The tombstone of Arkansas’ first congressman, and the town of Yellville’s namesake, is crumbling and organizers hope a public campaign will raise enough money to replace it. A fundraiser kickoff event was held in late October.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports the 10-foot-tall obelisk that marks Archibald Yell’s grave at the Fayetteville Evergreen Cemetery is deteriorating into a fine, white powder.
During the past year, the cemetery association has raised about $13,000 of the $22,050 they need to construct and install a replica of Yell’s tombstone. Association members say they are launching a public campaign to raise the remaining money.
Yell was Arkansas’ first congressman in 1836 and second governor in 1840. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture says Yell County and Yellville were named after Yell.
Yell died in 1847 at the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican-American War.
The Fayeteville Evergreen Cemetery Association’s Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/pg/evergreencemeteryfayetteville/about/?ref=page_internal
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI