The site: Dunlap Cemetery is in Pleasant Township, on land which was originally claimed by Linus Dunlap in 1871. Much like other areas in the Midwest, this area saw a surge in migration after the Civil War, and settlers soon needed a place to bury their dead. The first burial here was an infant in 1874 belonging to Thomas and Rebecca McKnight. Many of the early settlers of Pleasant Township are buried here, including the landowner Linus Dunlap.
Land ownership around Dunlap Cemetery, according to the 1905 Standard Atlas of Butler County, Kansas. The location of the cemetery on Linus Dunlap's land is outlined in green.
The story: A Civil War veteran who went to war at age 15 and was lucky enough to come home uninjured, Thomas McKnight married Rebecca (Morse) in 1866, and they came to Kansas together in 1871 with two young children. As an early settler, Thomas was later said to be "one of the heroes who helped build up Butler county." Ahira McKnight, fourth child born to Thomas and Rebecca McKnight, died in 1874 at 9 months old. It is not known what caused Ahira's death, but he died during the height of the Grasshopper Plague of 1874, which was devestating to many farmers in Kansas, and would have been a extremely traumatic blow to the McKnight family at an already difficult time. Linus Dunlap - friend, neighbor, and leader in the community - donated a portion of his land for the burial of the infant.
Thomas and Rebecca McKnight and their 11 children prior to his death.
After the loss of Ahira, the McKnight family prospered and thrived in Pleasant Township for 20 years, and Thomas McKnight was a successful farmer and father by all accounts. Together with Rebecca, they raised 11 children on their farm in Pleasant Township. In 1895, when their youngest daughter was just three years old (pictured above on Rebecca's lap), Thomas died suddenly on his farm of heart failure at 49. His death was a shock to the community, his wife Rebecca, and the children he left behind. Thomas is buried next to his infant son Ahira at Dunlap Cemetery.
Fifteen years after the death of Thomas, Rebecca remarried a local man named Hugh Baker, but not much is known about their relationship. Hugh's wife had died a few years prior, and their children were all grown (two died as infants). Rebecca remained active in the community, and her activities and travels with her children and grandchildren were often reported in the local papers. Rebecca died at home in 1922, surrounded by all of her children but one, who was reported in her obituary as sending a telegram saying he would "prefer to remember mother as when here."
Rebecca was buried by her husband Thomas and her infant son, Ahira. Her second husband Hugh was interred at Branson Cemetery by his first wife, Ann.
The cache: The placement of this cache was inspired by Marble Town #20---Cumberland Cemetery. If you've grabbed that one, this one should have a familiar feel. You're looking for a small black pill container with room for a log only, no swag. The cache is placed in the only tree that is inside the cemetery. You shouldn't need to worry about ticks, thorns, or barbed wire here -- this should be a quick and easy grab for kids and adults, but might require a little thinking. If you're stuck, check the obvious spot closely for something unnatural.