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Commission hears plan for 'find-a-grave' Pioneer Cemetery database and ArcGIS mapping pilot
Summary
Staff said an employee is compiling a Pioneer Cemetery database to publish on the city website as a local find-a-grave tool; the project will require volunteers, photos, parameter decisions (date cutoffs) and use of an ArcGIS cemetery app, and is expected to take months into fall 2026.
A staff member reported that collections staffer Shanna is leading a project to document the Pioneer Cemetery and create an online "find-a-grave" resource on the city website.
Staff described the work as labor-intensive: photographing markers, compiling names and dates, and agreeing on inclusion parameters (examples discussed included cutoffs such as 1890, 1900 or 1950 to limit scope). She asked commissioners and volunteers to help with fieldwork once the compiled list is ready. "Shanna...is currently working on, the Pioneer Cemetery, and she is trying to, go through each and every person on the Pioneer Cemetery," the staff member said.
Staff also demonstrated a demo ArcGIS app designed for cemetery databases that can store photos, names and memos and export to a web link. The commission discussed using the app to build a searchable public resource and agreed to assist with data collection as the project progresses; staff said the work could take a year and will proceed in stages.
