Todd County historian reports cemetery mapping project and school outreach

Gary Violet, introduced by the presiding official as the county historian, updated the Todd County Fiscal Court on ongoing historical projects and outreach.

Violet said he has compiled a digital map that pins old and lost cemeteries across Todd County, and that residents frequently contact him with genealogy questions. He described field work at Mount Sharon Cemetery and other sites while researching land transfers and early residents; he cited an example of locating possible burial sites for a locally significant early settler.

Violet also described identifying two unidentified men in an older courthouse photograph by cross-referencing local records, identifying Kemp Mallory Stokes as an Elkton police chief in the 1930s–1940s and sharing images with descendants.

In addition to research, Violet runs an education outreach program called 'Todd County Tuesdays' in which he visits eighth-grade classes to teach local history. He said students responded well to object-based lessons (for example, passing around an L&N depot doorknob) and local railroad history.

Court members thanked Violet for his work and asked a few brief follow-up questions; Violet offered to research a few outstanding queries (for example, the date the Clifty water tower was built) and report back.

Next steps: Violet will supply follow-up details requested by the court and continue the mapping and outreach program.