The Lever Cemetery is in a rural area near Hart, Michigan and more then half of the markers say 'unknown'. Here is what we learned about these unknown graves. 

I guess you can call me a Tombstone tourist, Yes, thats an actual term. I like exploring cemeteries and learning about who is there and the history of the cemetery. While vacationing near the Hart, Michigan area, near Silver Lake. I heard of the Lever cemetery and that it was previously called the Poor Farm Cemetery. This got my attention. It was a bit hard to find but I finally got there. I noticed most of the markers only said Unknown.

John Mason/TSM
John Mason/TSM
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As with many cemeteries across the United States, there was no real standard for marking graves before the mid 1800s. Even then, most were nothing more then a wooden marker with a number on it. The elderly gentleman who lived across the street explained that when it changed names from Poor Farm

John Mason/TSM
John Mason/TSM
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to Lever and the custody went to the township, the books were never transferred and many of the wooden markers were unreadable. The township added markers to all the known graves in the late 1800's and those whose names were not readable were given the unknown markers.

The only other information I could find about this cemetery comes in the form of a Message Board asking about a known relative.

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