Form 10-306 (Oct. 1972)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

FOR FEDERAL PROPERTIES(Type all entries - complete applicable sections)

•TATE:

_____MissouriCOUNTY!

ClavFOR NPS USE ONLY

E.NTRY DATE

I

Aker CemeteryAND/OR HISTORIC:

STREET AND NUMBERl

NW1/4. NWl/4» NW1/4. Sec. 18CITY OR TOWN:

Smithville

T. 54 N.. R. 32 W.

STATE:

MissouriCODE

29

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:

6thCOUNTY!

ClayCODE

047

CATEGORY (Check One;

Diitrict Q Building

Sit* (~| Structuro

O Obj.ct

OWNERSHIP

E Public

[~) Privoto

Q Both

Public Acquisition:

r~l In Procoss

Q Being Consldarod

STATUS

[~| Occupied

[jp Unoccupied

I I Preservation work

in progress

ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC

Yes:

CD Restricted

1T1 Unrestricted

a NOPRESENT USE (Chuck One or More •• Approprltl*)

I I Agricultural

I I Commercial

[ I Educational

I I Entertainment

overnment

[~r Industrial

D Military

[D Porkf~~| Private Residence

O Religious

Q Scientific

T~l Transportation

C] Other (Spicily)Pasture

I I Comments

U.S. Army Corps of EngineersREGIONAL HEADQUARTERS:

Kansas Cltiv DistrictCITY OR TOWN:.

Kansas City

STREET AND NUMBER:

601 East 12 tlL Street TATE:

Missouri 64106CODE

29

COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OP DEED*. ETC:

Clay Court. Registry of DeedsSTREET AND NUMBER:

f> O

Z

CITY OR TOWN:

Liberty

STATE:

Missouri

CODE

29

TITLE OF SURVEY:

No published survey of this area concerning historical sites andDATE OF SURVEY: Federal f~l County Local

DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS:

STREET AND NUMBER:

CITY OR TOWN: STATE: COOK

CONDITIONQ Excellent [~1 Good Q Fair

(Check One)

(21 Deteriorated

(Cheek One)

D Altered QC] Unaltered

f~~| Ruini Q Unexpoied

(Check One)

1 I Moved Q£J Original Site

DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (II known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

The Aker Cemetery is located about 3 miles northeast of the city of Smithville, Clay County, Missouri, in NW%, NW%, NWfc Sec* 18, T-54-N, R-32-W.

The Cemetery is in a deteriorated condition with the stones lying on the ground. The site is within a wooded area with very little undergrowth present because of heavy shade from the large trees. The area is grassed and several large limbs are scattered around the area.

At the site, there are 10 markers of commercial variety with the following information: ......

d. August 21, 1835John Aker Mary AkerCharlotta McMillan Infant son of R&C McMillan

Susan Fry Sarah Fry Mahuldah Poteet Archie Cavender Novellah Aker George Cavender Rosanna McMillan

d. April 4, 1881d. December 20, 1870

no dated. December 11, 1863 d. December 17, 1863 d. July 27, 1871 d. January 20, 1882 Born 1862 d. No date d. September 18, 1881d. October 7, 1855

In addition to the commercial markers, there are fieldstones that have been set to mark gravest Depressions in the ground also indicated graves. It is estimated that .there are 25 graves counting the commercial stones, fieldstones, and depressions.

The original physical appearance is not known.

m m

70CoH

O Z

PERIOD (Check On* or More ae Appropriate.)

f~l Pre-Columbian Q l«th Century

(~| 15th Century Q 17th Century

Q 18th Century

[Xl 19th Century

(~l 20th Century

SPECIFIC DATE(S> (II Appllctbl* mnd Known) nAREA* OF SIGNIFICANCE fCneek One or More e« Appropriate^

Aboriginal

I | Prehistoric

d Historic

I | Agriculture

I I Architecture

I I Commerce

|~~1 Communications

I I Conservation

| | Education

Q Engineering

Q Industry

(~~l Invention

I I Landscape

Architecture

(~l Literature

Q Military

CD Music

Q PoliticalQ Religion/Phi-

losophy

[ I Science

I I Sculpture

QJ Social/Human-

I tori an .

f^] Theater

f~l Transportation

f~l Urban Planning

Q Other (Sptcllr)

Z

or-

U 3 06

uIU

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The Aker Cemetery was started as the family burial plot for the first white settlers in the Platte River valley above the present community of Smithville, Missouri. John and Mary Aker accumulated 500 acres of land after first entering land from the Government in 1828. John Aker was born in Pennsylvania in 1785 to German parents. In 1812 he married Mary Sidener also of German decent. John and Mary Aker migrated from Kentucky to Clay County, Missouri, with several small children. The Akers had a total of 12 children. Members of other early families in the area are also buried in the cemetery, some of who had married into the Aker family.

The Aker Cemetery is the only remaining evidence of the initial settlers in the area as the original homestead buildings have been destroyed. The most recent known burial in the cemetery was 92 years ago.This cemetery was not officially listed as such nor has it been commer cially maintained. Its existence and location became known at the acquisi tion of land for the authorized Smithville Dam and Lake. The cemetery is located on the crest of a wooded hill presently overlooking the Platte River valley. Plans for the Smithville.,project propose the development of the hill for public recreational use. The cemetery will be above the full pool elevation of the completed Smithville Lake, and not subject to inun- ' dation. The'wooded area surrounding the cemetery provides a very picturesqu setting from which an overview of the completed Smithville Lake will be afforded. The integrity of the cemetery and setting can be maintained with out major effort or expenditure of funds.Local historical groups have become very interested in the cemetery and have done considerable research concerning the decendents of those buried in the Aker cemetery. The local sponsors, that will cooperatively develop the recreation facilities for public use of the Smithville Lake, have expressed an interest in the cemetery. They propose to develop the area with the cemetery being an historic and cultural site as the central theme of the entire proposed public use area. The planned development will assure the maintenance and protection of the cemetery, and also make it available for public visitation, study, and enjoyment.

At this time the local sponsor for the public use area is Clay County.

-•

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES . DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY «

—————— , —————————————— : ——— , _______________ - | CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes SecondsNW ? . • . " . ° . • .. - v. ." NE . * ' "''"",. ° ' , ." "

SW ° ' ' " ° . '

mrnmmLATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES

1 DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES

LATITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds

39° 22:' 10"•'*"*""'"•

APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: .5 "...

LONGITUDE

Degrees Minutes94 -° - 32 •-''

•> \ *-• • -• -

Seconds27'"

LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIESSTATE: — - CODE

" ' ' '. . ' • •

STATE: ' ' CODE

STATE:^ .... . . CODE

.....-.-- _. - ... 'STATE: , CODE

COUNTY: ' • -.. . ;'"' .- .• - -

COUNTY: -...--••••

COUNTVl • ,.. - -. •

COUNTY: .......

NAME AND TITLE: : ; " ; • •'• •" " '

COL W. R. NEEDHAM, District Engineer'BUSINESS ADDRESS: •- " ' -.

Corps of Engineers. Kansas Citv District .STREET AND NUMBER: " ••'••' '•" .

601 East 12th Street,. 700 Federal Bulldim*CITY OR TOWN! " ' -

Kansas Citv "^p:iiilft:^i^^l^^ii^^^^fa^^^fe^^^^^^^^^^?State Liaison Officer recommendation: -, . -• - r -

O Yes • ...--, . . . ... • -.- CDNo. -, . - . - - - ..-- t .- ,,. 1 — 1 None . .- - • • -.-,-..

State Lialton Of/Jeer Signature

In compliance with Executive Order 1 1 593, I hereby nominate this property to the National -Register, certify ing that the State Liaison Officer has been' allowed 90 ,- days in which to present the nomination to the State Re view Board and to evaluate its significance. The recom mended level of significance is I I National 1 1 State f~l Local

Federal Repremtntalive Signature Dale

Title

STATE

Missouri

CODE

CODE

CODE

CODE

DATEl

24 January 1974•

PHONE!

816-374-3202 J'•: • "-••.'

mmimmmCODE

29iffKmf^mviissssfSi&iti*

1 hereby certify -that- this property- is included in the. •National -Register. ' ' ' . L- .- , . -.--.'

.:!:' ' '• .:'. ••• ' .'• ''"'.•-.-' • ' : ' J •.: ' ' ' -•:•.'-

••Director, Office of Archeology and Hletorlc Preservation

Date

ATTEST:

Keeper of TTie National Regleter

t*m m

zH 70Cn-i0z

GPO 938-449

Z

O

t-u

ceI- v»

ai ui

•Form 10-301 (July 1969)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR . NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

PROPERTY MAP FORM

(Type ail entries - attach to or enclose with map)

MlsSOUrl

ClayFOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMUEH

COMMON: Aker CemeteryAMD/OR HISTORIC!

|2.. LOCATIONSTREET AND MUM BERI

NW1/4, NW1/4. NW1/4. Sec 18. T. 54 N.. R. 32 W.CITY OR TOWN:

SmithvilleSTATE!

Missouri 29 Cl n/.7Is.-- MAP REFERENCE

USGS 7.5' Series (N3922.5-W943017.5MSCALE: 1:24000°* TE: IQfil

REQUfKEMsNTS___ ————— .TO DC INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS

1. Property broundorics wh«r« required.

2. North arrow.

3. Latitude and longitvda reference.

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DATE FI

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Aker

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