Despite pleas from descendants of the town’s namesake, the Davisburg Cemetery will not have a historical marker paid for with Springfield Township funds.
After unsatisfactory results from the Michigan State Historical Commission, township officials researched prices for an independently produced bronze marker to recognize the origin and significance of the cemetery. The cost and the lack of official state designation, however, led trustees to reject the proposal.
Quotes from three vendors ranged from $2,500 to $3,774.
“I really don’t feel a need to have a sign in there for $2,500,” Trustee David Hopper said at the Thursday, Sept. 11 board meeting, summarizing the feelings of several trustees. “We could spend it all better somewhere else.”
In March 2002, the Springfield Township Board approved an application seeking designation of the Davisburg Cemetery as a state historical site. That would qualify the cemetery for an official bronze marker similar to those seen at other points of interest throughout the state.
The state agency approved the designation, but offered different wording for the marker and said the township must pay $2,705 for a two-sided sign (despite the local request for one side only). In addition, state regulation say the marker would be owned by the state, although paid for by the local government.
The application was prepared by Clerk Nancy Strole and cemetery sexton Elaine Field-Smith, with suggested wording focusing on the donation of the cemetery land by Davisburg founder Cornelius Davis and the number of war veterans buried there.
State officials, using “secondary source” documents, added information about the cemetery “figuring prominently in the high profile murder of Dr. Nathan C. Hall, who was accused of poisoning his wife, Anna, in 1880.” The state-proposed text speaks of Anna Hall’s remains being exhumed, tested, reburied and discovered missing prior to a second planned disinterment in relation to the murder trial.
In July, the township board rejected that version of a sign. At the time, officials believed an appeal of the state agency’s decision would be futile, but it came up again last week.
“I do not feel [the state-proposed] wording was a slam to our community,” Fire Chief Charlie Oaks said. “I can’t believe that, if the board was that upset with that particular wording, that it could not somehow be changed.”
Supervisor Collin Walls read a letter from Judson Davis urging the township board to seek a revision from state officials. Carol Richards (another member of the extended Davis family) was present at the board meeting to urge the same, citing the potential revenue from tourists who use the state historical listings as a basis for their travels.
“[Judson Davis] is also taking issue with the language the historical society would have required, so that’s heading us down a slippery slope,” Clerk Nancy Strole said, reviewing the conversation with a state historical society staffer. “That individual made it clear, in no uncertain terms, verging on rudeness, that we pay the money but they decide. It’s not our decision as to what would appear on the sign.”
“I like the idea of having a sign, but it’s not going to be a ‘historical’ sign,” Trustee Margaret Bloom said.
“I think it’s an expensive sign for a cemetery, and I think we can utilize those funds in other areas,” Treasurer Jamie Dubre said.
Trustees Dean Baker and Dennis Vallad had been the most ardent supporters of the sign proposal, and questioned the change of heart.
“When this originally proposed, it was about a Michigan historical sign. We seemed to have a positive response to that,” Baker said. “I’m just a little confused that at first we were going to do this. Now it doesn’t seem to have the support.”
“I can see this is going nowhere, so we might just as well drop it,” Vallad said. He agreed to make that into a motion, but was the lone no vote on the record.