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| Oak Grove Cemetery |
On a wind-swept hill in broad
daylight, the sounds of children laughing could be heard. But in the middle of
this 23-acre cemetery, there are no children to be seen. Welcome to Oak Grove
Cemetery in Washington, Indiana.
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| Arthur Greenwood |
Oak Grove was once the burial place
of the movers and shaker of the community. Congressman Arthur Herbert Greenwood served as Indiana’s representative for the 2nd
District from 1923-1933, and represented Indiana’s 7th District from
1933-1939 in the US Congress. He was also House Majority Whip during
the 73rd Congress. Greenwood began his foray into politics in
Washington Indiana when he served as a member of the Board of Education in
Daviess County from 1911-1915. He died in 1963 in Maryland and was buried in Oak Grove.
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| William Bynum |
Another US Representative from
Indiana buried here is William Dallas Bynum who served as Washington Indiana’s
first City Clerk. Bynum was also City Attorney and Mayor. He was a member of the
Indiana House of Representatives from 1881 – 1885, and was elected to the 49th
and four succeeding Congresses, serving from 1885- 1895 during which time he
was House Minority Whip. Bynum died in 1927.
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| A stone is hidden by growth |
Oak Grove Cemetery began to fall
into disrepair at the beginning of the 21st century. With no perpetual
care money left to maintain the cemetery, the grass and weeds were left to grow in
the older sections. These are the sections where unrest has been felt – and
experienced.
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| Then they were gone |
I have visited this cemetery three
times in the past few years with different people. Each time we’ve come away
with otherworldly stories to tell. My first time there I discovered a large black dog roams the cemetery. I heard a large dog running up behind me with the tags rattling on his collar but when I turned,
there was nothing there. When I looked over at the woods that borders the
property, a man, dressed in black, stood there with his black dog. They looked at me for a moment, took one step back and they
were gone.
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| An encounter was experienced down this lane |
A friend who had never had any
paranormal experiences was given quite a scare when we decided to roam the grounds to photograph graves. Meeting up later, we discussed the condition of the cemetery. At that time,
it was privately owned and was not being properly taken care of. The grass in
the older section where we stood was knee high. After
chatting a few minutes, we each headed out in different directions.
Half an hour later she came rushing over the hill. Tossing her camera into the
car she asked if I had slipped up behind her and called her name in an attempt
to scare her. But I and our other cemetery buddy had already packed it up and
were sitting in the car talking. The fact that the spirit had mimicked my voice frightened her the most. When we drove to the location where the incident
occurred, there was nothing: no sounds, no odd feelings, no one we could see.
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| The boy who watches |
There is a lifelike statue of
a small boy who died in the 1800s. He sits on his stool as if unsure what to do, but his eyes seem to follow you around the
cemetery. The truly weird part is when you approach the stone - the eyes appear to go flat and are covered in lichens.
I have also encountered a portal of
some sort in the middle of the cemetery, which opened with an odd sound and a
quick blast of air, and closed the same way – similar to an elevator. Voices
can be heard talking, but the words are undistinguishable.
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| An untended area of the cemetery |
Apparently, some “residents” are
not pleased that their burial sites have been ignored. The cemetery had not been
adequately cared for in over half a dozen years, and since it was privately
owned, little could be done about it. But earlier this year a group called the
Oak Grove Caretakers took over the cemetery promising better maintenance
and upkeep for the more than 12,000 graves.
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| Where children play |
Several people have heard the
children playing high on the hill. Their laughter floats through the air as
they go about their ethereal play. Let’s hope the remainder of the spirits will be appeased
once their graves are giving the care and respect that is deserved.
~ Joy
My new book The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide is now available at bookstores across the country. Click
here for book information.
