The Carmi Public Library and the White County Historical Society will be sponsoring a book signing and talk by Michael J. McNerney on his recently published book: A Shape in Time and Space: The Migration of the Necked Discoid Gravemarker – The Illinois Sample. This publication is the result of over 22 years of survey and research in the southeastern U.S. and 4 foreign countries. A signing will be held on Monday November 13 at 4:00 P.M. at the Carmi Library. The author will speak and sign again at the fall meeting of the White County Historical Society at the First Christian Church later that evening..
Following the publication of Early Pioneer Gravestones of Pope County (1994), McNerney and Meyer continued to track the “effigy or anthropomorphic” marker style from the North Carolina Coast made in wood all the way to Oklahoma. This effort has resulted in a huge U.S. sample of the style drawn from 14 states, 79 counties, and 185 cemeteries. Approximately 485 markers were recorded of which 333 have inscribed death dates and surnames. In addition, the book documents the marker style in Ireland, Spain and beyond.
Because this large sample was too much for a single book, the Illinois Sample was expanded from the 8 cemeteries in Pope County and the new publication has recorded 41 cemeteries and 81 markers in 12 counties of southern Illinois. In White County three markers of the style were recorded and the Enfield cemetery. Major discoveries were also made in Hamilton, Jefferson, and Perry Counties. The large U.S. sample provides an excellent cultural, economic, technological and migratory context of nearly 300 years in which to compare the Illinois sample and explore the growth of the nation.
