Gravestones On The Runway!

Although landing on Runway 10 at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia isn't notably challenging or intimidating, it does involve touching down in proximity to a pair of graves.

During the expansion of the Savannah airport in World War II, the land encompassed a burial site owned by the Dotson family, containing an estimated 100 graves, including those of slaves. The relocation of these graves faced opposition from Dotson family descendants. Eventually, all but four of the graves were moved to Bonaventure Cemetery.

In a commitment to honor their ancestors' connection to the cultivated land, the Dotson family insisted on retaining the original burial spot for the matriarch and patriarch. The graves of Richard and Catherine Dotson, the farmers who originally owned the land and passed away in 1884 and 1877, are situated on the peripheries of Runways 10 and 28. Richard's grave marker reads "At rest," while Catherine's states "Gone home to rest."

Two additional graves of Dotson relatives, Daniel Hueston and John Dotson, can be found nearby in the brush close to the airport's most active runway.

Photo- Courtesy of Savannah Airport