QUINCY, Ill. (AP) — Workers have started excavating the site of a new western Illinois jail to look for possible graves.
The Quincy Herald-Whig reports the area near the Adams County Courthouse was the site of Quincy’s first cemetery. A ground-sounding process used radar to search for grave sites and there are expected to be between 15 and 20 of them.
Excavation began this week. Officials hope to have a contract to build the jail in August.
Initial cost estimates of the excavation were around $150,000. But officials say it’ll be lower.
If anything is found it must be removed and permits from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency will be required.
