Evergreen Cemetery Company of Bonaventure records

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Historical Society Creator: Evergreen Cemetery Company of Bonaventure (Savannah, Ga.) Title: Evergreen Cemetery Company of Bonaventure records Dates: 1868-1907 Extent: 2.0 cubic feet (6 volumes, 1 folder) Identification: MS 0242

Biographical/Historical Note

The Bonaventure plantation tract along the St. Augustine Creek was purchased from Commodore by Peter Wiltberger in 1847. Wiltberger began developing the property as the Evergreen Cemetery of Bonaventure and it was opened for burials in 1850. Peter Wiltberger's son, William H. Wiltberger, was involved with the operation of the cemetery and following his father's death he formed the Evergreen Cemetery Company of Bonaventure. Wiltberger sold the property to stockholders of the company in 1869. The company regulated the sale of lots and perpetual care. From 1880 until its sale in 1907, John H. Estill served as president of the company. The cemetery was purchased by the City of Savannah in 1907 and is still in operation as Bonaventure Cemetery.

Scope and Content Note

The Evergreen Cemetery Company of Bonaventure records includes six volumes of the company's accounts and one folder of loose papers containing minutes of the company's meetings, resolutions, balance sheets, notices regarding perpetual care, and correspondence. Records are dated 1873 to 1907.

Index Terms

Account books. Bonaventure Cemetery (Savannah, Ga.) Bylaws (administrative records) Cashbooks. Cemeteries--Georgia. Estill, John Holbrook, 1840-1907. Evergreen Cemetery Company of Bonaventure (Savannah, Ga.) Ledgers (account books) Letters (correspondence) Minutes (administrative records) Wiltberger, William H., 1825-1872.

Administrative Information

Custodial History

Unknown.

Preferred Citation

[item identification], Evergreen Cemetery Company of Bonaventure records, MS 242, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.

Acquisition Information Unknown.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Sponsorship

Encoding funded by a 2012 Documenting Democracy grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Container List

Volume

1 List of subscribers; minutes of the meetings of the lot owners; bylaws, rules and regulations; minutes of the Board of Managers, 1868 June 12-1869 June 11; 1869 June 11-1907 July 12

Volume

2 Account book including stock, expenses, and income, 1868-1907

Volume

3 Cash book, 1869 June 11-1907 June 1

Volume

4 Account book including construction accounts, dividends, profit and loss, 1869 May 20- 1907 September 30

Volume

5 Stock ledger, 1869-1906

Volume

6 Cash book, 1904 January 4-1907 August

Fldr

1 Loose papers including meeting minutes, resolutions, correspondence, accounts, lists of names, 1837-1907 ( 24.0 items. )