On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, a contractor crew working in the area of the 200-Block of Park Street in Yorkville, Illinois inadvertently unearthed skeletal remains while performing water main repairs.

Upon the arrival of Kendall County Coroner's Office personnel, the remains were identified as human in origin, and an investigation was launched in partnership with the Yorkville Police Department. During the initial investigation, KCCO and YPD were contacted by the Kendall County Historical Society and multiple community members, who identified the site as the former location of the "Bristol Burying Grounds", a cemetery from the mid-1800s which had since been converted to a residential neighborhood. Based on the location and condition of the bones, as well as consultation with Dr. Anne Grauer of the Loyola University Chicago Bioarcheology Lab, it was determined that the found remains were historical in nature.

Over the next two days, multiple government agencies and community organizations assisted the Coroner's Office in processing the site to collect any remains which had been inadvertently disturbed during the public works project.  As a result of this effort, well over 100 individual bones belonging to a single individual were recovered and sent to Loyola University Chicago for analysis. 

In late June 2024, Dr. Grauer provided the Coroner's Office with a comprehensive report of her anthropological analysis, which indicated that the remains belonged to a Caucasian female who was between 18 and 25 years at the time of death, and no evidence of trauma or foul play had been located. Based on the history of the site (see below), it is estimated that the individual had been buried at that location for approximately 175 years at the time of discovery.

Due to the age and condition of the remains, traditional scientific identification methods, such as DNA or dental records, were not possible. Extensive research into available historical records and oral history of the area was conducted to attempt to identify the individual. 

Based on over 100 hours of Coroner's Office research, the following history of the Bristol Burying Grounds was uncovered:

• The burying grounds ceased operations at some point after 1870. The burying grounds are shown on the 1870 plat map of the village of Bristol (now part of the United City of Yorkville), and in all subsequent maps, the burying grounds are absent. It is unknown how many individuals were relocated after the closure of the burying grounds, but a number of gravesites within Elmwood confirm that some graves were reinterred, since the individuals' dates of death pre-date the creation of Elmwood Cemetery. A handful of headstones were also moved from the burying grounds and placed near the entrance of Elmwood and do not have associated gravesites. It is believed that the individuals associated with those headstones may have been left at the site of the original burying grounds. A listing of the headstones was compiled by local resident Elmer Dickson prior to his death.
  
  
• At some point in the 1920s, a community-wide effort was undertaken to assist families in relocating their loved-ones who remained at the site of the burying grounds to Elmwood.  This information was learned through oral history from descendants of prominent Kendall County residents.
• In 1958, two additional individuals were unearthed during a public works project in the former burying grounds and were relocated to Elmwood. This information was located through archived news articles from the time.

Using Mr. Dickson's list of missing individuals and the identifying characteristics of the remains found in 2024, only one matching individual was located who was originally interred at the burying grounds but did not have a new gravesite at Elmwood, Lucy M. Crater. Ms. Crater was born around July of 1828 and died on September 13, 1848, at 20 years and 2 months of age. Unfortunately, at that point in the state's history, birth and death certificates were not yet required to be filed with county authorities, so no record exists as to her cause and manner of death.

At this point, the Coroner's Office staff turned their attention to tracing Ms. Crater's genealogical lineage and attempting to locate living next-of-kin. Over the course of the research, the Coroner's Office was able to identify 5 ancestors and 188 indirect descendants, some of which had connections to other prominent Kendall County families, such as the Beecher and Sanders families. Of the 193 total individuals, staff was able to identify several living descendants in multiple states.

On July 3, 2024, using specialized databases, staff was able to successfully contact 3 descendants in Illinois, Iowa, and Texas. After speaking with all three individuals, it was decided that the most respectful and appropriate course of action was for the Coroner's Office to find Ms. Crater a final resting place at Elmwood Cemetery with her fellow Kendall County pioneers.

After speaking with the manager of the Elmwood Cemetery, the cemetery board has graciously offered to donate the burial plot for Ms. Crater and provide burial services at-cost. The Coroner's Office is currently working to determine the next steps in Ms. Crater's journey, and to balance a respectful interment while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.

Throughout this process, the Kendall County Coroner's Office was assisted by numerous volunteers, community organizations, and allied agencies, including, but not limited to: Yorkville Police Department, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services, Loyola University Chicago Bioarcheology Lab, Indian Valley Vocational Center Law Enforcement Program, Yorkville Public Works Department, United City of Yorkville Administration, Kendall County Historical Society, Kendall County Clerk's Office, Kendall Township Clerk, Elmwood Cemetery Board and Kendall County Facilities Management.

The Kendall County Coroner's Office wishes to emphasize that Ms. Crater was a cherished member of her family and a pioneer of Kendall County. Our commitment is to ensure that all individuals under our care receive the highest level of compassion and respect. Despite this unintended occurrence, we remain steadfast in honoring Ms. Crater with the dignity that she deserves.

Click here to view the Full Crater Family Tree (Known living individuals redacted for privacy).