A shocking discovery was made by a woman when she went to visit a cemetery. "Jane", who wishes to remain anonymous, was looking to uncover the past when she says the resting place was being used as a cow pasture.
"I was furious. The cemetery just looks annihilated. There's cow feces all over all the stones," Jane explains what the cemetery in the Edgington/Taylor Ridge area looked like. "They're there just in there walking around on the stones. The stones are snapping like twigs. I mean, those stones are from the 1800's."
She is hoping there are laws to protect what she discovered. David Blanchette of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency says there are. "Under state law there is no prohibition on grazing livestock on cemetery property, however, the state law does state any damage to any of the cemetery property or tombstones that are located on that property, then those responsible for the livestock could be held liable for that damage."
This isn't something new, Blanchette adds. Things like this happens more than you think.
Jane says she did file a police report with the Rock Island Sheriff's Department; however, the cows were not removed. She does plan to pursue this further.
"I was furious. The cemetery just looks annihilated. There's cow feces all over all the stones," Jane explains what the cemetery in the Edgington/Taylor Ridge area looked like. "They're there just in there walking around on the stones. The stones are snapping like twigs. I mean, those stones are from the 1800's."
She is hoping there are laws to protect what she discovered. David Blanchette of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency says there are. "Under state law there is no prohibition on grazing livestock on cemetery property, however, the state law does state any damage to any of the cemetery property or tombstones that are located on that property, then those responsible for the livestock could be held liable for that damage."
This isn't something new, Blanchette adds. Things like this happens more than you think.
Jane says she did file a police report with the Rock Island Sheriff's Department; however, the cows were not removed. She does plan to pursue this further.
