TAMPA, Fla. — A USF genealogy librarian is trying to track down the families of hundreds of people who were buried at Zion Cemetery.

• 700-800 people buried at Zion Cemetery
• USF librarian working to track down families
• BELOW: Timeline of forgetten cemeteries in Tampa

Built in the early 1900s, Zion is believed to be the first African American cemetery in Tampa. 

Developers built over the property. Ground penetrating radar indicates that no one ever moved the graves. 

Drew Smith has spent the last year researching the people who were buried at Zion. 

"We probably have between 700 to 800 names," Smith said. "It's enormous."

Smith has been combing through online records, newspaper articles, and death certificates to connect the community with those who were buried at Zion.

"You have to stop at some point and just go yeah, what are we doing here, we are bringing them back, we are trying to tell their stories but how do you tell the story of 700 or more people," Smith said. "And it's like wow."

Smith believes it could take a few years to identify everyone. He is working with the Florida Genealogical Society to help track down families.

There are about a half dozen volunteers helping with the effort, but Smith said more help is welcomed. Just contact the Florida Genealogical Society.

Meanwhile, Smith is determined to find out more about the families from Zion.

"Everybody in this list here, they were part of Tampa," Smith said. "They had lives and they should not have been forgotten. We don't want them to be forgotten."