LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Contractors are digging up a cemetery in Pleasure Ridge Park that has been around for hundreds of years.
Graves of at least two different Louisville family trees dating back to the 1800s are being relocated from Greenwood Road to Bethany Memorial Cemetery, just down Dixie Highway.
It's part of a Kentucky road expansion project to improve safety. State and local officials said getting the necessary space meant clearing the neighborhood site and relocating what's underground.
However, some locals are disgusted with the move, saying it's wrong to disturb a resting place - especially one with limited records. They're questioning whether the process is being done respectfully.
"It was kind of an open area, back when we moved here when we were kids," said Mickey Paul, who has lived in PRP his whole life.
The family burial ground in Southwest Jefferson County has been kept up by the community for years, largely by unrelated neighbors like Paul.
"[Some] came in and cleaned it up, and redid the headstones," Paul said. "Every now and then, they needed a hand. I was here to help."
Now, Paul said he's seeing a site that is etched into his childhood - being dug into.
"It's really just an archeological site to me now," he said.
Nearly a year ago, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and Louisville Metro Councilman Rick Blackwell (District 12) decided to expand Greenwood Rd. Greenwood is currently a two-lane road, but this project is set to create an extra turn lane and sidewalks for safety.
"You got PRP High School. You have Greenwood Elementary there as well, and students walking," Councilman Blackwell said.
Diggers at the site said there's a lot they still don't know about the cemetery - coined as the Slack Family Cemetery. Workers put several stakes into the ground this week - many of which are marked as "unknown."
At least 13 boxes already have been used to hold family members who have long passed and workers expect to find a few more in the coming days.
"One of the concerns [from locals] is that we're moving bodies," Councilman Blackwell said.
Blackwell, who oversees the district, said all families were notified prior to digging and that this isn't costing them anything financially. He said each family will be given a spot at Bethany Memorial Cemetery, just 10 minutes away.
"You're moving them to a place where they're going to be professionally maintained," Councilman Blackwell said.
Meanwhile Paul, as a landscaper himself, told WHAS11 that he understands the process - to a degree.
"The state needs the right of way, so they're doing what they see as appropriate," Paul said.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet workers said they have all the necessary permits and expect to be finished with the relocation by Thursday. We're told family members will travel to Bethany Memorial Cemetery to watch the reburial.
Statement from KYTC:
"The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is committed to ensuring a respectful process when grave relocations are necessary. The Cabinet conducted a thorough process before any work was performed, which involved archaeologists, the State Historic Preservation Office, and next of kin. The final resting site will include monuments recognizing each grave and signage identifying the original location of the graves."
Contact reporter Isaiah Kim-Martinez at ikimmartin@whas11.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@isaiah_km) and Facebook.
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