At the foot of the runway 10 of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, there are two graves of Richard and Catherine Dotson who were buried where they once owned the land it occupies.
A Rich Agricultural Heritage
Richard Dotson and his spouse Catherine were working on the land called Cherokee Hills for half a century of their married life. This historical building was the residence for this family until their death in the last part of the 1800’s. He and Mrs. Wilson were buried on the farm in a family cemetery, which was a sign that an era of farming ended.
Transformation of the Land
This stability of Cherokee Hills disturbed in 1942 when the U.S. government decided to use the land for military purpose during WWII. With an expansion of the area into a military zone, it became evident that most graves occupying the site would have to be moved to other sites. However, the graves of Richard and Catherine Dotson were left undisturbed, along with two other family graves: John Dotson and Daniel Hueston, as requested by the families of their beloved relatives.
Then again, challenges of progression are inevitable and worthy to preserve memory.
The officials of the Savannah airport, therefore understood the need for mitigating the impacts of ending Richard and Catherine’s tomb under the airport runway. Rationally they decided to preserve it and placed some specific headstones so that traffic of the airport cannot overrun the memory of Dotsons.
A Haunting Legacy
As for Savannah, everyone knows it’s one of the most haunted cities in America, and now the Dotsons are history. They are located under the airport runway and enhance the attractiveness of Savannah since people are interested in historical existence. The values and experiences of the couple are still present in the city and symbolically connected to the changes of the land.
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