surveys conducted under the authority of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The surveys document information that appears on tombstones such as dates of birth and death. Because weather and time may have caused deterioration of tombstones, eliminating valuable information, the WPA. surveys may record information otherwise lost. These cemetery surveys are now available in the Digital Collection.
Since the late 1970s, the Archives has also collected cemetery surveys donated by genealogical and historical organizations and volunteers from across the state. These surveys occasionally supplement information, or provide corrections, to the WPA surveys. They also document more modern cemeteries or burial sites not previously identified. Prepared entirely by volunteers, these surveys furnish the locations of cemeteries and occasionally contain names of individuals buried there and additional information recorded on tombstones.
