Exploring America State by State

Monthly Archives: April 2023

The Grave in the Middle of the Road

Posted on by Posted in Cemetery, Indiana Leave a comment

I have seen a lot of cemeteries and gravesites but this one in Indiana is definately strange.  County Road 400 travels east and west near Franklin, Indiana. Just east of where it crosses the Sugar Creek is a concrete median with a marker surrounded by coins and flowers. The marker denotes the gravesite of Nancy Kerlin Barnett. She died in 1831 and was buried on a hill overlooking the creek. In 1912, it was decided to run a new road through the cemetery, and the bodies were to be moved to a new graveyard. When construction of the new road began, Nancy’s grandson Daniel G. Doty protected her grave with a shotgun, claiming it was her wish to be buried where she was. As the story goes, he remained there as workers moved the bodies and routed the road around her grave. The headstone and eventually a historical marker remained in the center of the road for decades.

In 2016, the road needed to be repaired, and it was decided that Nancy’s grave was a hazard to motorists and farm equipment. Plans were made to have her remains exhumed and replaced after the road construction was completed. To everyone’s surprise, the University of Indiana team exhumed the remains and found six more people’s skeletons in the grave. The bodies of two women, a man and four children were dug up. It is believed the body of the man had been previously dug up and placed back in the grave. Exactly who the bodies belong to are unknown, but it is assumed one is that of Nancy Barnett. It also makes one ponder if Daniel Doty did not want the grave disturbed because it would expose a secret he did not want revealed. After the section of County Road 400 had been repaved with a new median, the remains of all seven bodies were buried under the median, and a new marker for Nancy was placed on top of it. The gravesite still remains in the middle of the road and is one of the United State’s most unique gravesites.

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Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum in Duluth

Posted on by Posted in Minnesota, Ships and Boats Leave a comment

a concrete structure is located in the waters of Lake Superior just off the shoreline of Duluth’s Canal Park. Some stories and legends claim it was a bunker or Ice House and some even claim that it was used as a casino during Prohibition. It is known as “the cribs” or “the icebox.” or  Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum. It was built in 1919 by Harvey Whitney, a local businessman who owned a sand and gravel company with his brothers.

The Whitney Brothers built the structure as a hopper to hold sand and gravel from ships and then they used an overhead bucket system to convey the sand to shore. The storms and waves on Lake Superior made it difficult for ships to unload making the project unsuccessful and the hopper was abandoned in 1922.  Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum has been attracting the gaze of curious visitors for over a century. In the hot summer months swimmers like to jump off the structure. During the winter, when the lake is frozen, visitors can walk out to it and explore the abandoned structure.

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The Ruins in Music City

Posted on by Posted in Ruins, Tennessee Leave a comment

Many tourists visit downtown Nashville to check out the music and bar scene. Few tourists check out the ruins of an old Civil War fort on a hill a few miles south of downtown. Fort Negley was built by Union troops after the capture of Nashville Civil War. It was the largest inland fort built in the United States during the war between the states. Named for Union Army commander General James S. Negley, it was constructed on St. Cloud Hill mostly by freed slaves that were conscripted into the Union Army.

The fort was never used in battle with many battles taking place south of the fort. Shortly after the war, the it was abandoned and fell into ruin. Restoration of the historic fort began in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration but ended at the start of World War II. The old fort sat abandoned for decades until the early 2000s when the ruins were stabilized and a new entrance was added. There were plans to expand the site to include a park but archeologists discovered the remains of African Americans who died while constructed the fort and it was believed they were buried in a makeshift grave. The plans were scraped and it was decided to not disturb the remains of the unmarked graves.

Today, the ruins are open to tourists and they can walk the pathway around the site. Boardwalks pass through and over the remains of the stone walls for visitors to get a closer look at the old Civil War fort. If you are ever in Music City be sure to check out the ruins of Fort Negley and you can get a good view of Nashville from atop of St. Cloud Hill

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The Cross in Illinois

Posted on by Posted in Churches, Illinois Leave a comment

Visitors to the Shawnee National Forest near Alto Pass may notice a large cross standing at the top of a hill. The Bald Knob Cross of Peace has been standing in southern Illinois for over a half a century. In 1937, Makanda, Illinois postman and Reverend W. H. Lirely wanted to hold an Easter Sunrise Service. They chose the top of nearby Bald Knob Mountain and invited people of all denominations to celebrate Easter with them. The first service attracted 250 people but over the next few years thousands came to the top of the mountain to celebrate on Easter morning.

Presley organized local citizens and raised enough money to purchase the land at the top of the mounting. During Easter a large wooden cross was placed at the top of the mountain but Presley had a grand vision for a more permanent monument. He had the idea to erect a large metal cross that could be seen for miles around. Presley began a large fundraising campaign and even convinced farmers along his sixty mile long mail route to raise pigs for his cause. The sale of the pigs raised $30,000 and started the construction of the foundation in 1953. Wayman Presley was featured on the television show This Is Your Life and shortly after the Bald Knob Foundation received thousands of donations in the mail. In 1959, the 100 foot tall steel framework was completed. The white sheet metal was added in 1963 completing the cross.

By the 2000s the cross had fallen into a state of disrepair with some of the panels falling off and the framework rusting and in need of renovation. Disagreements among the board members lead to lawsuits and the ground of the cross closed by order of a judge. A new group called Friends of the Cross was formed after the resignation of the old board. The new organization oversaw the restoration of the cross and a new welcome center and now the large white cross invites visitors from all around the world.

The Bald Knob cross is not the only large cross to stand in the Land of Lincoln. A 198 foot tall cross stands near Effingham near the interchange of Interstates 57 and 70.

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