Ingersoll “Potter’s Field Project” Honoured with Provincial Heritage Award

Potter's Field Project wins OHC Russell K Cooper Award on December 6th. Left to right, Co-Chair of OHC Awards Committee Hans Bathijia, Potter's Field Team Dr. Cody Groat, Debbie Johnston, and Isaac Bender. (OHS Photo)

Kyrah Smith, Echo Correspondent

The Ingersoll Unmarked Grave “Potter’s Field Project” has been awarded the Russell K. Cooper Award by the Ontario Historical Society (OHS), recognizing the project’s outstanding contribution to the preservation and interpretation of local history.

The three-year initiative was a collaborative effort involving countless contributors, including the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery Board, the Town of Ingersoll, the Township of Zorra, and the Oxford County Library, among others.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to speak with project team members Dr. Cody Groat, Debbie Johnston, and Isaac Bender about the work behind the recognition. Groat and Johnston are both Ingersoll locals, while Bender hails from the neighbouring community of Woodstock.

“It all started in my role at Western University as a professor of History and Indigenous Studies,” began Groat, head of the Potter’s Field Project. He explained Western offers summer research internships and, in 2022, two student volunteers, Rebecca Small and Emily Kirk, were hired to assist with the initial work.

“We engaged in archival research using the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery records,” Groat said. “Potter’s Field is a large, unmarked section of the cemetery, and we knew it was used for community members, mostly those of lower socio-economic status who were experiencing poverty.”

He explained the project began with a simple question: “How many people are here, and what are their names?” From there, the research quickly grew into something much larger than a single summer internship.

Johnston, who has served as chair of the cemetery board since 2022, said she was “on board with Cody from the very beginning.”

She fondly recalled visiting the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery as a child with her grandmother, who would often point out Potter’s Field. “I always knew it existed,” Johnston said. “Even though there was little to no indication aside from a few stones piled up, that anyone was ever buried there.”

In 2023, Bender was a graduate student at Western University in the Department of Anthropology. He learned about the project through his supervisor, Lisa Hodgetts.

“Large, unmarked graves, unknown positions, there were a lot of unknowns that we had to assess and see what we could learn,” Bender explained.

With the consent of the Town of Ingersoll, Bender and his team joined the project to conduct archaeological work, surveying the area and identifying burial locations within Potter’s Field using entirely non-invasive methods.

The team emphasized the importance of dispelling misconceptions about unmarked grave research. “I think what was quite exciting through Isaac’s contribution is that people could speak with him directly and ask questions,” Groat noted. “It helped show that the work is non-invasive and really does not harm the dignity of anyone buried there.”

The project culminated in a public ceremony held on June 7, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery, where a monument was unveiled to honour nearly 400 individuals buried in unmarked graves. The burials represent a diverse group of men, women, and children from the Ingersoll area who, due to financial hardship or circumstance, were unable to afford a marked grave.

“As much as this is an Ingersoll and Zorra Township project, it really spoke to a lot of much bigger national stories,” added Groat.

While deeply rooted in these areas, the project resonated far beyond municipal boundaries. The unveiling drew attendees from across the region and beyond.

“We had some family members come from Chicago in the U.S.,” Groat explained. “We also had a woman named Robin Moore who came and spoke on behalf of the families buried in Potter’s Field.”

The team also expressed their gratitude to the Town of Ingersoll and the Township of Zorra, who together contributed $25,000 toward the monument.

The Russell K. Cooper Award highlights the significance of community-led heritage initiatives and their role in preserving overlooked histories. For those behind the Potter’s Field Project, the recognition serves as a meaningful reminder that remembering those once forgotten is an essential part of honouring a community’s past.