Easton is working to restore the site of a historic Black cemetery, and two women in the Easton community will be memorialized in its name.
Easton City Council voted Wednesday to rename Nesquehoning Memorial Park in honor of two prominent local figures. The park will be known as The Clarine Boyer and Frances Ketchen Nesquehoning Memorial Park, following a resolution unanimously approved by council.
Clarine Boyer, a longtime resident who died Nov. 22, 2002, was a community activist who worked closely with local civil rights leaders. She was a founding member of the South Side Neighborhood Center and a longtime member of the Easton Branch of the NAACP.
Boyer advocated for racial equality and served as a mentor to many in the community.
Frances Ketchen held several pioneering roles in Easton, including becoming the first Black cashier in Downtown Easton. She was the first Black person to serve on the Easton Area School Board and the first to run for city council.
She also worked for the Easton Redevelopment Authority, and was a family caseworker at Family Counseling of Easton.
Ketchen volunteered on multiple regional boards, including those affiliated with vocational-technical education, the South Side Neighborhood Center, United Way of the Lehigh Valley and Shiloh Manor.
She died on Sept. 4, 2011.
Vice Mayor Ken Brown introduced the resolution, stating they were “two very strong women in our community some time ago.”
The city first learned in early 2021 that a “Black-only” cemetery likely existed underneath a South Side pocket park, a finding later confirmed through ground-penetrating radar.
Initial scans identified an estimated nine burial sites. That number is now estimated at 32.
Current improvements include 32 grave markers, interpretive signage, walking paths, seating, new fencing and masonry work.
According to the city, construction is underway and expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The project is supported by three state grants and one county grant totaling $237,600.