There are cemeteries in our country that are genuinely moving to visit.

Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is the location of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as the burial place of President John F. Kennedy. Gettysburg Cemetery has a spot where Abraham Lincoln delivered the greatest speech in American history, known as the Gettysburg Address.

We also have a cemetery in our own backyard that is also quite historic in its own way, but unfortunately has been greatly neglected over the years. It is the Williamsport Cemetery located on the corner of East Fourth and Penn streets in Williamsport.

For quite some time, the cemetery almost looked like it was abandoned. The grass had grown three to four feet high, the graves were unattended, and many of the headstones were so weathered that it was impossible to read them. Then, about eight years ago, a man by the name of Bill Welter, who was a member of the Ivy 106 Masonic Lodge in Williamsport, became so annoyed that the graves of fellow Masons were treated so shamefully, he decided to do something about it. He lived very close by, so on his own, he began to go to the cemetery on Saturdays and attempted to see what he could to improve the grounds.

It was a daunting task. The cemetery covers some eight acres, but Bill kept plugging away, month after month, year after year, and slowly improvements began to be noticed. After almost five years of playing Hans Solo (emphasis on Solo), another Lodge member, Dale Brendle, decided to step up and help Bill. Now, Dale would probably not appreciate being called Chewbacca (especially since he is shorter and a bit rounder than Bill), the truth is that the two were passionately committed to this project and worked quite well together as a team. The two men have willingly donated a couple of Saturdays and occasional Sundays every single month for the past four years to help preserve this historical landmark.

And sure enough, their efforts began to get noticed by others. The Boy Scouts donated new emblems for the graves of veterans, and one young man working for his Eagle Scout has a project for a flagpole. The Girl Scouts, as well, endeavored a project of digitizing each of the headstones to assist those who wish to find specific individuals. Others have come and put flowers on graves and, in general, just showing more respect to this old cemetery.

And it is certainly worthy of respect. Here lie the remains of some of the most important individuals in the history of this area. It all started with Michael Ross, the founder of Williamsport. Ross had immigrated from Scotland in 1772 and originally lived in Philadelphia. He progressed from being an indentured servant to eventually becoming a successful surveyor and farmer. Ross was able to use his profits to purchase 285 acres of land along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in what is now Williamsport. It was here where he first allowed burials on the eastern corner of his farm, which is the present location of the Williamsport Cemetery. Ross himself is buried there.

Over the years, a number of dignitaries were buried there. These included Joseph Biles Anthony, who was born in Philadelphia in 1795 and grew up to study law at Princeton College. He was admitted to the bar in 1817 and opened up a law practice in Williamsport. Joseph Anthony would eventually serve in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1830 to 1833 and followed this up with two terms as a United States Congressman from Pennsylvania’s 16th District. He died in 1851 and is buried at the Williamsport Cemetery.

A man named William F. Packer studied law under Joseph Biles Anthony but decided that journalism was a better career field. In 1829 he purchased the Lycoming Gazette and took the role of editor. While there, he became a major supporter for constructing the West Branch of the Pennsylvania Canal. Packer realized he could have more influence by serving in government, so he subsequently got elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1847, State Senate in 1851, and then he became the 18th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1858-1861. He also is buried at the Williamsport Cemetery.

This is why the work of these caretakers should be saluted. Check out the pics and stories on the Williamsport Cemetery Facebook page. Send them a message if you have an interest in helping out. And take a walk through the cemetery, because it is a walk through history.