By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
In 2015, Joann and I planned our photography trip so we could end up in Springfield, Illinois, to witness the Lincoln funeral reenactment. After the final ceremony at the cemetery, we waited for crowds to clear and then returned to the cemetery for a few more photographs.
Just as we entered the cemetery through the front gates, we saw that Lincoln’s horse-drawn hearse had been loaded onto a truck and was being transported out of the cemetery. We pulled over and waited as it made its way out through the gates.
Then, in front of us, at a fork in the road, we saw a burial spot with the gravestone of Roy Bertelli, “Mr Accordion.”
Roy loved the accordion and had over 5000 arrangements for the accordion and organ to his name. He also performed many times with Lawrence Welk, famous American musician, accordionist, and bandleader. Since Roy was a Springfield, Illinois resident, he was very familiar with Oak Ridge Cemetery.
He admired the cemetery but had long thought that all plots had been sold and there was no chance of getting a plot there. But one day he decided to stop in and ask. To his surprise, he was told there was one plot available. It was near the entrance and was within sight of Lincoln’s tomb. He purchased the plot on the spot.
A couple of weeks later, he received a letter from the cemetery, stating that the plot had been sold to him in error. That was followed up with a letter from the cemetery’s lawyer demanding that the plot be returned.
Roy fought for his plot and won. To spite the cemetery, he built a crypt above ground with a large tablet behind it with his name, an engraved accordion, and the words “Mr. Accordion”.
It is said that, periodically, he would visit the cemetery, climb onto his crypt, and play his accordion to the horror of the cemetery officials and the amusement of cemetery visitors. The music could be heard by visitors waiting to tour Lincoln’s tomb.
Roy died in 2003 at the age of 92. Rumor has it that he had himself buried at Camp Butler National Cemetery because he was a World War II veteran, and had his accordions buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery to spite the officials who did not want him there.
I’m not sure that’s true, since I do find his burial record for Oak Ridge Cemetery on Find a Grave and no listing for him at Camp Butler National Cemetery.
Either way, it’s an interesting story, and if you make your way to Springfield to visit Lincoln’s tomb, make a stop at Roy’s grave near the main entrance. I’m sure he would appreciate it.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Shunpiking To Heaven Backroads Blog
Showing posts with label graves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graves. Show all posts
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Isherwood's Cradle
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes. Just click on the desired photo and look for the blue “BUY” button.
Years ago, in the early days of my research, I found a book on Amazon about churches in Wisconsin and Minnesota. This was before the days of Amazon’s “look inside” feature, so I had no idea what I was buying.
When the book arrived, it was a tiny little thing with sketches of churches rather than pictures, and often the sketches were conceptual rather than architecturally correct, so it was hard to know what the church really looked like.
Among all the churches, one page in the book described a roadside grave marker for a baby. It was called “Isherwood's Cradle.” I marked it, but it was 2007 before Joann and I decided to see if we could find it.
It took some looking, but we did manage to find the location. It was in a tangle of underbrush, and we decided that there really weren’t any photos to be had. We continued on into the countryside and took photos of farms and other rural buildings.
We even found what we suspect was an old mill. The building sits on Flume Creek, but it was much too sunny that day, so it’s another location on our long list of places to revisit.
Since that time, we have started to hunt up unusual gravesites, so, as I was planning our trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan last fall, I asked Joann if she wanted to drive past again and see what we thought with our “new eyes.”
Driving slowly down the road, it was hard to pick out the cradle, but when we found it again, we also found that the site had been cleaned up. Much of the underbrush had been removed, so the cradle was a little easier to see.
The story that accompanied the sketch in my book was that an old man had told a farmer of his baby who had been buried at the edge of the road sixty years ago during a seven day blizzard. The baby had been born in the farmhouse and, sadly, had died. They couldn’t get further than the edge of the road, so the baby was buried in the ditch near a lilac bush.
Feeling that the baby should be memorialized in some way, the farmer and his son crafted a marker in the shape of a cradle. On the four corners, they welded symbols of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Native American spirituality.
They built a mound of native stone and placed the cradle on top of it. There is a small marker inside the cradle, but there is no wording to be seen on it.
I haven’t managed to find any additional information about this unusual gravesite. My book is 20 years old, and the story about this “cradle grave” said the man was old at that time. It also states that the baby had been buried sixty years before. By now, the man and his baby may be reunited in heaven.
The longer we enjoy this business of ours, documenting history across our beautiful country, the more lessons we learn. In this case, it was to document our finds in photographs when we first visit them. Even in Wisconsin, with so many locations marked to investigate, it’s often hard to find time to return. Luckily for us, when we returned this time, the site was in better shape.
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes. Just click on the desired photo and look for the blue “BUY” button.
Years ago, in the early days of my research, I found a book on Amazon about churches in Wisconsin and Minnesota. This was before the days of Amazon’s “look inside” feature, so I had no idea what I was buying.
When the book arrived, it was a tiny little thing with sketches of churches rather than pictures, and often the sketches were conceptual rather than architecturally correct, so it was hard to know what the church really looked like.
Among all the churches, one page in the book described a roadside grave marker for a baby. It was called “Isherwood's Cradle.” I marked it, but it was 2007 before Joann and I decided to see if we could find it.
It took some looking, but we did manage to find the location. It was in a tangle of underbrush, and we decided that there really weren’t any photos to be had. We continued on into the countryside and took photos of farms and other rural buildings.
We even found what we suspect was an old mill. The building sits on Flume Creek, but it was much too sunny that day, so it’s another location on our long list of places to revisit.
Since that time, we have started to hunt up unusual gravesites, so, as I was planning our trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan last fall, I asked Joann if she wanted to drive past again and see what we thought with our “new eyes.”
Driving slowly down the road, it was hard to pick out the cradle, but when we found it again, we also found that the site had been cleaned up. Much of the underbrush had been removed, so the cradle was a little easier to see.
The story that accompanied the sketch in my book was that an old man had told a farmer of his baby who had been buried at the edge of the road sixty years ago during a seven day blizzard. The baby had been born in the farmhouse and, sadly, had died. They couldn’t get further than the edge of the road, so the baby was buried in the ditch near a lilac bush.
Feeling that the baby should be memorialized in some way, the farmer and his son crafted a marker in the shape of a cradle. On the four corners, they welded symbols of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Native American spirituality.
They built a mound of native stone and placed the cradle on top of it. There is a small marker inside the cradle, but there is no wording to be seen on it.
I haven’t managed to find any additional information about this unusual gravesite. My book is 20 years old, and the story about this “cradle grave” said the man was old at that time. It also states that the baby had been buried sixty years before. By now, the man and his baby may be reunited in heaven.
The longer we enjoy this business of ours, documenting history across our beautiful country, the more lessons we learn. In this case, it was to document our finds in photographs when we first visit them. Even in Wisconsin, with so many locations marked to investigate, it’s often hard to find time to return. Luckily for us, when we returned this time, the site was in better shape.
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Lonely Gravestone - The Dandy Brothers
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
Along a Wisconsin highway with traffic whizzing past at 55 miles an hour, sits a lone concrete marker. Most people driving past probably don’t even notice it. Joann and I were looking for it, and we missed it the first time past.
The marker sits along the highway at the site of the former inn and tavern owned by George Salter and his second wife Emma. In the early days of the railroad, all freight and passengers bound for central Wisconsin came to New Lisbon.
From there, stagecoaches and wagons continued on. The Salter inn and tavern was a popular place for both locals and travelers.
In June of 1863, George Salter went off to help neighboring farmers with the hay harvest, and the older children went off to school. Emma and her 18-month-old baby were home alone. George always told her that when he was gone, she was not to serve whiskey to the Indians.
While she was alone, a neighbor stopped by and warned her of Indians in the area. She told him that several had already stopped by to ask for whiskey and she had refused them and chased them off. She told him she would be OK.
Shortly after the neighbor left, the Indians returned and demanded whiskey, which she again refused. She tried to chase them off with an ax handle. The Indians took the ax handle from her and used it to kill her. Then they drank the whiskey, and while one of them, Jo Dandy, remained behind, too drunk to travel, the others left.
When another neighbor stopped by, he found Mrs. Salter dead and rode off to find George Salter. Mr. Salter returned home immediately and killed Jo Dandy, who was still in a drunken stupor. The following day, Jo’s brother, Jim Dandy was captured. Mr. Salter said that he would spare Jim if he would say who killed his wife. When Jim Dandy tried to escape, Mr. Salter killed him with the same ax handle.
The Indians were buried in the road outside of the tavern. Gus Nooney, a pioneer neighbor of the Salter family, made the marker, and along with the words, made an impression in the concrete of the ax handle used to kill Mrs. Salter, and later, the Indians who had killed her.
Although the marker is hard to read, a photograph of the marker from around 1925 can be found on the Wisconsin Historic Society website. The words on the marker state "Mrs Salter killed here by the Indians, June 13 - 1863, 2 Indians Jo and Jim Dandy killed by Salter and burried here. This ax handle killed 2 Indians and Mrs. Salter. Puck-A-Gee."
In the 1930’s, there was a movement to replace the crude marker with something bigger and more permanent. Nothing became of that movement, and the original marker still stands. It is very faded, although someone has tried to paint the lettering to make portions of it readable. The ax handle that was pressed into the marker is all but faded away.
It is said that for a long while, the Indians avoided the site except to fire upon the tavern in the dark of night. These days, someone does come to place flowers at the marker, and on the day we visited, there were some faded plastic flowers next to it.
You never know what sort of history you’ll find along the roadsides, so pay attention in your travels. But especially pay attention to traffic and stay safe.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Along a Wisconsin highway with traffic whizzing past at 55 miles an hour, sits a lone concrete marker. Most people driving past probably don’t even notice it. Joann and I were looking for it, and we missed it the first time past.
The marker sits along the highway at the site of the former inn and tavern owned by George Salter and his second wife Emma. In the early days of the railroad, all freight and passengers bound for central Wisconsin came to New Lisbon.
From there, stagecoaches and wagons continued on. The Salter inn and tavern was a popular place for both locals and travelers.
In June of 1863, George Salter went off to help neighboring farmers with the hay harvest, and the older children went off to school. Emma and her 18-month-old baby were home alone. George always told her that when he was gone, she was not to serve whiskey to the Indians.
While she was alone, a neighbor stopped by and warned her of Indians in the area. She told him that several had already stopped by to ask for whiskey and she had refused them and chased them off. She told him she would be OK.
Shortly after the neighbor left, the Indians returned and demanded whiskey, which she again refused. She tried to chase them off with an ax handle. The Indians took the ax handle from her and used it to kill her. Then they drank the whiskey, and while one of them, Jo Dandy, remained behind, too drunk to travel, the others left.
When another neighbor stopped by, he found Mrs. Salter dead and rode off to find George Salter. Mr. Salter returned home immediately and killed Jo Dandy, who was still in a drunken stupor. The following day, Jo’s brother, Jim Dandy was captured. Mr. Salter said that he would spare Jim if he would say who killed his wife. When Jim Dandy tried to escape, Mr. Salter killed him with the same ax handle.
The Indians were buried in the road outside of the tavern. Gus Nooney, a pioneer neighbor of the Salter family, made the marker, and along with the words, made an impression in the concrete of the ax handle used to kill Mrs. Salter, and later, the Indians who had killed her.
Although the marker is hard to read, a photograph of the marker from around 1925 can be found on the Wisconsin Historic Society website. The words on the marker state "Mrs Salter killed here by the Indians, June 13 - 1863, 2 Indians Jo and Jim Dandy killed by Salter and burried here. This ax handle killed 2 Indians and Mrs. Salter. Puck-A-Gee."
In the 1930’s, there was a movement to replace the crude marker with something bigger and more permanent. Nothing became of that movement, and the original marker still stands. It is very faded, although someone has tried to paint the lettering to make portions of it readable. The ax handle that was pressed into the marker is all but faded away.
It is said that for a long while, the Indians avoided the site except to fire upon the tavern in the dark of night. These days, someone does come to place flowers at the marker, and on the day we visited, there were some faded plastic flowers next to it.
You never know what sort of history you’ll find along the roadsides, so pay attention in your travels. But especially pay attention to traffic and stay safe.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Quick Pic - State Rights
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Early on the morning of July 5, 2014, after visiting Old Fort Winnebago Cemetery near Portage, Wisconsin, we decided to travel along Old Military Road. This road was built for the transport of supplies and for communication between Fort Howard, near Green Bay, Fort Winnebago, near Portage, and Fort Crawford near Prairie du Chien.
Along this road, we discovered an interesting gravestone, which was a bit of a mystery until we did our research later. State Rights was the name of a racehorse owned by Chauncey L. Roberts. This champion horse was a Hamiltonian bay stallion born in 1861, around the beginning of the Civil War.
Chauncey trained his favorite horse to run the mile in two minutes and twenty seconds and the two of them were a familiar sight at county fairs and exhibitions. On July 9, 1889, Chauncey entered State Rights in a race in Racine, Wisconsin. State Rights, who was still winning blue ribbons at the age of 28, fell dead on the track.
The heartbroken Chauncey brought his beloved horse’s body back to Fort Winnebago and dug a grave large enough to have the horse buried standing up. If you ever get the chance to meander along the Old Military Road east of Portage, Wisconsin, watch for this unusual gravestone.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Early on the morning of July 5, 2014, after visiting Old Fort Winnebago Cemetery near Portage, Wisconsin, we decided to travel along Old Military Road. This road was built for the transport of supplies and for communication between Fort Howard, near Green Bay, Fort Winnebago, near Portage, and Fort Crawford near Prairie du Chien.
Along this road, we discovered an interesting gravestone, which was a bit of a mystery until we did our research later. State Rights was the name of a racehorse owned by Chauncey L. Roberts. This champion horse was a Hamiltonian bay stallion born in 1861, around the beginning of the Civil War.
Chauncey trained his favorite horse to run the mile in two minutes and twenty seconds and the two of them were a familiar sight at county fairs and exhibitions. On July 9, 1889, Chauncey entered State Rights in a race in Racine, Wisconsin. State Rights, who was still winning blue ribbons at the age of 28, fell dead on the track.
The heartbroken Chauncey brought his beloved horse’s body back to Fort Winnebago and dug a grave large enough to have the horse buried standing up. If you ever get the chance to meander along the Old Military Road east of Portage, Wisconsin, watch for this unusual gravestone.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Sunday, May 20, 2012
The Grave in the Middle of the Road
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Two years ago, on our way to photograph in North Carolina, Ruth had planned a surprise for me – to visit “The Grave in the Middle of the Road.” We also had plans to have dinner with our friend, Stevie, in Kentucky that first evening. Unfortunately, due to car trouble before we left, we had to skip the grave and were still late for dinner with Stevie. A couple weeks ago, on our way to the Ohio River Valley, Ruth made sure we didn’t miss it this time.
Nancy Kerlin was born May 14, 1793. In 1808, at the tender age of 14, she married William Barnett, the great, great, great grandson of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Nancy and William had 11 children and they lived in a log cabin near Sugar Creek in Johnson County, Indiana.
Nancy loved Sugar Creek and told her family that, when she died, she wanted to be buried near the creek. In 1831, at the age of 38, Nancy died and her family buried her on a small rise overlooking Sugar Creek. As time went on, other settlers were buried near Nancy, forming a small pioneer cemetery.
As the years went by and traffic increased on the little country lane that passed the cemetery, the county decided to build a modern road, which meant that the graves had to be moved. According to the historical marker near the gravesite, Nancy’s grandson, Daniel G. Doty, sat at the gravesite with his shotgun to protect his grandmother’s grave.
The historical marker, which was erected in 1982 by Kenneth F. Blackwell, Nancy’s great, great grandson, and his son, Richard Blackwell, says the following:
"NANCY KERLIN BARNETT
Born May 14, 1793 - Died Dec. 1, 1831
Married to William Barnett, Feb. 29, 1808. He was born Sept. 27, 1786, drowned in Ohio River Sept. 24, 1854. William was the great, great, great grandson of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Daniel G. Doty, 1846-1934, protected his grandmother's grave by staying here with his gun, while the county relocated this cemetery in order to build the road. A concrete slab was placed over the grave, to protect the marker, Aug. 8, 1912."
As Ruth and I approached the grave in the middle of the road, we weren’t sure where to park our car because there were no shoulders and no designated parking anywhere. So we pulled up to the little mound and parked our car in the middle of the road, assuming that was somehow appropriate.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Two years ago, on our way to photograph in North Carolina, Ruth had planned a surprise for me – to visit “The Grave in the Middle of the Road.” We also had plans to have dinner with our friend, Stevie, in Kentucky that first evening. Unfortunately, due to car trouble before we left, we had to skip the grave and were still late for dinner with Stevie. A couple weeks ago, on our way to the Ohio River Valley, Ruth made sure we didn’t miss it this time.
Nancy Kerlin was born May 14, 1793. In 1808, at the tender age of 14, she married William Barnett, the great, great, great grandson of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Nancy and William had 11 children and they lived in a log cabin near Sugar Creek in Johnson County, Indiana.
Nancy loved Sugar Creek and told her family that, when she died, she wanted to be buried near the creek. In 1831, at the age of 38, Nancy died and her family buried her on a small rise overlooking Sugar Creek. As time went on, other settlers were buried near Nancy, forming a small pioneer cemetery.
As the years went by and traffic increased on the little country lane that passed the cemetery, the county decided to build a modern road, which meant that the graves had to be moved. According to the historical marker near the gravesite, Nancy’s grandson, Daniel G. Doty, sat at the gravesite with his shotgun to protect his grandmother’s grave.
The historical marker, which was erected in 1982 by Kenneth F. Blackwell, Nancy’s great, great grandson, and his son, Richard Blackwell, says the following:
"NANCY KERLIN BARNETT
Born May 14, 1793 - Died Dec. 1, 1831
Married to William Barnett, Feb. 29, 1808. He was born Sept. 27, 1786, drowned in Ohio River Sept. 24, 1854. William was the great, great, great grandson of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Daniel G. Doty, 1846-1934, protected his grandmother's grave by staying here with his gun, while the county relocated this cemetery in order to build the road. A concrete slab was placed over the grave, to protect the marker, Aug. 8, 1912."
As Ruth and I approached the grave in the middle of the road, we weren’t sure where to park our car because there were no shoulders and no designated parking anywhere. So we pulled up to the little mound and parked our car in the middle of the road, assuming that was somehow appropriate.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
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