tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88663021203817800172011-04-21T17:03:41.740-07:00DanaYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08674407572699011065noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866302120381780017.post-40644729521816706872007-12-12T07:09:00.001-08:002008-12-09T02:53:06.109-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gp9M1af-TJI/R1_9NXLf4tI/AAAAAAAAAAM/U06B-_N8-L0/s1600-h/Pic+with+Blackbeard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gp9M1af-TJI/R1_9NXLf4tI/AAAAAAAAAAM/U06B-_N8-L0/s320/Pic+with+Blackbeard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143107705482765010" border="0" /></a><br />On Tuesday, December 4th, Blackbeard and I traveled to the rural area outside of Elkville, IL. I live a few miles outside of town on land that was originally settled by homesteaders of the early 1800's. My family continues to farm this land which has allowed for much of the original setting to remain the same. Only a half mile down the road from my house is the location of one of the original homesteader family cemeteries. Much of the area has grown up with weeds and some of the stones have fallen over or become unreadable over the many years. However, there are still many stones in which the names of those who are buried there are can still be read, along with dates of the 1800's in which they lived. I have always been very interested in these gravestones, and think it is fascinating to think of what the homesteader's lives would have been like. Some of these original homesteaders are even my ancestors whom have passed our land down through generations. During our trip, Blackbeard and I traveled a total of 32 miles in my car. The latitude and longitude coordinates for our destination are 37.93 (37 degrees, 55 feet) and -89.22 (-89 degrees and 13 feet).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8866302120381780017-4064472952181670687?l=danayblackbeard.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>DanaYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08674407572699011065noreply@blogger.com0