Miami County, Indiana - Chapter 18: Charities and Cemeteries, 1914

Chapter 18: Charities and Cemeteries

Overseers of the Poor in Early Days - Custom of Farming Out Paupers - Its Disadvantages - Miami County's First Poor House - Present County Asylum - Old Polks' and Orphan Children's Home - Dukes Memorial Hospital - Wabash Railway Hospital - - Country Graveyards by Townships - Odd Fellows' Cemetery at Macy - ]\IouNT Hope Cemetery at Peru.

In the earl\- days of Indiana's history the poor were taken eare of by the townships, each township having cue or more overseers of the poor. It was customary for these overseei's to "fann out" the adult paupers and "bind out" the children. The results obtained by this method were not always satisfactory. Tlie person who was the highest bidder for the services of some unfortunate poor man or woman was frequently more interested in "getting his money's worth" than in the welfare of his bond servant, and the treatment of paupers under this system was not always humane. At the first term of the county commissioners' court William N. Hood and William M. Reyburn were appointed overseers of the poor of Peru township, but the records do not show what they did in caring for the unfortunate under their charge.

To the credit of Miami county it can be said that the practice of "farming out" paupers did not last long after the county was organized, if it were ever inaugurated at all. In May, 1835, the board of commissioners issued an order directing William N. Hood to purchase a tract of land in the northeast quarter of section 3, to\niship 27, range 4, as a site for a county poor asylum. This tract is in the eastern part of Jefferson township, near the northern Ijoundary of Peru township and about a mile south of the little hamlet of Courter. The price paid by the county was .$20.80. Experience had taught other counties that the poor could be more cheaply kept in an institution of this kind than by the old methods of the township overseers, 'and at the same time the unfortunates were more likely to receive proper treatment on account of the responsibility being centered in the man-

Altlu)ujj:h the prt'liminary steps for the estahlishau'iit of an asylum were takni in the purchase of this land, several years passed before anythiiiir further was done. There was no pressinn^ need for such an institution, as there was plenty of work for all who were aljle to perform it, and the county revenues were not e<iual to the demand in the first few years of its history. About 1845 the eommissimuirs ajipoiiitod I. M. DeFrecs and Samuel Glass to contract for and superintend the erection of two houses "to be constructed of hewn logs 12 by 8 inches, the l)uildinj.'s to be two stories hip:!!. The first story to be 8 feet 6 inches in the clear, and the second to l)e 7 feet 6 inches in the clear. One house to be 26 by 18 feet and the other 18 feet square, to be placed 8 feet apart, and in tlie center of the land i)reviously bought by said county. ' '

The contract for the erection of the two log houses was awarded to George W. Sleeks for $:565. They were completed in due time and in Jlareh, 1846, were accepted by the commissionei's. These two log houses constituted Jliami county's first asylum for the poor. 0. E. Noland was aitpoiiited sujierinteiident and at the close of his first j'car reported that not a single inmate had been sent to the asylum.

In the course of time the provisions were found to be inadequate to the demand, owing to the growth of pojiulation and the consequent increase in the numlier of indigent inliabitants. The old farm in Jefferson township was therefore sold to Charles Peffermaii for .^IjOOO and the southwest (|uarter of .section 3, township 26, range 4, was purchased for !i;6,4f)0 as a site for a new county a.syhim. Tliis tract is located in Washington township, on the did Strawtown road and about a mile south of the city of Peru. On Aj)ril 2, 1864, the ])oard of commissioners entered into a contract with John Clifton to erect a poor house on the premises and ordered that $350 be paid the said Clifton as part of the contract price of the building. On July 12, 1864, the board accepted the poor house as complete and oi-dered the payment of $310 as the balance due the contractor.

The buildinc erected at this time served as the county a.syluin for the poor until July 28, 1877, when a contract was made with Wampler & Clifton to furnish all material (except the brick and .stone foundation walls) and erected a poor asylum for the sum of .$6,472.78. A barn had been built in 1873 at a co.st of $700, and some additions have since been made to the main building, which is a brick structure two stories in height, with a basement, and containing in all forty-eight rooms.

Besides the bam, the principal out buildings are the washhouse, bakery, inilkhouse, carpeuter and butcher shops. The kitchen is in the basement of the main building and the dining rooms - one for the men and another for the women - are on the first floor. Recently a small hospital was built for the ti'eatment of certain contagious and infectious diseases. Altogether the county has expended over $20,000 in the establishment of this institution. While this sum is much less than that expended by some of the Indiana counties for a similar purpose, Miami county has a poor asylum that is ample for all demands under normal conditions.

About 1889 Levi P. Miller, one of the early settlers of Jefl'erson township and a devout member of the German Baptist church, donated a site and erected a building near Mexico for an "Old Folks' and Orj^han Children's Home," on condition that the churches of his denomination in what is known as the Middle District of Indiana support the institution. When the home was first opened the old folks and children were kept together, but it was soon discovered that the playfulness of the young ones was sometimes annoying to the elder inmates, or that the sedateness of the old served to check the natural tendency of the children to amuse tliemselves. Other buildings were therefore erected so that the homes are kept separate, though under the same management. Orphans are received from a number of counties in central and northern Indiana and are well cared for at the home, at a charge of twenty-five cents per day for each child, until suitable homes can be found for them. The institution is under the control of a board of five directors, selected by the German Baptist church, and for a number of years Rev. Frank Fisher has held the position of superintendent. Mr. Fisher publishes a paper called Tlif Orphan, which has a large circulation in Indiana and adjoining states. Although the home is not, strictly speaking, a charitable institution in the sense that it dispenses alms or aid in a general way, it has done a great work in finding homes for orphan children and in caring for old people, who might otherwise have become a charge upon the county.

The Peru Associated Charities was organized on October 16, 1891, when Charles H. Brownell was elected president ; J. H. Fetter, first vicepresident ; Dr. J. O. Ward, second vice-president; Mrs. Moses Puterbaugh, secretary ; W. A. Woodring, treasurer. About two weeks later Mr. Brownell resigned the presidency and R. P. Effinger was elected to the vacancy. The objects of the organization are to extend relief to, and find employment for, the worthy poor. After a few years the "men folks" turned the society over to the women. Mrs. ]\Iilton Shirk, who first proposed the organization of the associated charities, was then elected president. She was succeeded by Mrs. Hazen Pomeroy, wlio in tiii-ii was succeeded li\ Mrs. E. W. Shirk, tlic prisciil iiK-uiul)eiit. The other officers at tlie liegiiiiiiiig of the yeai- 1!I14 were: ^Irs. Samuel Porter, vice-president; Mi's. Jlcses Puterljaugh. secretary; ilrs. R. H. Cole, treasurer. It is worthy of note that Mrs. Puterbaugh has been secretary of the organization from the beginning, and tiie only person who has ever served in that position. -Mrs. Hattie Hale and ilrs. ^I. S. Robinson were active workers during the early years of the organization.

In addition to the above officers there is a corps of "friendly visitors," whose duty it is to investigate the character of all persons asking for aid, and wlio constitute the active menibershi|). These visitors at the beginniiiir of tiie year l!n4 were as follows: Fii'st wanl. Mi's. X. W. \'an Osdol and Mrs. C. W. Myers; Second ward, ilrs. G. W. Kenuy and Mrs. Will Koontz: Third ward. Miss Harriet Ilackley and Mrs. William Charters; Fourth ward. Mrs. Harry Miller iiiid Mrs. George C. i\Iiller; South Peru. Mrs. i-'i-ank Dunn: Ridgeview, Mrs. John Crume and Mrs. Mills Hathaway.

Funds for the I'elicf work of the association are raised by soliciting <()ntriliiiti(iiis. by giving charity balls, ;iiiil by donations from the various frateruid societies. Fortunately there are but few people in Peru and its envii'ons who are not self-.sustaii}ing and there have been comparatively few calls for assistance. In such cases the associated charities have always been ready to grant relief, where the api)licants were deserving.

The Aaron N. Dukes ileiiiorial Hospital, at Peru, is the gift of one of Miami county's well known citizens. For several years prior to his death Captain Aaron N. Dukes had under contemplation the establishment of some kind of an institution that would be of l)enetit to the people of Miami county and the eity of Peru. About 1908 he secured the site at the corner of Twelfth and Grant streets and erected thereon a building for a hospital, at a cost of some $35,000. This building was placed in charge of a board of nine trustees, viz. : Rev. Harry Nyce, James Fetter, George C. Miller, Sr., John J. Kreutzer, Henry Meinhardt, Felix Levy, X. X. Antrim, R. H. Bouslog and John Unger.

Unfortunately no provision was made for an equipment or for current expenses, so that the building was allowed to stand idle for some time after it was completed. During thi.s period Mr. Antrim and Mr. Bouslog resigned from the board of trustees. The hospital was first used as a place of refuge at the time of the great flood in March, 1913. The flood relief committee sent to the hospital such furniture and other materials as they could command as a temporary equipment, in order to care for the flood sufferers who became ill from exposure. That committee, composed of R. A. Edwards, F. D. Butler and Rev. Ambrose Bailey, supplied food and paid the expenses of maintaining the hospital as long as the flood victims remained ill, expending in all about $1,300. At the instigation of the relief committee, and executive committee - Dr. E. H. Andrews, James Fetter and John Unger - took charge of the actual hospital work, all supplies being furnished upon the requisition of this committee.

After the flood the seven trustees elected Dr. E. H. Gi'iswold and Dr. E. H. Andrews to the vacancies on the board caused by the resignations of Ajitrim and Bouslog. The executive committee during the flood was made a permanent executive board, with Dr. Andrews as chairman, and preparations were commenced to equip the hospital and make it a permanent institution. The work of soliciting contributions for this purpose began and resulted as follows: The operating room was furnished by the doctors, dentists and lawyers of Peru, who raised the money by baseball games with themselves as the players ; the sterilizing room was furnished by the Peru high school class of 1913 and the county officials, part of the necessary funds having been raised by a game of baseball; Mrs. C. V. Brooke gave a dressing calunet in memory of her mother; the ladies of the Christian and Baptist churches each furnished a room ; the iVIartha and Mary class of the Methodist Episcopal church furnished a room ; rooms were also furnished by the lodges of Elks, Eagles, Owls and Modern Woodmen, the Jewish ladies, the Peru Drama League and the Carpenters' union; till' Independent Onln- of Odd Fellows furnished the dormitory for tlu" inirses; tile Masonic fraternity equipped the superintendent's room, and the lirotherhood of Locomotive Kngiueers furnished the office. Early in the summer of 1!)13 a ladies' auxiliary to the hospital association was organized with Mrs. Max Gunsberger, president; Mrs. J. P. Spooner, secretary, and i\Irs. Grant, treasurer. The objects of this auxiliary were to provide the necessaiy table-ware, linen, etc., and to furnish the third floor for the reception of charity patients. These good women did their work so well that a goodly supply of both table and bed linen was accumulated and each of the two rooms on the third floor was equipped with ten beds, the total value of the auxiliary's supplies amounting to about $2,ii00.

The hosj)ital has thirty-five beds and at the close of the ye;u- ll)i;i possessed an equipment worth about $5,000, without a dollar of indebtedness. The county commissioners of Jliami county appropriated $1,500 annually for the treatment of persons who are unable to pay for hospital services, and the other expenses are taken care of by the hospital association.

Captain Dukes, who built this hospital as a gift to the coiiununity, was a prince among men. He was a man of excellent business qualifications, of upright Christian character and philanthropic disposition. He came by the rank of captain by virtue of service in the war with the Sioux Indians in Minnesota. At that time he had large landed interests at JIankato, Minnesota, not far from the seat of war, and subsequently laid out several additions to that city. After coming to Peru he was for years the receiver for the old Howe sewing machine factory, and after bringing it out of its financial straits became manager of it under the new name of the Indiana iMaiuifacturing Company, serving in that capacity nnlil his death in 1912. The handsome hospital he donated and intended to endow, had he lived to complete his work, is generally known as the Dukes Hospital, though the association which operates it is known as the Miami County Hospital Association, as it is dependent upon the public of the county for its sujiport, for all of whoSe citizens it has an open door.

In 1884 the Wabash Railroad Company adopted the ])lan of establishing a hospital for the benefit of its employes and in 18SG a frame building was erected in the northwestern part of Peru, on the elevation that afterward became known as "Hospital Hill." This building was used for about ten years, but in 1896 a hand.some briek building was erected on the JMexico road, which is a continuation of Broadway, in the town of Ridgeview. The institution is known as the Waliash Railway Employees Hospital, though on a number of occasions passengers injured in wrecks or other accidents on the Waba.sh lines have been taken tu the hospital for treatment. By an agreement with the ^Vabash Company, the employees of the Lake Erie & Western and the Chesapeake & Ohio railroads are also entitled to the lienetits of the institution. Each railway employee, by paying a small monthly assessment, is entitled to receive free medical attention, not only for liimself, but also for the members of his family. While the institution is not open to the general public, it is one of the mutual benevolent eoncei'ns of Miami county that is doing a good work in its particular field of charitable endeavor. For nearly a score of years Dr. E. H. Griswold has been the surgeon in charge.

In the settlement of a new country, one institution that nuist sooner or later be established, yet one the pioneers are loath to see make its appearance among them, is a burial place for the dead. Scattered over the county of Miami are a number of country graveyards, most of which have no special history. When the first death in a community would occur, some one would donate a piece of ground for a burial place and this would be the beginning of a cemetery. In many instances no deed of such tract would be made to trustees and entered upon the records. As the old settlers died or moved away these grave.yards fell into disuse, were neglected and in a number of cases only a trace of them remains. As far as possible a list of these country grave.vards is given by townships, and where any one of them has a recorded history it is noted.

In Allen township the fir.st burial place was laid out on the farm of Matthias Carvey, in Section 18. a short distance northeast of the present town of Maey. Among the early burials here were a ilr. and Mrs. Bailey, Matthias Carvey and a child of William Hakins. This place is still called the Carvey cemetery. \ot long after it was established a graveyard was laid out at Five Corners, in the southwestern part of the township, where Matthias Harmon, Nathan Bryant and a number of the early settlers in that part of the county were buried. Many of the graves in this old cemetery are unmarked and the names of those buried in them have been forgotten.

The most important cemetery in Allen township at the present time is the Plain View cemetery at Macy. It is located in the southeast quarter of section 13, township 29, range 3. .iust west of the tow'u, and had its beginning in 1890, when the Odd Fellows' lodge at Macy bought three acres of ground and laid out a cemetery. On October 17. 1908, a new plat of the cemetery was filed for record b.y Benjamin F. Zartraan, John C. Moore and Manoah W. Tracy, trustees of Allen Lodge, No. 540, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The new plat shows two hundred and nine lots, each twelve by twent.y-seven feet in size.

Histokv Ok .Mia.Mi County 377

except a few along the west side, and tlu-re is also a section set apart for individual burials. Mrs. Sai-ali M. Champ was the first person to be interred in this cemetery. Thf plaec is well fenced and properly cared for I)y the Odil Fellows, though persons not members of that order may avail themselves of the benefits of the burial place.

Tlie oldest burial ground in Butler to^raship, of which there is any ai-i'(iunt. is the Clayton cemetery, in the nortlieastern part of the township. James and Thomas Clayton wei'c among the pioneers that settled along the Mississinewa river below Peoria, and James Clayton died a few years after coming to Miami county. He was one of the first persons to be buried in this graveyard, whioh still bears the family mime. Several Indians were buried here before the Miamis left for theii- new reservation in Kansas, but theii' names have been forgotten.

About two miles west of the village of Peoria, in Ihe southeast corner of section 7 and a short distance northwest of the Presbyterian church, is a small graveyard that grew up aliout the time the church was established thei-e in the fall of 186:5, but it cannot be learned who was the fir.st pei-son to be buried there.

Another old graveyard in Hutler towiisliip is located in tlie northwest corner of section 22, about a iinle ;ind half of south of Peoria. A Christian church was built near this point about 1868, l)ut it is not known whether the graveyard was estal)lished by the chuivh or not. There is a sort of tradition, not very well founded, tliat some Imrials had been made there before tlie church was founded.

At the May term of the eonnty commissioners' eoui-t in 1!)0;5 a petition was filed asking for the incorporation of a cemetery association at Peoria. The matter was continued until tlie iie.xt term, in order to give the petitioners an opportunity to give the proper notice of an intention to ask for such an incorporation, and on June 1. !!)():!, tlie Peoria Cemetery Association was regularly incorporated, to have and to hold a certain tract of ground in section 10, township 26, range o. Alfred Kamsey, former county commissioner, headed the movement for the organization of the association. This is th(> only iiicorporat(!d and i-egularly recorded cemetery association in Butler townshiii.

In the atlas of ]Miami county pu])lished by Kingman Brothers in 1877, and also on a map of iMiami county i)ulilished by Rand. IMeNaJly & Company in 1905, two cemeteries are shown in Chiy townshi]). One of these is located near the United Brethi-eii chutcli in section 28, about a mile and a half east of Bennett's Switch, and the other is a short distance southwest of the village of Waupecong.

Baptist clnircli founded there in 1849. A number of the pioneers of the township were buried here during the existence of the chureh, but since the congregation was disl)anded in 1893 the cemeter.y has fallen into decay through neglect and is rarely used. In the southern part of section 36, in the same township and not far from the Howard county line, is another small burial place ; there is also a graveyard on the middle fork of Deer creek, in the northeast corner of section 29, about a mile east of Bennett's Switch, and another is situated in the east side of section 17, on the south bank of Deer creek and a short distance east of the village of Miami.

The county atlas and map above referred to show three cemeteries in Erie township. The first is situated near the United Brethren church in section 8, in the northern part ; the second is near the old Methodist church in the southeast corner of section 10, and the third is in the southwest quarter of section 21, just north of the Wabash railroad and in what was once the Joseph Richardville i-eserve.

In the extreme northern part of Harrison township, just north of Pipe creek in the northwest (|uarter of section 5, and a short distance southwest of the village of Santa Fe, is an old country graveyard in which some of the early settlers of that part of the county found their last resting place. The McGrawsville Methodist church hasi a cemetery near that village ; there is another just east of the village of North Grove ; one in the northwestern jjart of section 8, north of the Pan Handle railroad; and there is an old })urial ground in the southeastern part of the township that was once maintained by the Wesleyan Methodist church of Cary, but it is no longer iised, except on rare occasions.

The first cemetery in Jackson township was laid out on the farm of Thomas ilason and the first burial there was that of an infant child of Thomas and I\Iary Addington. Tliis graveyard, afterward known as the Xenia cemetery, was the beginning of the principal burial place at Converse, though in recent years it has been greatly enlarged and improved. Second in importance is the cemetery just north of Ambo.v, in the northern part of section 23, which is the principal place of interment for the people of the town and a large district of the surrounding country. There is an old cemetery in the south side of section 2, on the bank of Pipe creek and on section 1, about a mile farther east is what was once knowai as the South Grove Protestant cemetery. About half a mile northwest of Converse is the churchyard of the Friends or Quakei-s, where the members of that denomination and their friends bury their departed.

As narrated in Chapter VIII, the first person to die in Jefferson township was Solomon Wilkinson, who was buried ju.st west of the town of Mexico. That was the beginning of the Mexico cemetery.

OtluT iiu'inbers of tlu' Wilkinson I'jniiily were among the early burials here. What is known as the Walling graveyard was established in the southwestern part of tlie township as early as 18:16. Mrs. Burrell Daniels, whose husband built the first gristmill in the towuship, was bui-ied here. This ^rave.vai'd was abandoned as a l)urial place many years airo and Ihe few i,M-aves ther«> are now hardly distingni.shable.

The Eel Kiver cemetery, located in section 2, town.ship 27, range ;i, about two miles west of Mexico, was established by the members of the Eel River chapel about 1838. On IMarch 6, 1911, a plat of the cemetery was tiled in the office of the county recorder, by W. II. Jlyci-s, though it has been used as a burial ground ever since it was first laid out three quarters of a century ago.

There are two cemeteries kept ui) by the German Baptists in Jefferson township - one in connection with the church about half a mile north of ilexico anil the other in section 27, township 28, range o, about half a iinle east of the village of Courier. In the cemetery at Mexico are several graves of old people and children who were inmates of the Old Folks' and Or[)han Cliildri'n"s Home mentioned earlier in this chapter.

In Perry township one of thi' oldest burial places is located in the east side of section 15, on the nortii bank of Squirrel creek and not far from the county line. It was kept up for a luuuber of years by the Niconza Baptist church, but aftt-r the ehui-eh went down the cemetery fell into disu.se. Brant & Fuller's History of Miami County (pag(! 719"). in mentioning the death of James Bunton - the first death in Pei-i'y township - says: '"lie was bui'ied in the Xieonza graveyard, one of the oldest cemeteries in the county."

There is an old cemetery in Perry township in the western i)art of section 4, "near the prairie," about a nnle and a half west of the Wabash county line and near the northern boundary of the townshii). Anotlici- cemetery is situated in the western part of section 7. just north of Gilead and is the jirineijjal burial plai'e for the people of that village and the neighboi-ing i-ural districts.

Pern townshij), being the site of the city of Peru, is naturally better supplied with bniial grounds than any other in the county, and its cemeteries are larger, better kept as a rule and more pretentions than are those of the smaller towns and country districts. JMount Hope cemetery was laid out about the year 184") and comprised about three acres of ground. In course of time this land was all sold for burial purpo.ses and at such low prices that there were no funds with wliich to keep the cemetery in i-ejiair. In l.ssi the Mouyt Hope Cemetery Association was duly ine(ii-i)oi'ate(l by the eommissioners of ]\Iiami county and in 1884 an assessment of $6 per lot was levied for the purpose of providing funds for the improvement of the grounds. In 1908 another assessment of $2.50 per lot was levied, and some money was willed to the association as an endowment.

The Oak Grove Cemetery Association was organized on March ;J0, 1868, and by various purchases ac(|uired about seventeen and one-half acres of land. ad.iacent lo and surrounding the Blount Hope cemetery on the north and west.

On February 6, 1912. a new ]\Iount Hope Cemetery Association was formed by the consolidation of the two above mentioned associations and was incorporated on that date by order of the commissioners of Miami county. At that time the assets of the old Mount Hope association were $281.42 in cash and $1,900 loaned at six per cent on first mortgage .security. The assets of the Oak Grove as.sociation consisted of $285.58 in cash and nearly ten acres of unsold land, upon which there was a mortgage of $3,000. By the consolidation of the two associations the lands of the new association were made available for an extension of burial grounds and the cash and endowment fund of the old one gave the new organization a fair working capital for immediate needs.

New by-laws were adopted by the lot owners of the ;\Iount Hope Cemetery Association on February 3, 1913, at which time the following officers were elected: Ch.arles H. Brownell, president; Frank M. Stutesmaii, vice-president; Henry S. Bailey, secretary; Jo.seph H. Shirk, treasurer; Nott X. Antrim, Walter C. Bailey, George C. Miller, Sr., and Henry Kittner, directors. Under the revised by-laws each owner of a lot or jjart of a lot is a stockholder in the association, but no pecuniary l)enefit of profit shall come to him by virtue of such relationship. The by-laws also provide that each lot shall pay an annual assessment of $2 and each fraction of a lot an assessment of $1 for the maintenance of the cemetery, and for the same purpose each single burial space shall pay an assessment of fifty cents.

Mount Hope is beautifully situated in the eastern part of section 28, .just north of the city limits and under the new organization the cemetery promises to become one of the prettiest in central Indiana. Provisions have been made for building up a general endowment fund, the income from which will be used for the care of the cemetery, and in addition to this general fund the association has made provision for a special endowment fund to consist of money or securities given to the association with the understanding that the income shall be used to beautify ascertain lot or section of the cemetery.

distaiioo west of the city limits, was liouglit early in the '(iOs, while Father Bernard Force was pastor of the St. Charles parish, ami was poiisec rated aeeordiiig: to the ritual of the eluireh as a burial place for Catholics. Adjoining the Catholic cemetery is tiiat of the Lutherans, which is a typical churchyard, neatly kept and sufficiently large to answer all demands of the congregation that uses it as a burial ground. In section 32. at the west end of the city of Peru and immediately east of the Catliolic cemetery, is what is known as the Reyburn graveyard, so named from one of the jiioneers families of the city, some of whose members were buried there in eai-ly days. The atlas of 1877 shows an old Methodist cemeter\- in the north side of section 11, about two and a lialf miles north of the city on the road leading to Chili, and east of that road is the old Tiiiett graveyard, where several of the Tillett family and their neighbors lie bui'ii'd.

Pipe Creek township is well supplied with burial places. In the east side of section 5, near the northern boundary of the township and east of the hake Erie & Western Railroad, is an old graveyard that served as a place of interment for the early settlers in that neighborhood. This cemetery has been supplanted by one established by the United Brethren churcli al)out a mile farther west. There is an old burial ground in the nortJi side of section 14, on what is known as the Medsker farm, not far from the Cass county Hue. About a mile .south of this cemetery is one established by the Christian church soon after the close of the Civil war, and there is also a cemetery a short distance west of the town of Bunker Hill.

In Richland township, near the center of section 1 and abniit two miles east of the old village of Wooleytown, is what is left of an old graveyard establishi-d in an early da\-. Tlie oldest cemetery in the tow;nship, however, is the one at Ciiiii, whicli was hi id out some time prior to 1840. Tlieri' is also a graveyard in connection with the German Baptist church in section 3, near tlie northwest cornel' of the townshii). and another at the Baptist cliurcii at Chili, '{"lie last mentioned is situated nn the bank of the Eel river a siiort distance l)eli)w the town.

The Paw Paw cemetery, in Richland townsliip. was consecrated as a hnrial place in 1840 and the tii'st pi'fson to he huried there was Margaret, daughter of Richard and Amy .MiHer, On .lainiary 5, 1904, the tract of land including the cemetery was conveyed to the trustees of the Paw Paw Methodist Episcopal church by JIargaret Miller. A plat of the cemetery was filed in the office of the comity recorder on August 13, 1913, the trustees at that time being Thomas F. Black, E. B. Miller and Clarence Grogg. This cemetery is lucateil in .section IG.

Referring again to the old atlas and map previously mentioned, three cemeteries are noted in Union township. One is situated in the northeast quarter of section 38, about a mile northeast of Deedsville; the second is near the Missionary Baptist church in the southern part of section 7, near Weesau creek and about three miles northwest of the to-mi of Denver; and the third is in section 16, just north of the old Weesau Indian reservation.

In "Washington to\\^^ship the Wickler graveyard in the south side of section 15, about two miles south of the county asylum, is one of the oldest cemeteries. It was established at a very early day and one of the first persons to be buried there was a child of Rolicrt Love. The roads were in such condition at the time that it was difficult for vehicles to pass over them and the little coffin was earrieil to the graveyard on horseback by a Mr. Miller. :Mr. Love, the father of the child, was also buried here a little later.

The Rankin graveyard, in the southwestern part of the township, is located on what was once known as the Bearss farm, on Big Pipe creek and about two miles east of Bunker Hill. It is one of the old graveyards of Washington township. Caleb Adams and a ]\Irs. Harter were among the first persons to be buried in this cemetery.

Shortly after the United Brethren church known as Crider chapel was built in 1869, a cemetery was established in connection with the church. It is located in the northeast corner of section 24, near Little Pipe creek and is still used as a place of interment l)y the members of the church and the residents in the neighborhood.

Near the northwest corner of the town.ship, in section 4, is an old graveyard on the bank of Little Pipe creek, and in the extreme southwest corner, just south of Big Pipe creek, is the old Hawes graveyard. John, Bernard and Conrad Hawes settled in this locality in the early '40s and one of them (it is not definitely known which) was the first pei-son to be buried here. Another early burial in this cemetery was a man named Larimer and several pioneer families used it as a burial place for many years.