The Cato Rotary Club has led a community effort to honor the area's earliest settlers with a new commemorative marker in Dutton Cemetery. Between 1806 and 1864, about 225 settlers were buried there, but their headstones were removed and desecrated decades ago.
Working with the town historian, researchers identified the settlers’ names. The Rotary Club raised funds for the monument, with support from the Civic Heritage Society for both funding and research. The Labuff-Cole American Legion Post 911 also contributed by replacing the cemetery’s flagpole and flag.
This collaboration ensures that Cato’s founders are remembered with dignity and respect for generations to come.
