Friday, July 8, 2011

What Do Cement Grave Markers Tell Us?

Stroll through enough backwoods country cemeteries and you will eventually find a cement grave marker.  At first, they are surprising to discover, a rough cement stone lying nestled into the dirt.  A marker created when the family couldn’t afford better. 

But with more thought and investigation, you realize that the cement grave marker is actually a symbol that marks certain periods in our country’s history – when we have been pushed to improvise with what we had available; the serious economic depression of the 1890’s, the years during and immediately after WWI, and the Great Depression of the 1930’s.



The first was known as the Panic of 1893.  It began with the collapse of the railroads, followed by a run on silver, and bank failures around the country. Unemployment ranged from almost 12% to over 18% during the mid to late 1890’s. All told, over 15,000 companies and 500 banks failed during this period.  Until the Great Depression some 40 years later, the Panic of ’93 was the worst depression the U.S. had ever experienced.

At the start of World War I, the country was again in an economic flux. When the U.S. declared war, financing the war was a major concern.  Higher taxes were called for and short-term borrowing was undertaken as a stopgap.  



Liberty Bonds were issued and the Food Administration was created to assure a fair allotment of food among U.S. citizens.  Although World War I ended in 1918 with the country looking at an economic uplift, the long term effects of a county ill prepared could be felt for a few years after, especially in rural areas, as seen in country cemeteries.

Then came the Great Depression, an economic depression that affected not only America, but also the entire world.  It was the longest and most devastating financial depression of the 20th century.

It began in 1929 with the stock market crash, followed by bank failures and a breakdown of the free markets.  The Great Depression continued until the start of World War II. Unemployment was over 20% throughout the U.S. Farming and rural areas were hit hard along with industrial regions. Families were driven away from their farms by dust storms, locusts and bankers.





The Great Depression continued until the start of World War II. Unemployment was over 20% throughout the U.S. Farming and rural areas were hit hard along with industrial regions. Families were driven away from their farms by dust storms, locusts and bankers.  




During these times of economic despair, burying the dead became a quick and straightforward procedure.  Few could afford monuments, mausoleums or intricate gravestones for their loved ones. 




When there wasn’t money for a ‘good’ tombstone, someone in the family would make a wooden mold and form one from cement.  The deceased’s name and death date would be carved into the cement with a stick, or possibly someone’s finger.

Many times the name and dates were not carved deep enough and did not stand the test of time. 







During these difficult years there were times, when all that was known of the deceased was a name.  If that was not known, then a date was listed to mark the deceased’s passing. 





Some cement stones were more formally cast with lettering and decoration stamped in before the cement set up. 






And some homemade stones were fashioned with care into the shape of a cross, as well as could be done with limited tools.









If a family could not afford cement, they were left with using a rock to mark the grave, painting the information on it. 









Cement grave markers remind us to pause and consider the historical significance of what we see in cemeteries.  These cement stones and markers were crafted by loving hands and grieving hearts.  They are now are considered to be an expression of folk art, utilitarian stones with a story to tell, both in our cemeteries, and our history.

Joy






Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Cemeteries Worth A Visit - Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis

At the beginning of each month we’ll take a look at one cemetery that is especially“Worth the Visit.”  This means that it offers something exceptional for the historian, genealogist and tombstone tourist.  It could be outstanding gravestones, interesting cemetery grounds, or just an exciting place to explore!  This month we will take a look at Crown Hill Cemetery, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.  This is a cemetery you could easily spend the day in.




On Top of the Crown
Lucy Ann Seaton

Crown Hill Cemetery was so named because of its location on the highest point in the city. Crown Hill was incorporated on September 25, 1863 and dedicated as a cemetery on June 1st, 1864.  The next day, June 2nd the first burial was held there for Lucy Ann Seaton, a 33 year-old mother who died of consumption - (tuberculosis.)  Her husband John, a Union Captain serving in the Civil War, had inscribed on her stone, “Lucy, God grant that I can meet you in heaven.”  Currently, over 190,000 people rest among its rolling 555 acres, the third largest non-government cemetery in the U.S.

Crown Hill National Cemetery
In the summer of 1866, the U.S. Government purchased 1.4 acres of land within Crown Hill for a National Cemetery.  Over 700 soldiers were interred there by November of that year.  In all, 2,135 soldiers are now buried there, representing every war in which the United States has taken part in up to and including the Viet Nam War.  The last burial was in 1969 for Air Force Major Robert W Hayes.
Confederate Mound

Another military burial ground, the Confederate Mound, is the final resting place of 1,616 Confederate Prisoners of the Civil War.  These southern soldiers died while being detained at Camp Morton from 1862 through 1865.  Most were originally buried at the City Cemetery, but were moved in 1931 by the War Department.

President Benjamin Harrison
Grave of President Harrison
Many notable and notorious people are buried at Crown Hill.  There is one U.S. President, Benjamin Harrison, three Vice Presidents and eleven Indiana Governors.





Grave of James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
Hoosier Poet James Whitcomb Riley was the first person to be buried on top of the crown in 1917 – 18 months after his death.  From the top, or ‘crown’ of the hill you can see downtown Indianapolis, almost three miles away.



Mausoleum of Colonel Eli Lilly
Other well-known people interred here include Lyman Ayres, founder of L.S. Ayres Department stores.  Colonel Eli Lilly, Civil War Commander and pioneer pharmacist, who founded Eli Lilly Laboratory in Indianapolis.







Dr Richard Gatlin
John Dillinger

 Dr Richard Gatlin, inventor of the Gatlin gun is buried here, along with John Dillinger, the infamous 1930’s bank robber.

Grave of John Dillinger

Community Mausoleum
Gothic Chapel

Crown Hill also has thousands of statues, markers and stories.   There are twenty-five miles of paved road inside the cemetery gates, a community mausoleum, a funeral home and the Gothic Chapel, where weddings and events are held, year round.

The cemetery offers many resources for the family researcher, including an on-staff genealogist.  Information available may include burial permits, names of family members and funeral directors, along with burial plot and section numbers.  Requests may be made by email or phone.  A $5.00 research fee is required per name.


Gates to the Cemetery
Crown Hill Cemetery is located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The phone number is (317) 925-8231 for general and genealogical information.  For more information, visit their web page at CrownHill.org. Or check out the Crown Hill Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/crownhill.org


A view of Indianapolis
from the "Crown"
If you plan to spend the weekend in Indianapolis, be sure to plan an afternoon, or better yet, a day at Crown Hill Cemetery.  It is a true Rural Cemetery that offers something for everyone, history, architecture, walking tours and genealogical research, all in a serene and beautiful setting.
~ James Whitcomb Riley



~ Joy

Friday, July 1, 2011

Celebrating Our Freedom on July 4th

Signing of the Declaration

July 4th is a special date for Americans.  Two hundred thirty five years ago, on this day, in 1776, our country officially declared its separation and freedom from Great Britain.  And each year, on Independence Day, we still celebrate in hundreds of towns and cities across the country, with parades, picnics, barbecues, and fireworks. 


Lexington, Kentucky
Military Cemetery
Although we may have our differences as individuals, as a country, we still believe that America is the ‘land of the free and the home of the brave.’  As a people, we still honor those who have fought, and those who have died, for our rights, our freedoms, and our country. 


And that sense of pride in this country can be seen in cemeteries too.  Unlike Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day – both holidays to honor those who have served, and those who have died for our country - July 4th is a day that holds a feeling of pride and promise. 





Martin Luther King
Marine Band
We will remember our fallen service men and women on this day, but we will also remember those who returned.  We will remember those who have made a difference in our culture, those who have fought to end racism, to end sexism, to end discrimination of all kinds, those who have helped to unify us as one nation, with liberty and justice for all.


In America, we have many symbols that represent freedom, symbols that are found in our cemeteries across the country.  Symbols that remind and give hope to all who see them.




Although 235 years old, these words from the Declaration of Independence continue to ring true:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 
 That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

As we enjoy this holiday weekend, let us pause and remember what we are celebrating – our freedom and independence – as individuals, communities, and as a country!

Happy Birthday America!

~ Joy


And – to our neighbors to the north – Happy Canada Day!