Paranormal Activity Investigators

Pitcher Cemetery & Hill Cemetery

Location Information

Date:5th August, 2006     Type:Cemetery

Location Title:Pitcher Cemetery & Hill Cemetery     City/State:Independence, MO

Investigation Times:07:00 PM - 09:00 PM     Status:Analysis

 

Weather Information

Sunrise:06:22 AM   Sunset:08:25 PM

High Temperature:97 °F   Low Temperature:73 °F

Sky Condition:Clear   Wind:SSE at 7 mph

Humidity:78%   Precipitation:0%

Lunar Phase:Waxing Gibbous   % disk visible:85%

Solar X-Rays:Normal   Geomagnetic Field:Quiet

Pressure:29.95 mmHg  

 

Investigators Present

Kevin Glasow

Hugh McLenaghan

Becky Ray

Miranda Stark

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Location History

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PITCHER CEMETERY
Established circa 1830 by Colonol Thomas Pitcher as a family burial ground.
In addition to its use as a family burial plot, Pitcher Cemetery was also a final resting place for unfortunate Pioneers who died while on the journey west. Their only grave markers are standing rocks. Carved headstones were a luxury only the wealthy could afford and the closest place they were available during the time period was back east in Lexington, MO.
This cemetery is thought to inter as many as 180 people. Unfortunately the entire cemetery has not yet been "probed" and it is unknown how many headstones still lay buried as over the years the cemetery was used for a variety of purposes including a grazing pasture for cattle.
In the Northwest corner of the cemetery there is a mass grave of civil war soldiers who perished in a skirmish near the cemetery on October 21, 1864.
A second mass grave is near this one for the Cholera epidemic of 1849 to 1851. Cholera is a bacterial born disease (vibrio cholerae) spread by contact with the feces or vomit of an infected person. Many of the emigrants who were traveling west on the trails fell victim to this disease due to the unsanitary conditions of the time period.

HILL PARK CEMETERY
Hill Cemetery is located on the Northeast corner of William M. Hill Park in Independence, Missouri. The cemetery is a very small, but peaceful family burial ground, shaded by a large tree in the center, under which sits a stone bench. The exterior of the cemetery is surrounded by a stately looking stone wall with a wrought iron gate. This park and cemetery were originally the family farm of Adam Hill. In 1927, Jo Lisle Hill donated the land surrounding Hill Cemetery as a public park in memory of his father, William Moberly Hill. 
The Hill Cemetery contains the remains of Adam Hill and his immediate and extended family members plus a few descendents.
Here also lies the remains of Alexander "Frank" James, brother of Jesse James, and Frank's wife Ann Ralston James. Ann Ralston was the daughter of Samuel Ralston and Mary Catherine Hill.
Mrs. Frank Abston, daughter of William Hill, granddaugher of Adam, is the last marked burial. In 1933, Mrs. Abston stated that also interred here are a sister-in-law and nephew of Adam; near the close of the Civil War Peter Land, a Confederate soldier killed during the battle at Independence, Mo; and four small babies and 7 children, all descendents.

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Investigators Notes

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Kevin Glasow:There's not much to say on this investigation on my end. Hill Cemetery [which we went to last] seemed to have no activity while we were there. At pitcher I had only one experience and am not convinced it was paranormal. I heard rustling in the trees on the cemetery's border, and took a picture of the area. The photo shows an orb in the area in the first photo I saw, but none of the other. My opinion is that it was likely something knocked off one of the trees when I spooked an animal in the area.

 

Hugh McLenaghan:These were interesting little cemeteries. Didn't feel or see anything, but still interesting to go to.

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Becky Ray:I always enjoy visiting both of these cemeteries for thier historical importance. 
We started the night at Pitcher Cemetery, and the cicadas were extremely loud so I don't think anything I recorded on my audio while there will be usable, but I'm still going through it to be certain. 
Next we went to Hill Cemetery. This is a VERY small cemetery with only about half of the graves in it marked. On a previous visit to this cemetery I captured a strange anomaly in a photograph, so I took several to see if I could reproduce this. The cicadas weren't as loud here as there weren't as many trees, but the skate park down the hill basically voids out any possible EVP recording that may have been captured.
I am still going through my photos from the night and will post anything interesting I may find as well as some photos to show the locations.

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Miranda Stark:There is a great deal of history in the Western neighborhood of Independence. In 1864, during the civil war, much of this area was involved in the Battle of Westport, where numerous skirmishes took place. Pitcher Cemetery is the resting place of many soldiers of this battle, some named and remembered, others unidentified and placed in a common grave in the back of the property. Many acres of Independence land are heavy-leaden with the energies of so many of the lost souls who died tragically in battle upon these grounds. Hill Park Cemetery is known as being the final resting place of Frank James (brother of famous outlaw Jesse James), and Frank's beloved wife Annie Ralston. These grounds are also recognized for being traveled upon by soldiers of the Battle of Westport, as this park is located very near to Pitcher Cemetery, within the same neighborhood. It has been said for generations, that there have been sightings of soldiers appearing to march up the hill in the park. My photographs have not yet been developed. I used 35mm 800 speed film. My audio recordings were disrupted by the massive noise produced by insects that evening, so it will remain undetermined if I picked up any EVP, for they will have to be considered invalid. I will update my findings once I recieve my photos.