Category Archives: Harrisburg Black History

History of the people, places and lives that made up the Black Community in Central Pennsylvania from the 17th century through the 21st Century. Stories of Ancestors buried in Lincoln Cemetery and their families. Exploring the untold histories of Central Pennsylvania’s Black Cemeteries, Civil War Veterans, Underground Railroad Operatives, Entrepreneurs, Escaped Slaves, Craftsmen, Artists, Sports Stars, Medical Doctors, Midwives, Murderer, Tragedy, Love, and Family Life.

Uncovering Gravestones Uncovering History

Lincoln Cemetery

In Spring 2022 Rachael Keri Williams, founder of Saving Our Ancestors’ Legacy, was featured on Comcast Keystone Newsmakers about SOAL’s work restoring Harrisburg’s Lincoln Cemetery.

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Jim Crow’s Graveyard: The History of Harrisburg’s Black Cemeteries

Lincoln Cemetery

Lincoln Cemetery: Jim Crow’s Graveyard, Harrisburg’s Black Cemeteries & How There’s Only One Left It is time to tell the true history of Harrisburg’s Black Cemeteries. Lincoln Cemetery is Harrisburg’s oldest Black cemetery, but it was not founded in 1816, 1817, or 1827, as written iron on the cemetery’s front gates…The grounds … Continue reading →

SOAL Spotlight: Anna A. Amos

Lincoln Cemetery

Anna Eliza Williams was born on December 25, 1824, in France. She married Aquilla Amos, and they had six sons and two daughters together between 1844 and 1859. Serving different roles in various social organizations, Anna was committed to interconnected causes of temperance, women’s suffrage, and the betterment of the African American … Continue reading →

SOAL Spotlight: Thomas Morris Chester

Lincoln Cemetery

Thomas Morris Chester: Black Civil War Correspondent Thomas Morris Chester was the third child of George and Jane Chester, born in Harrisburg on May 11, 1834. He died in Harrisburg, Pa., Sept. 30, 1892, aged 58 and was buried in Harrisburg Lincoln Cemetery. Inheriting his mother’s courage, he created his legacy through … Continue reading →

SOAL Spotlight: Jane Marie Chester

Lincoln Cemetery

I am filled with gratitude to share our first SOAL spotlight of Black History Month, 2022! Please consider donating to our GoFundMe to support the continuous efforts to bring legacies to light and honorably restore the resting places of our ancestors Jane Marie Chester contributed to the abolitionist cause through connections to … Continue reading →

Burial Records

Lincoln Cemetery

Lincoln Cemetery Burial Records An example of two types of Harrisburg Lincoln Cemetery Burial Records that were digitized by SOAL: SavingOurAncestorsLegacy volunteers in 2021. Some of the other types include handwritten notebooks, family plot maps, record of payment, account ledgers, burial records compiled from funeral homes, and handwritten records of headstone inscriptions, … Continue reading →

Shocking Discovery

Lincoln Cemetery

The state of neglect and decay found when visiting Harrisburg’s Lincoln Cemetery was a shocking discovery for 2 visitors from Buffalo, NY. They found dug up human remains in one of Pennsylvania’s oldest Black Cemeteries. New York local stumbles upon a shocking discovery in a Dauphin County cemetery Learn More about what … Continue reading →