100 years ago, 30 train wreck victims were buried in a mass grave. Now Kentwood is righting the wrong

The Rev. Shelton Myers, church pastor since 2018, heard the story while the history of the church, whose cemetery headstones date to 1899, was being compiled.

“I have worked with cemeteries throughout my ministry, other historic cemeteries,” Myers said. “Just to know that the church was that sympathetic to the families back then was really impressive.”

Hudson, Myers and several other church members, along with Candace Picard, another historian immersed in the cause, were on hand when a team from the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Coastal Resilience spent a steamy June day pinpointing the mass grave’s location. The church offered food, drinks and breaks from the sweltering heat.

Hudson said she appreciated the opportunity to be a part of the effort.

“Like history coming to life,” Hudson said. “I would love to see that we’ll be able to get the memorial marker and that we’ll be able to connect with the loved ones of those who were lost and be able to celebrate their lives.”

Hudson said they’ll turn to social media, print and other avenues to possibly make those contacts.

With an active church membership of just 75-100 and limited resources, Myers knows “we can’t go full museum.”

“But to have a memorial, a historical marker, what it does — it puts a highlight on Kentwood, also,” he said.

Anyone wishing to join the congregation’s efforts can call the church, (985) 614-5007.

Trappey also stood in the modest country cemetery that day and observed as the first step to honoring the victims of the Nov. 14, 1903, tragedy unfolded.

Trappey said the goal is to get two state historical markers to tell the story of the train wreck, one for the site of the former depot and the other in front of the church — and then place a headstone at the unmarked mass grave to prevent future burials in the same area.

A Q&A with Dr. David Holt

Dr. David Holt, an associate professor of geography, has taught at USM’s Gulf Coast campus since 2008, and previously taught at Miami University. He and a group of students identified the exact location of the mass grave site in Kentwood in June.