The efforts of Wayne Forest Historian and Archeologist Ann Cramer has resulted in approval of an Friends of Freedom Society marker for the Payne Cemetery, located at the Hocking/Perry County Line just outside of New Straitsville on State Route 595. The marker will commemorate the African American community of Payne’s Crossing that was formed here by slaves from Virginia who were freed by their owner in Virginia prior to the Civil War. Many of those buried here served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. Cramer’s efforts in conjunction with the Lancaster Genealogical Society resulted in an appropriate history being attributed to the site which was the subject of incorrect stories passed down attributing the cemetery as a burial site for strikebreakers killed during labor strife in the Hocking Valley in the 1880’s. The community of Payne Crossing existed until the 1920’s. The unveiling event is set for 111AM, Saturday, June 19th. Bus transportation is being planned from downtown New Straitsville due to the lack of public parking at the site.