DuPage Forest Preserve leaves 1865 cemetery unmarked

The DuPage County Forest Preserve District owns a burial ground in Wayne Township that dates to 1865. The site, known as the Adams-Haviland Cemetery, holds the remains of at least 11 people. The district has decided to leave the location unmarked and unfenced to protect it from disturbance.

Local historian Adam Gibbons discovered the site last spring. He had been studying an 1874 map of Wayne Township that showed a cross marking the boundary of Clark Adams' property. Gibbons walked the terrain and found a single intact stone hidden in the brush. The marker identifies the deceased simply as Adams, who died on December 25, 1865, at the age of 32. The stone also features a quote from the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Gibbons also located a second headstone in better condition. It belongs to Frances, wife of H. Adams, who died on February 1, 1873. This stone had already been moved to another location within Wayne.

Kevin Horsfall, the district's director of planning and development, said the organization bought the land from developer Oliver Hoffman in 2006 or 2007. Hoffman had planned to build a golf course on the property. The district intervened to preserve the land as open space. Acquisition files included photos of the headstone Gibbons found and two others.

Horsfall explained in an email that the district follows a specific stewardship practice for such sites. Drawing attention to remote locations can increase the risk of vandalism, particularly where staff do not have a regular presence. Marking a site can put it at risk. The district protects these areas by limiting disruption, an approach that aligns with state recommendations and its mission to preserve cultural resources.

Brandon Damm, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, noted that unregistered cemeteries are protected under the Illinois Human Remains Protection Act. However, there is no legal requirement for a landowner to maintain them. Typically, local individuals or groups take on such projects, which requires a permit from the IDNR.

Karen Armbrust, president of the Wayne Historical Preservation Society, stated that her group is not seeking to maintain or mark the cemetery. The organization has spoken with the Forest Preserve in the past. Both parties agree that limiting attention to the area helps prevent further vandalism, which has already occurred.

Gibbons found the land belonged to Clark Adams, a farmer from Dutchess County, New York. Adams arrived in Wayne Township in 1845 and bought 120 acres south of the current village of Wayne. In 1863, he sold the farm to Milton C. Haviland. The deed excluded a half-acre plot, which included the quarter-acre cemetery. Adams had deeded that land to four local men for use as a burial place. The price paid for the land was $20. Gibbons believes a sign should be erected to mark the burial place of these pioneer settlers.