We do promise that an update is in the works, but a sudden change in life has temporarily postponed our usual Friday updates. Let’s just say, Headstoners: Illinois might be coming to a blog near you soon-ish…
February 2010
Monthly Archive
February 27, 2010
February 19, 2010
Finishing It Up
Posted by Megan-Marie under Broderick Cemetery, Union | Tags: cemetery, headstone, tombstones, union county |Leave a Comment
This just in — procrastination is really healthy. Which is why I’m bringing you Broderick Cemetery today. Now, despite its name, this cemetery turns out to be one of the most depressing we have ever been to.
Broderick Cemetery Sign
Broderick Cemetery is in Union County off State Route 245. We have driven past this cemetery on our way to Columbus a hundred times in the last ten years, but never gone to it. In October of last year, it became our first Union County cemetery, and it still remains the only. Oddly, all we do is drive through Union Co., although the Marysville city cemetery is on our list.
Stones in Broderick
Okay, so about Broderick! Well, according to Find-A-Grave, it boasts a stunning 88 interments, but according to our pictures, it boasts a . . . whopping amount of not being properly cared for. Now, perhaps it was the cold–Broderick was the last stop on our October 26th cemeterypalooza, and the temperature dropped very fast–and perhaps it was the fact that the sun was setting and all my pictures were coming out like I’d taken them at midnight during a new moon, but neither of us liked this cemetery, and we all got the distinct impression that it was depressing and unpleasant.
I wish I had more to say about it. It sits out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fields, but is directly off the state route, and it is easy to pull off and park. Sometimes the gate is open and sometimes it is not. A lot of the stones have toppled; and I would guess a number never had stones at all. Many have clearly been replaced or more recently provided; the cemetery is obviously no longer in use. As for the name, it’s anyone’s guess — as far as I can tell, nobody named Broderick is buried here.
Pretty much all I remember about this cemetery is being cold and depressed and feeling rather as though I didn’t want to be there, so we’ll put this one low on the list of cemeteries worth visiting. Maybe I’d feel differently during the summer, but . . . I don’t think so.
February 13, 2010
A hidden gem
Posted by Kristine under Franklin, Pioneer | Tags: cemetery, Columbus, Franklin County, old, Pioneer |Leave a Comment
The next to the last weekend in January the weather here in Ohio perked up a little (little did we know what was coming!), and we were looking for some cheap entertainment (which isn’t really cheap with gas prices but work with me). Given that I just got a new-to-me car in December that came equipped with a GPS system (thanks, Honda) we got a little giddy with trying to find somewhere to go after our picnic in Green Lawn. After attempting to find Silent Home Cemetery in Reynoldsburg (don’t believe the addresses) we decided to go to this little nerd hole-in-the-wall shop called Starbase on the east side of Columbus… that was interesting. We’re Star Wars people, not Star Trek people, so not as successful as it could have been, but it led us to this gem that was right down the road…
Pioneer Cemetery
Since this was so spontaneous, we didn’t really know what to expect from it, and at first it looked like it was mostly modern burials which just aren’t as interesting as older headstones. However, we then stumbled onto one of the most well-preserved, beautiful sections in any of the cemeteries we’ve been to. While many of the older sandstone monuments are able to keep inscriptions well, they often flake off in layers leaving them cracked and worn and the part holding the inscription just plain gone. I’m not sure if the somewhat secluded spot has kept them sheltered from the harsher weather or if someone has just taken an active interest in them, but it was truly an amazing find.
Rows of intact headstones
Because the area was so well-preserved, it made for some really interesting photos. There were several well-preserved inscriptions to read that told a lot of history, and we probably would have spent a little more time there if it hadn’t been getting late and we had a long drive home. There were several burials from the early-mid-1800s and apart from one corner in the western part of the grounds, almost all of the extensive grounds are newer burials that are ongoing.
To get to Pioneer Cemetery, take 270 from either direction to exit 29 and head north. The cemetery will be easily visible on the left side soon after exiting. Turn left at the light, and there will be to entrances/exits around the curve in the road.
For the rest of the pictures from our trip, click here.
February 5, 2010
The Boy in Green Lawn
Posted by Megan-Marie under Franklin, Green Lawn Cemetery | Tags: accident, cemetery, Franklin, genealogy, george blount, Green Lawn, newspaper, Ohio, statue, taphophile, tombstones |[2] Comments
Christmassy George
Today’s post is about one of the most popular monuments in the Green Lawn Cemetery of Columbus, Ohio. It’s not one of my favorites, but it’s been coming up an awful lot for the last couple weeks, so I thought I’d post about him. Let me open ‘er out by quoting an AP article featured in the Columbus Dispatch in December. (Original/complete article can be seen here: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/23/george.ART_ART_12-23-09_B1_UDG3A4V.html?sid=101)
As a light snow fell yesterday at Green Lawn Cemetery, someone made sure 5-year-old George Blount was dressed warmly. George, who was decked out in a Santa hat and plaid scarf, has been a fixture at Green Lawn since 1873. For years, visitors have decorated his grave site, which is marked by a life-size stone statue of a young boy. No one who works at Green Lawn knows who decorates the grave. Sandi Latimer, volunteer coordinator at the cemetery, said George’s grave is near the back, making it easy for decorators to slip in unnoticed. . . . Latimer affectionately refers to him as “Georgie” and says his grave is a frequently requested stop when she conducts tours of the cemetery. . . . Linda Burkey, the cemetery’s general manager for 13 years, said that as long as she has been there, George’s grave has been decorated. “Out of all the other graves, his is the most decorated,” Latimer said as she removed the hat and scarf. She said she has to remove the items because they can hold in moisture and harm the statue. Yesterday, stuffed animals lined the base of the marker. Water guns, action figures and Hot Wheels cars were scattered around, as well. A fresh candy cane rested in his lap. “I’ve found all kinds of things: Mardi Gras beads, baseball caps — even sunglasses on him in the summertime,” Latimer said. Gary Best, a German Village resident, was there yesterday, walking his dogs, Gabriel and Wheezer. “I think it’s interesting that, after all these years, people still put stuff out there,” he said. “It’s a sad story, and I guess people are just fascinated with that.” Latimer added: “Almost every cemetery has something that plays on the heartstrings of the public. And here, it’s little Georgie.”
Now, “Georgie” hasn’t been of a lot of interest to your local Headstoners here, for whatever reason. He is buried in a part of Green Lawn we don’t traverse much. The first time we came across him, we didn’t know there was any kind of a story about him. I just remember exclaiming because the statue held an A&W root beer can. The picture on the right here of George with the flowers is one of my favorites, though. This I find tasteful and even pleasant. (I have a long rant at the bottom about people leaving junky stuff on this grave; if you’re likely to be offended by that, please skip over that part and have a great day!) As just a quick side note, I would point out that the Headstoners are not aware of any ghost stories or hauntings in association with this grave stone.
George in the Springtime
Now, the story of George goes back 137 years–as of this Sunday, actually.
“Little Georgie,” as some refer to him, was the only child of Eli and Sarah Blount. Eli was the owner and proprietor of the American Hotel in downtown Columbus. On 7 February 1873, the family was getting ready to go out and little George, only 5 years old, decided that the fastest way to get downstairs was to slide down the bannister. Sadly, the railing broke and George fell; he died eight days later,
writes Amy Crow of Amy’s Genealogy, etc., blog. She adds, in a nice touch, I think, ”People regularly leave toys at his grave. . . . It’s almost as if he’s been adopted by countless people in central Ohio.”
"Our Georgie"
