"History, as well as life itself, is complicated: neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency."
-Jared Diamond, geographer, historian, and ornithologist in How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
I named this cache "X" in deference to the folks who were buried here - most of them anonymously, due to the circumstances of their deaths. If life and history sometimes make us uncomfortable, death inherently makes us cringe, and rightfully so. It's especially hard to accept death when when people are cut down violently and/or before their time, and then when they cannot be remembered because we don't - or we didn't - know their names. Welcome to Potter's Field. Stages 1 and 2 are virtual and located within the cemetery itself. Usual norms of respectful behavior for the souls buried here (only visit between dawn and dusk, no running, yelling, etc.) are assumed. You're probably going to come across some information here that makes you uncomfortable (I did!), but remember: show respect, and come prepared to confront some complicated local history.
I marked the "Dangerous Area" attribute because parking at the gates is right off a busy, relatively narrow street, and since this area is pretty rural, drivers are not used to pedestrians near the side of the road. Be careful!
As you approach posted coords, you'll see on your right two metal signs giving the history of Potter's Field. You'll use the left sign to answer A and B and the right sign to answer C and D. Then you'll head to the Grave Site waypoint to get E and F. The final - not located within the cemetery - is a pill bottle. The cache is located at:
N 41 19. ABC W 95 59.DEF
A = Second digit of the year in which this area was re-consecrated
B = Number of organizations mentioned in the second paragraph
C = The table at the bottom of the sign lists decades in which people were buried here. What's the final digit in each of the second years given for each decade?
D = Number of letters in the name of the library mentioned at the bottom of the sign, divided by 2 (Do not count the word "Library.")
E = Last digit in the year of this person's death
F = Number of letters in the method of this person's death, plus 2
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
Placed By A Nebraskache Member