New collection on the Arizona Memory Project memorializes historic cemeteries

PHOENIX – The State of Arizona Research Library announces another new collection on the Arizona Memory Project. The Inventory of Historic Arizona Cemeteries collection was recently added by the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office.

The Inventory of Historic Arizona Cemeteries collection includes nearly 700 forms used during the Arizona Statehood Centennial Project in 2011-2012. This project was completed in conjunction with several other agencies and organizations with the intent of creating an inventory of historic cemeteries around the state. The inventory includes cemeteries that are at least 50 years old.

From the State Historic Preservation Office: “Arizona’s historic cemeteries represent a vital link between our present and past. They exist in every city and town as places of remembrance for departed family members, friends, and other citizens of our communities. Cemeteries strongly evoke a sense of place and in some instances are the only remaining property of a once-vital community.”

While the inventory forms do not include the names of those buried in the cemeteries, they do include GPS coordinates, ownership information, and age of the cemeteries.  The collection will be available indefinitely and can be viewed on any digital device at http://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/custom/shpo.

For questions about this or any digital collection, or for cultural institutions interested in sharing collections on the Arizona Memory Project, contact [email protected].

The Arizona Memory Project provides free online access to the wealth of primary sources in Arizona archives, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. The Arizona Memory Project is supported by the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.        

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