EL DORADO COUNTY, CA - Two racist grave markers that were destined to be destroyed have been stolen from a pioneer cemetery in El Dorado County.
They were among 36 markers placed at the Mormon Island Relocation Cemetery in 1954 when the graves were moved from the Negro Hill Cemetery, which was flooded by Folsom Lake.
The 1954 markers used the "N" word instead of Negro, for which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has formally apologized.
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors last month approved a plan to replace the offensive markers with new granite stones that will read "UNKNOWN - MOVED FROM NEGRO HILL CEMETERY BY U.S. GOVERNMENT - 1954."
A spokesman for the California Prison Industries Authority, which is providing inmate labor to replace the offensive markers, said PIA officials met with El Dorado County sheriff's deputies at the cemetery Tuesday morning.
"Pretty dumb thing to do since the supervisors explicitly said they were to be destroyed," Eric Reslock said. "If the two turn up, there will be no doubt they were stolen."
The $18,000 cost of replacing the 36 gravestones will be paid for by private donations.
by George Warren, GWarren@news10.net
News10/KXTV