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Far from spooked haunting Smithfield cemeteries |
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Written by DeadGirl
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Wednesday, 20 October 2004 |
Author-photographer literally tripped over her book
By GABRIELLA WYATT
For the Community News
"Hanging out in cemeteries is not weird," asserts author Michelle L. Kintner of Smithfield Township.
In fact, "weird" is the last thing that comes to mind with Kintner's book, "The Cemeteries of Middle Smithfield and Smithfield Township, Pa."
Published this year, the book is a record of 21 local cemeteries, many of which have been abandoned for decades.
As these sites are increasingly affected by vandalism, neglect and natural decay, Kintner's work provides an important record of a piece of local history that is rapidly vanishing.
As a preservation of local history, the book is a valuable compendium of information, compiling more than 4,000 names, brief bits of historical background and biographical information about many local families.
Kintner says that her book is primarily intended as a resource for those interested in tracing their genealogy through the Smithfields.
Additionally, though, she hopes that the book, by revealing these remote and forgotten sites, will provide impetus for preserving these historically significant cemeteries.
The sites she documents are of aesthetic as well as historical value, says Kintner, who is also a visual artist. The beautiful, hand-carved headstones, many of which are hundreds of years old, are truly works of art, she asserts.
"You don't see that same kind of craft with modern stones," Kintner says. The visual aspect of the cemeteries was part of the project's appeal for Kintner, who is responsible for most of her book's striking black-and-white photographs. The book's combination of photography, history and narrative reflect all of the author's passions.
Kintner, a native of Pennsylvania and a 20-year resident of Smithfield, isn't new to projects of historical retrieval and local preservation.
She's a member of Monroe County Historical Association, Pike County Historical Society and is a Daughter of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
She traces her own family's ties to the Pocono area as far back as the 1500s.
Scenes are from the Sons of Israel Cemetery in Middle Smithfield Township.
Photo/Pocono Record
"I've always loved local history," says the writer, who first became involved in writing and genealogy as a hobby, eventually giving up her private business to pursue historical scholarship fulltime.
Her previous projects have included a family history, "The Kintners of Monroe County P.A. and Related Families," and a book called "Proprietary Supply and State Tax List, 1772, Northampton, Pa."
Her latest project is something Kintner literally stumbled into.
"I was hiking with my husband, and I tripped over a gravestone," Kintner laughes.
That stone belonged to the now-abandoned Overfield Cemetery, the resting place of Martin Overfield, a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and his family. The discovery led to what would become a year-long investigation into the stories behind local cemeteries.
Kintner soon became aware of other such cemeteries in the area and realized that their marginalized status marks a gaping hole in the appreciation of the area's rich local history.
"People tend to forget the people who made the area, the hopes they had for themselves and their families, and the things they stood for. This area has been around since before the Declaration of Independence," Kintner says.
Discovery and remembrance were key to the book's conception, not with the strict aim of memorializing the past, but in order to link it to the present, revealing a rich, integrated history.
"It's a way of connecting to family and identity," she says. "It's part of belonging to a place, of saying, This is where I'm from.' It's important to know where your roots are."
What Kintner discovered is that people with roots in the Smithfields have a legacy to be proud of. She says that throughout American history, the area's location between Philadelphia and New Jersey has made it a high-traffic area, and centuries of American travel are chronicled in local cemeteries.
"Chances are that, no matter when your ancestors came to this country, they passed through here at some point," Kintner says.
As interesting to Kintner as the results of her efforts is the process of piecing history together, an effort she likens to an investigation. "It only takes one key to unlock a mystery," she says.
Kintner isn't fazed if these overlooked historical mysteries happen to involve "spooky" abandoned graveyards. She says that some have found this interest in cemeteries morbid, but this misses her true purpose in writing the book.
The history of an area is often preserved in cemeteries, long after other forms of recorded history have vanished.
"You leave bits and pieces behind," Kintner says. "We leave behind in the way we live our lives, and the way we contribute to society."
Kintner says that she hopes her books will be part of her own legacy.
She also provides some valuable advice for local people seeking to build their own legacies by tracing family history, or those who are simply interested in discovering more about Pocono history.
Monroe County Historical Association in Stroudsburg is a rich resource for local information.
Kintner says that in her own research, Hughes Library on Route 611, Stroud Township, has proved to be an invaluable resource.
"They have a great local section on the second floor, and a reading area that is perfect for research," she said.
In tracing family history, Kintner says that the Internet is a fine primary source, but advises history-hunters to always confirm their sources.
"I've come across some really fantastic stories on the Internet," she says. "The problem is they're often better stories than they are accurate history."
Ultimately, it's truth that sparks the imagination of the author.
"I got into writing because I'm a born storyteller," she declares. "Fact is a lot more fun than fiction."
"The Cemeteries of Middle Smithfield and Smithfield Township, Pa." is published by Lulu Press. You may order it at http://www.lulu.com/flowerchild.
The downloaded version costs $13.03; print edition, $20.95. The book is also for sale at Monroe County Historical Association in Stroudsburg, and Minisink Trading Post on River Road, Minisink Hills.
http://www.epcommunitynews.com/archives/2004/bac92159.htm |
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Taphophilia?
taphophilia (taf′ō-fil′ē-ă)
ORIGIN:
From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"
DEFINITION: 1. An excessive interest in graves and cemeteries. 2. A love or fondness for funerals, graves, and cemeteries. 3. In psychiatry, a morbid attraction to graves and cemeteries
Quote Repository
“But cypresses and cedars, the zephyrs impregnate by pure fragrances, perennial green leaning over the urns for eternal memory, and precious vases to collect the votive tears.” from 'Sepolcri' by Ugo Foscolo
Shirtless and Sculpted
The Men of Mortuaries 2008 Calendar is now available! All sale proceeds benefit KAMMCARES, a breast cancer foundation.
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