Bones likely came from former Catholic cemetery

Human bones found during construction at a 19th century townhouse this week on the Near North Side likely are remnants of an abandoned Catholic cemetery, authorities said today. Other bones were found at the same site in 1947, according to news accounts of the time. About 11:30 a.m. Monday, crews digging in the basement of the townhouse in the 1500 block of North State Parkway uncovered bones beneath the concrete basement floor, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli. It appears the area was a cemetery in the 19th century, Mirabelli said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed Tuesday that the bones were human remains from two bodies.