May Tour for the Association for Gravestone Studies

This walk is designed for out-of-town visitors to historic Oak Hill cemetery, who might not recognize local names from city street and county road names or from historic buildings or parks.  The walk is a fairly compact circle walk that showcases selected outstanding monuments and headstones, and mentions some names that might be familiar to people coming from outside of Rock County.  It also shows how the symbols in the chapel stained glass are repeated in some of the headstones and monuments.

Oak Hill cemetery today covers more than 90 acres, and contains more than 24,000 graves, about half its capacity.  The oldest blocks are located on either side of the road that runs uphill to the right of the chapel, and this walk is limited to these areas.  Although there are thousands of interesting monuments dedicated to Rock County residents, there are hundreds of unmarked burials as well, so when you see an open space, do not assume the space is empty.  At Oak Hill it is nearly impossible to avoid treading on the dead.  

There are some fairly famous people buried here, from military heroes from many conflicts such as Medal of Honor recipient James E. Croft, to athletes like race car driver Stan Fox or lightweight boxing champion Sammy Mandell, to politicians such as congressman Stephen Bolles.  There is even the third director of the National Park Service, Arno Cammerer, who has a peak in the Great Smoky Mountains named after him.  Then of course there is George Parker, who founded the world famous Parker Pen Company.

Oak Hill is Janesville's oldest operating burial ground, but not its first.  The first cemetery was located where Jefferson Park is now, in the old Courthouse Hill neighborhood.  This first cemetery served the area's earliest pioneer settlers, most of whom came to Rock County in the 1830's and 1840's, many of them Yankees from New England.  Janesville grew quickly, and by 1851 city leaders decided to build a public high school on the site of the original village cemetery.  This caused an outcry for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that the early settlers buried in that location had to be dug up and carted across town to the new cemetery and re-interred, on land outside the city limits donated by the Rock County Board of Supervisors, Oak Hill.

For many years the Oak Hill Cemetery Association oversaw the operation and maintenance of the burial ground.  They sold lots, paved roads, planted trees and bushes, maintained fences, fountains and gardens, and in 1899-1900 built the chapel, whose renovation is nearly complete.  The cemetery association was dissolved several  years ago, and the cemetery is currently being operated and maintained by the City of Janesville.

Oak Hill is is an example of a rural garden cemetery, similar to, though smaller than cemeteries like Mount Auburn cemetery, near Boston, or Forest Home in Milwaukee.  It was designed to celebrate nature, with roads and paths that follow the contours of the land, landscaping and gardens, and many mature trees.  It was intended to be, besides a place to respectfully bury loved ones, a beautiful public park where people could go to enjoy nature, perhaps even enjoy a picnic.  The monuments and headstones in these rural cemeteries, unlike the practical low maintenance markers popular today, tended to be vertical in a style which demonstrates the popularity of classical Greek and Roman architecture, and all things Egyptian.  So visitors see columns and obelisks, urns, sculptures, and monuments that resemble small temples.  Around the time that Oak Hill was established technical advancements made it easier to carve and transport very hard stone, so while there are many markers carved in soft limestone and marble, we also see many carved in durable granite.

The first stop on the walk is at the hillside vault of the family of Ithamar Conkey Sloan.  Sloan was a congressman who served during Abraham Lincoln's administration, and was associated with the University of Wisconsin law school.  Today there are only two family vaults at Oak Hill, this one and one on the other side of the road, that belonged to the Follansbee family.  Originally these vaults had marble facings, with the names of family members engraved on them, but all these decorations are now gone, either due to weathering or vandalism.  I know of two other vaults here that have been removed.  Before the chapel was built there was a vault for storing bodies in the winter, when the ground was too hard to dig, and the Judd family had a vault, but they tore it down in 1908 and reburied family members in traditional graves which we'll see later.

I.C. Sloan family vault (block 6)

One of the newly restored stained glass windows in the chapel features a lamb and flag, which is a visual representation of Jesus as the Lamb of God.  Most of the lambs on headstones here at Oak Hill are similar to this one for young George Carle.  Lambs can also represent innocence.

George Carle lamb (block 6)

There are two family monuments at Oak Hill which are in the shape of a tree trunk with lopped off limbs representing departed family members.  Monuments like these used to be fairly common, and it's fun to try and spot them in a wooded cemetery.  This one is for the Orin Dearborn family, and it features twining ivy and a cross.  Notice the small carved logs that mark the boundaries of the plot. Orin Dearborn was a Baptist minister here in Janesville.

Rev. Orin Dearborn family tree monument (block 16)

When I take people on tours of the cemetery this headstone is always a favorite.  Gerald "Dad" Braisher was Packer football coach Vince Lombardi's equipment manager.  Mr. Braisher was the person who designed the now famous Packer "G" seen on the helmet here.

Gerald Braisher - Packer "G" logo (block 23)

We're stopping at the family monument of Capt. William Dick Cargill, both because it is a lovely featuring lilies and palm fronds, but because the Cargill name is so widely known.  Captain Cargill was born in the Orkney Islands of Scotland and sailed out of Scotland first, and later out of Long Island.  His wife Edna was reported to have hated the sea, and did not want any of her four sons to grow up near it.  So Capt. Cargill retired to Rock County and became a gentleman farmer, and their sons founded the Cargill grain business that eventually became the agribusiness giant we know today.

Capt. William Dick Cargill family monument (block 23)

This stop at the Kimball family plot is to see the beautiful monument belonging to Josie Kimball Conant.  Her parents ran a successful hardware business here and in Missouri, and she  married Conant in 1879.  Her rustic cradle monument features a rock wall, various flowers, ferns, ivy, and a curbed area that originally held a flower bed.  Watch out walking here - there are woodchuck burrows!

Josie Kimball Conant -  rusticated flower bed (block 97)

This block is dedicated to members of the W.H. Sargent Post No. 20 of the G.A.R., Grand Army of the Republic.   More than 2, 800 Rock County men served in the Civil War, and the local G.A.R. Post was organized in 1881 with 42 charter members, and was named after Lt. W.H. Sargent of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment who was killed in 1864 in Tennessee.  Some of these stones mark actual burials and some are cenotaphs.  The corners of the block are marked by small cannon muzzles and cannon balls.  Interestingly, W.H. Sargent is buried elsewhere in the cemetery.

W.H. Sargent Post No. 20 G.A.R.  (block 99)

Just a quick stop here to mention on of my favorite unusual names here at Oak Hill.  There are lots of interesting names, like Electa Bangs, Joe Blow, or Manley Fish.  But I like Orlando Florida's name especially well.  One of the men who mows grass in the summer told me when his supervisor asked him how far he got in his mowing, he replied "as far as Orlando Florida."

 

Orlando Florida (block 101)

Up the road from the Florida family, and across from the Tallman plot is a large wooded area that have relatively few headstones.  This is the public grounds, also known as the Potter's Field area of Oak Hill, where those who cannot afford to purchase a cemetery plot are buried.  There are many indigent men and women, itinerant workers, and children buried here.  Sometimes the families added a headstone later, so some of the burials are marked, but most are not.

Public Grounds (Potter's Field, block 121, 122, 123)

The impressive red granite monument here marks the plot of the William Morrison Tallman family.  Today the Tallmans' homes are maintained and operated as public attractions by the Rock County Historical Society.  William Morrison Tallman's house is a lovely brick home where Abraham Lincoln really did spend a couple of nights when he was running for President.   The pretty white marble monument featuring a young woman pointing toward heaven next to the family monument is dedicated to Augusta Tallman Beach, who died as a young wife in Chicago.

Augusta Beach and the Tallman family (block 89)

Elias Childs was a stone cutter from New York, and while his headstone is plain, those of his wife and daughter are anything but plain.  Dia and Frances Childs' stone is a pair of short tree trunks on a low wall of rocks, each with a scroll, rope tied in a knot, and rose - in one in full bloom and one in bud. 

Dia Childs and daughter's rusticated headstone (block 86)

I do not know very much about Ephraim Spalding, other than he was the son of a veteran of the War of 1812, but I have always admired the sheaf of wheat that marks his resting place.  You probably remember the same symbol on the window in the chapel, representing a life come to fruition.

Ephraim Spalding - Sheaf of Wheat (block 75)

Notice the small marker dedicated to "Ira," with the symbol of the anchor.  This symbol might stand for the idea of hope, or safety, or even be a veiled reference to the holy cross.

Ira - Anchor (block 75)

 

If you look across the road you'll see a large monument dedicated to Janesville Freemasons  Many headstones at Oak Hill feature the compass and square, this monument features Masonic symbols on each of the four faces of the marker, including the cross and crown of the Knights Templar, which you will remember from the window in the chapel.

Masonic Monument - Knights Templar symbol of cross and crown (block 157)

Speaking of Masonic symbols, this headstone marking the final resting place of Charles A. Brown, features a broken column, a weeping virgin with a book, and a sprig of acacia, an urn, and Father Time holding a scythe.  All are symbols of mortality, but this particular image is related to Freemasonry.  Charles Brown was a dedicated Mason.

Charles Brown - Father Time and the Weeping Virgin (block 91)

It is unfortunate that Thomas Nichols' headstone has recently toppled.  I've always liked the image of the train car on his marker.  In life he was a conductor for the Chicago and Northwestern railroad.

Thomas Nichols - train car (block 91)

 George Bentley fought for the Union in the Civil War, and was killed in Perryville, Kentucky, in 1862.  His impressive stone includes a shield, sword, and his cap.

Capt. George Bentley - cap, shield and sword (block 91)

Heading back toward the chapel off to the left it is easy to miss the other large tree monument at Oak Hill, dedicated to the family of  Henry Culver.  Culver, originally from New York, made his fortune in manufacturing in New England, and later in life moved to Rock county to farm.  The monument features many unique touches including a cross, a book at the base of the tree with family names inscribed, and even a tiny mouse.

Henry Culver family tree monument (block 83)

This is the family plot for the James Crosby family.  Crosby was a wealthy man from New York who  came to Janesville in 1852 and became the general manager of the Harris Manufacturing Company, and later an was an officer of the Rock County National Bank.  He is buried here with his wife Andalusia, and daughters Alice and Jessie.  I like to think the pretty girl featured on their monument represents their daughter Alice, who died as a schoolgirl in New York of scarlet fever.   The figure points to heaven, and holds a scroll and an anchor, and there is also a dove similar to the one featured on the chapel window.

James Crosby and family - lady, dove, anchor (block 30)

 The tall gray granite obelisk ahead marks the burial spot of Judge Edward Whiton, a man important in Wisconsin history.  Originally from Massachusetts, he came to the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and became a member of the Wisconsin Territory assembly the following year.  When Wisconsin became a state in 1848, Whiton was elected circuit judge, and joined four other circuit judges to form the first Wisconsin Supreme Court.  He was elected chief justice in 1853, and served with integrity and honesty.

Judge Edward Whiton and family (block 35)

You may remember the memorial window in the chapel dedicated to William Starr Judd.  The young boy was the son of Dr. William Judd, a well respected local doctor who came from a family of physicians.  The son died from diphtheria after accompanying his father to a patient's home during a local outbreak, and became infected himself. 

Dr. William Judd and family - memorial window in chapel (block 38)

Our last stop today is at the family plot of several family members of Carrie Jacobs Bond, widely considered the first great American woman composer, who penned The End of a Perfect Day, and I Love You Truly. Carrie is buried in California, but her second husband, Frank Lewis Bond, is buried here.  He married Carrie in 1888, and died only seven years later after suffering a fall.  Hannibal Jacobs and Mary Davis Jacobs Minor, Carrie's parents, are also buried here.

Dr. Frank Lewis Bond and family - husband of Carrie Jacobs Bond (block 39)

This concludes today's tour.  I hope you had a "perfect day" here at Oak Hill, and enjoyed getting a little overview of this lovely cemetery.  Thank you for coming, and please watch your step on the road as you return.

Railroads, Reapers, Etc. - One

Most of the stops on this self-guided walk come from Maurice Montgomery's book Memory Walks in Oak Hill Cemetery, from the chapter he called Railroads, Reapers and Motor Cars.  I added a couple names that I thought fit the theme. There are too many stops in the chapter for a single hour-long walk, so I divided the stops into two separate walks, the next one coming soon.  If you are reading this in November, the weather is getting chilly in Wisconsin, so dress accordingly when you head out, and  bring along a map of the cemetery.  I include one at the end of this post, or get one from the cemetery office Monday through Friday, ten o'clock in the morning until two in the afternoon. Happy hunting!

1.  Pliny Norcross (block 20) If you follow the paved road that runs up the hill to the left of the chapel, you will find the Norcross monument and individual headstones.

I've always though Norcross was interesting. He was from Massachusetts, originally but came to southern Wisconsin when he was a teenager.  He was schooled at both Milton and Albion Academies, and spent time at the University of Wisconsin.  When the Civil war broke out he enlisted in the Governor's Guards, and later in Company K 13th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry, where he was captain.  After the war he married, took up the study of law, and went back east to New York.  But then he returned to Janesville in 1883, where he invested in business blocks downtown.  In 1885 he got into the electric power business, using the power provided by the Rock River to electrify businesses in the Norcross block, a business that manufactured shoes, printing plants, and a bindery.  In 1892 he bought the Fulton mill, torn it down, and built a power plant that began to run lights in Edgerton, as well as parts of Janesville.  Then he acquired the old mills at Indian Ford and created the Indian Ford electric power plant.  In the end he sold all these power plants to the Wisconsin Electric Company and became first president of the utility. He had an unfortunate ending. In July 1915 he was walking along the old raceway on the river in downtown Janesville when a gust of wind blew his straw hat from his head.  He grabbed for it, but slipped into the the river and drowned.  His body was located a couple days later, his pocket watch stopped at 2:12.

2.  William Rodney Hathaway (block 112) Keep heading up that same road to the top of the hill and then a bit further on until you reach a unpaved path that cuts across the wooded area over to the other paved road (called Center Avenue) to the right of the chapel.  About half way between the two paved roads, on the path, is the tablet headstone pictured above.  It leans, so you will need to squat down to see the image of the steam engine clearly.

At the time Hathaway was alive, railroads were sweeping the country, revolutionizing travel and providing a fast and efficient way to move manufactured and agricultural goods.  These were, of course, steam trains, which required a water filled boiler, which had to be stoked with wood or coal constantly.  It was the job of the train's fireman to keep the firebox filled with fuel, and also to oil the train's drive wheels.  It was dangerous.  Hathaway was a fireman, and he met a tragic end. He fell while shoveling to the engine and became tangled in the connecting rods which drove the engine's wheels.  It took about thirty minutes to extricate him, and by that time he had already died.

3.   Charles Baxter Withington (block 110) Continuing along the unpaved path the runs between the two paved roads you should be able to find the modest gray granite headstone for Withington.  It's off the path a bit toward the wooded back part of the cemetery.

Charles B. Withington was born in Ohio, but moved to Janesville and married Charlotte Brandt, and raised a large family. He is remembered today for his invention of a wire grain binder. The patent for this invention was bought by Cyrus McCormick, of the International Harvester fame, who perfected the technology, adapted it for twine binding, contributed to the industrialization of agriculture, and made a fortune.  C.B. Withington also owned a jewelry business for many years in Janesville.

4.  James B. Crosby (block 30) Keep going along that unpaved path, over to the paved road that runs to the right of the chapel. On the other side of the road near a very old oak tree you cannot miss the Crosby family monument, which is a maiden pointing to heaven atop a column, with a scroll and an anchor.

James Crosby personified the prosperous businessman.   Born in New York,he came to the area with his parents in 1852. His father built a large flouring mill  James ran a dray-goods store for a time, but soon after got into banking when the Rock County Bank was organized in 1855. Later he was manager of the Harris Manufacturing Company (James Harris is coming up later), after it was reorganized and called Janesville Machine Company.  Crosby lived in a beautiful Italianate villa on Sutherland Avenue. After he left Janesville for North Carolina, Dr. Judd and Dr. Henry Palmer bought the house and made it into the city's first hospital.


5.  Henry P. Culver and family (block 83) Walking west along that same paved road, heading toward the back of the cemetery, the Culver family monument will be on your right, back in a bit from the road.  It looks like a full sized tree, with limbs lopped off, encircled by ivy with a cross up toward the top.

Henry P. Culver was a native of Connecticut, born in 1793.   After marrying his wife Lamira, they moved to New York state, where he went into manufacturing with his grandfather. Later he opened a grist mill, and engaged in manufacturing barrels, sawing lumber, processing potash, and making plaster.  In 1842 he and his sons moved to Rock county, where he purchased a fine farm.  He engaged in farming until he died of a paralytic stroke in 1869.  He is remembered as being a pioneer of the area.

6.  Thomas J. Nichols (block 91) Keep heading west on Center Avenue, and the next two headstones are near the first cross paved road you reach. The Nichols headstone is an upright tablet, inscribed with the image of a railroad passenger car.

Another railroad related headstone here. Thomas Jefferson Nichols was a conductor for the Chicago and Northwestern railroad, which is a senior position, and well respected. No doubt he had worked his way up through other railroad jobs, such as doing routine maintenance, being a flagman, or brakeman.  By the time he was a conductor, he was in charge of his train cars, responsible for the safety of freight and or passengers, for selling and collecting tickets, keeping the train moving a time, and so on. Nichols was forty years old when he died of rheumatic fever. Ironically, Thomas's son Charles, who was a railroad brakeman, suddenly died of a hemorrhage only six months later.

7.  Charles A. Brown (block 91) Very nearby you can easily find another upright tablet, good-sized, topped with an urn and inscribed with the image of a broken column, a sprig of acacia, an urn, a kneeling woman, and Father Time with a sickle (pictured below)

Charles A. Brown was an engineer for the Chicago and Northwestern Road, and the engineer is also an important and respected job.  Brown didn't die in his engine, but rather on train related business in Chicago.  He and conductor Amassa Cobb were in Chicago, riding in a buggy near the Chicago and Northwestern freight house, when something frightened the horse, which bolted out of control.  Cobb jumped from the buggy and broke a leg, but when Brown jumped free he fell and cracked his skull on the pavement, and died a short time later.   His interesting and somewhat macabre looking monument is actually related to his being a Mason.  The image, called Father Time and the Weeping Virgin,  is supposed to symbolize that time, patience and perseverance will accomplish all things.

8.  James Harris (block 101) The Harris monument is directly across the road, a large gray granite block.

When James Harris died in 1912, the Janesville Gazette described him as a "Founder of Industry." Born in Canada, Harris had lived in Janesville more than fifty years, was president of the Janesville Barb Wire Company and vice president of the Janesville Machine Company.  Since he was trained as a machinist, be began in Janesville in partnership with some others in the manufacture of of farm implements, such as reapers. He was also involved in the Rock River Iron Works, which made castings and cast iron columns. The barb wire company, which he bought from a Illinois and brought north to Rock county, eventually became Janesville Fence and Post, and still later became Harris Ace Hardware.