Children's Cemetery - Mt. Etna PA

    

  If you have ever heard the name Mt. Etna, you probably think of the old furnace that is now under the care of the Blair County Historical Society. Of those familiar with the site, very few know about Children's Cemetery. The cemetery above Mt. Etna is now in complete disarray and has not had many visitors over the past hundred or so years. From what little information I could discover, they placed the cemetery far up the hill from Mt. Etna due to the outbreaks of small pox and disease in the 1850's. Most of the graves are unreadable or broken, but few that still stand and date from 1832-1859. 

   

  To get to the cemetery I had to use what little information I had, as well as, satellite images. After planning our course, my friend Dakotah and I made our walk through tall weeds, thorns, and brush. The Cemetery at one time had a wire fence enclosing it. Once we arrived there was only a small 4 foot by 2 foot gap in the brush to enter the Cemetery area. It was an eerie feeling stepping into the old cemetery. The trees and dense brush surrounded the site and only let a small amount of light into the hollowed ground. We didn't think to bring a flash light in mid day; nevertheless, we were able to read and get a few photographs of the remaining stones.

      After paying our respects we left the old cemetery. I began to wonder on our way back to the car how many those graves were unmarked and how long had it been since the last people had been to that old cemetery. It is a shame that so many of these old resting places have fallen out of the community's knowledge. I can only hope that my writings will keep these bits of our history alive for future generations.