In February, state lawmakers approved a deal to issue $274 million worth of bonds to Continental for the construction of a plant in Hinds County. The company also promised 2,500 jobs. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History compiled a cultural-assets report on the site in 2014. It mentions New Salem, a cemetery located on the almost 900-acre tract just north of Clinton. The report notes that the cemetery contains unmarked graves that are likely to be of white slaves buried there. In recent weeks, the New Salem cemetery was the focus of renewed attention. Recently, several Jackson-area television stations broadcast news reports on the relocation of graves into the Bolton cemetery. This raised concerns among descendants of those who were buried at the New Salem location. However, those reports only told half the story. Another graveyard, where African Americans were buried up to the 1930s, is located just west of New Salem. The black cemetery is not mentioned in the cultural resources report of the archives department. In a recent interview with Mississippi Today, two non-agenerians who had lived in the area all their lives confirmed that it exists. Bernice Jamison (95), remembers walking the two-mile distance from Mt. Olive Baptist Church to the cemetery. She said that the casket was carried by a horse-drawn wagon; the grieving walked behind. “That was my first ever graveyard. Jamison stated that she used to visit the graveyard and feel scared. Jamison spoke in an interview at her Bolton home. Ernestine Jones is Jamison’s younger sibling. She doesn’t recall attending funerals when she was just 4 or 5. But she does remember living close to the cemetery. Jones, 91 years old, recalls driving south from the church at Northside Drive. After heavy rains, the road became muddy. When a bridge fell, planks were installed. She also recalls the way the cemetery was divided, with white and black graves on opposite sides. Jones said, “The white ones were on the left, and we were on the right,” as she drew a map showing the distinct grave sites. The New Salem cemetery was marked with a W for whites, while the black cemetery was marked with a B. John Horhn (D-Jackson), is the legislator who represents the area. In February, Jones was first informed about the unmarked black cemetery. He contacted Mississippi Development Authority to coordinate site preparation efforts. A Mississippi Today reporter went with Jones’ relatives to the site on June 2. There, an Ole Miss Center for Archaeological Research team was performing excavation work. The workers explained to the visitors that they were hired to move headstone-marked graves and use magnetic surveying technology for unmarked graves. The remains would then be taken to Ole Miss for sex and age determinations before being re-interred in Bolton. The crew leader at the time estimated that about 90 markers had been found and that there might be around 100 graves. His team was not informed about the second location, which is now covered in tall weeds and brush. Yvonne Horton is a cousin of Jamison Jones and a descendant from both African Americans and white buried in New Salem. She said that she would like to see the same effort taken to locate black graves as has been done to discover as many as 250 unmarked graves in New Salem. This is 150 more than was previously expected. Horton stated that she would at least attempt to find the graves and inform the families of her plans. The state was referred to by the Center for Archaeological Research at Ole Miss with any questions regarding the project. A spokesperson for the development authority Jeff Rent told Mississippi Today that they are following all federal and state regulations when moving the cemetery. The entire area was treated, regardless of whether they were unmarked or marked, as one cemetery from the beginning. According to the plan approved by (U.S. Army Corps) (of Engineers), Mississippi Development Authority contracted the University of Mississippi Archaeological Department in order to ensure that each individual buried in the abandoned cemetery, marked or unmarked, is treated with dignity and respect.” The agency stated in a written statement. It will take longer to find the graves we know about because there were more graves than anticipated. Rent stated that “As soon the entire east side of the road is excavated by an archeological team,” work will be moved to the west side. All burials found on the west side will be treated in the same way as other burials.” Yvonne Horton hopes that a notice is placed in a local paper or that other potential relatives are notified in order to hold a ceremony when the remains are reinterred in Bolton.