The historic cemetery in Marion, Ohio covers over one hundred fifty acres and has numerous headstones and monuments. One monument in particular has intrigued people ever since it was placed in the cemetery over a century ago. Charles B. Merchant was a prominent resident and businessman in Marion. When he died in 1896, his family placed a large monument at his gravesite to honor his memory. A large black granite ball was placed on a stone plinth. The ball was polished smooth except for a small circular section. When the five thousand pound ball was placed on the mount, the rough section was facing down so that it would not be seen. A few years later, someone noticed that the rough spot was now facing outward. Somehow, the sphere had rotated. The massive ball was lifted and the spot rotated back down, and this time some tar was added to the stone base to keep the sphere from moving. Once again the ball rotated, despite the addition of the adhesive tar. To this day, the ball continues to rotate over time. Visitors to the cemetery can see the circular spot on the sphere that was once facing down. No one knows why or how the ball is moving. Some speculate that it may be supernatural forces.
This is not the only monument of this type to experience strange rotations. The Witch’s Ball in Memphis, Michigan does the same thing. You can see my post about it HERE
This is one of the many stories from my book Lost In Ohio. You can learn more about it on Amazon HERE