Today's Walk Through the Tombstones is at a section of Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis that we discovered when we were driving around in March - The Indianapolis Home For Aged Women.

There is an entire section with small headstones with names and some dates on them, starting with the earliest that I found in 1899.  I think that they went up through the 1950s, but my camera battery crapped out so I didn't get a lot of pictures.  

The Indianapolis Home for Aged Women was also known as the Indianapolis Home for Friendless Women or the Indianapolis Home for Aged and Friendless Women.  Before this post, I had never heard of this organization, then again, I don't know a whole lot about the history of Indianapolis as I don't live in the area.  But, it's places like this that I found so fascinating.

According to a 1920s pamphlet from the organization (you can read the entire pamphlet here) :

"The Indianapolis Home for Friendless Women was organized February 18, 1867 and was incorporated March 11, 1867."  The pamphlet includes the location of the building as being on Tennessee and Ninth streets, which was destroyed by fire in 1870 but rebuilt on the same site.  The name was then subsequently changed to the Indianapolis Home for Aged Women in 1913.  The majority of the pamphlet are the articles for the care of the citizens and a form at the end that appears to be a contract of some sort.  

A newspaper article dated May 11, 1930 shows a large brick home, noting that it was located between 17th and 18th on Capitol Avenue.  The article reinstates most of what is stated in the pamphlet but in a less legalese format and in a more welcoming tone.  It mentions the names of the people of the board who were in charge of the operations and the names of the matrons.  Unfortunately, there are no mentions of the women who lived in the home, beyond a note of one woman who lived there for 25 years.  

In 1875 appears that the city of Indianapolis brought suit against the Home for Friendless Women stating that they could not receive benefits or public funds as they are considered a private corporation.  At least, I think that's what it says.  I will link it here.

Unfortunately, finding records on the citizens of the home seems to be impossible.  I can't say due to privacy rights as these records would have been long before any privacy laws were enacted.  They may have just been lost to time are in an archive somewhere.  I did find a bit of information about some of the founders of the organization.

Jane Chambers McKinney Graydon was born on July 16, 1802 in Wilmington, Delaware.  In 1822, she was married to Alexander Graydon, an iron manufacturer.  They moved to Indianapolis in 1843.  During the Civil War, she served as a nurse in Tennessee.  After the war, along with another nurse, Catharine Merrill, she organized a charitable group that established the Home for Friendless Women.  The purpose was originally to provide refuge for women and girls left widowed or fatherless due to the war.  By the end of the 19th century, they were caring for an estimated 400-500 people.  In 1936, it was renamed the Indianapolis Home for the Aged and then reorganized so it could accept male patients.  The name was changed again in 1976 to the Indianapolis Retirement Home.

Jane was also an abolitionist and her home was purported to be on the Underground Railroad.  She passed away on March 30, 1891 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, though I don't know if she is buried near the women that she worked so hard to help.

Catharine Merrill was born on January 24, 1824 in Corydon, Indiana to Samuel and Lydia Jane Anderson Merrill.  She was one of ten children, all educated, though her education seemed to take her beyond what was normal for a woman of the time.  She was a student in her own home school established by her father and located in their family home in Indianapolis, later becoming an instructor there.  She attended the Indianapolis Female Institute.  Just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War, she and her sister travelled to Europe where they studied in Germany.  But upon the outbreak of the war, she returned and served as a nurse in Indiana and Kentucky.

Catharine, Kate to those who knew her best, was also a prolific writer, her travel logs having been published in the Indianapolis Journal and the Lafayette Journal.  After the war, she wrote "The Solider of Indiana in the War for the Union", a two volume set documenting the soldiers' wartime experience.  This was done at the request of Oliver P. Morton, governor of the state at the time.  However, she did not attached her name to the publication as she did not want to overshadow the names and stories of the soldiers.

She taught at Butler University for many years, only one of two female professors in the United States at the time, resigning her post in 1883.

During all of these other things, she was also a community servant, involving herself in many civic groups, giving public lectures and serving on various committees.  One of these committees was the creation of the Indianapolis Home for Friendless Women in 1867 with Jane Chambers McKinney Graydon.  She included those women that were considered destitute, including penniless widows and prostitutes.  She served on the board for many years, helping as many as she could.

She passed away in her Indianapolis home on May 30, 1900 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.  

It is because of the kindness and foresight of these two women that the below residents had a home and were taken care of.

Lucy A. Waters.

Born: unknown

Died: 1916

Sophia Larchy Baker

Born: March 8, 1844, Maryland

Died: April 12, 1916, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

Mary L. Williams

Born: unknown

Died: 1916

Amanda Edwards

Born: February 14, 1849, Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio

Died: January 24, 1917, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

(though there is some speculation that she is not buried here but with her husband and daughter.  I am not sure, but her headstone is with the burials for the Home, so I will leave her here.  And her death certificate says that she is buried here and there is no husband listed.)

Rebecca Roberts Burk

Born: September 23, 1835, Franklin County, Indiana

Died: June 23, 1917, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was the daughter of Timothy Roberts (?-?) and Elizabeth Stroler Roberts (?-?).  She was buried to Lemuel Burk (?-1902).  He is listed as being buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, but his grave is not with hers.

Emily Russell Dunn

Born: 1831, Marion County, Indiana

Died: 1917, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was the daughter of John Russell (1804-1846) and Malena Kelly Russell (1804-1863).  She had two siblings that I have found: Grandison Russell (1834-1853) and Sarah F. Russell (1840-1863).  They are all buried in a family plot in Round Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.

Adeline Tanguey

Born: unknown

Died: 1918

Mary Matkin

Born: unknown

Died: 1919

Martha McKnight

Born: unknown

Died: 1919

Lizzie Benson

Born: May 10, 1854

Died: July 31, 1920, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

Margaret Grimes Rupe

Born: August 30, 1830, Indiana

Died: September 28, 1921, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was the daughter of William Grimes (1786-1853) and Effe Meek Grimes (1791-1849).  She had at least two siblings: Alexander Grimes (1815-1844) and Nancy Jane Grimes Druley (1822-1849).  They are all buried in Boston Cemetery, Boston, Wayne County, Indiana.  Her mother and sister both died from a cholera outbreak. She was married to Hamilton Null Rupe (1828-1903) in 1847.  They had one child: Cassie L. Rupe Lamb (1848-1927).  Her husband is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, though I don't think he is buried near her, while her daughter is buried in Economy Cemetery, Economy, Wayne County, Indiana.

Prudence Sabes

Born: unknown

Died: 1922

Cynthia Brandt Mitchell

Born: September 18, 1838, Versailles, Ripley County, Indiana

Died: 1914, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was the daughter of David Brandt (1803-1854) and Mary Ann Skeen Brandt (1817-1845).  She had at least two siblings: Mary Elizabeth Brandt (1844-1845) and William Brandt (1848-1848).  They are all buried in Cliff Hill Cemetery, Versailles, Ripley County, Indiana.

Mary Jane McChesney

Born: January 20, 1835, Indiana

Died: May 19, 1914, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was the daughter of Sarah G. Wilson McChesney (1813-1893).  She is buried with her granddaughter, Jennie, in Crown Hill Cemetery.

Eunice J. Tedrow

Born: unknown

Died: 1914

Rebecca Brittain Gulic

Born: 1835, Indiana

Died: November 17, 1912, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was the daughter of Melinda L. Ballenger Wilkinson (1810-1896) and Alfred Brittain (?-?).  Melinda is buried in Spiceland Friends Cemetery, Spiceland, Henry County, Indiana, but I have no information for Alfred.  She was married to John F. Gulich (?-1897).  He was born in Holland and his last name has been spelled at least three different ways: Gulic, Gulick, Gulich.  His burial is listed as bring in Crown Hill Cemetery.  They had one daughter, Lillian Gulick Weller (1866-1933).  She is buried in Floral Park Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.

Lucinda Bradford Gibson

Born: 1819, Ohio

Died: June 12, 1911

She was the daughter of Isaac Bradford (1784-1849) and Shuah Jordan Bradford (1788-1867).  They are both buried in Moore Cemetery, Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio.  He is descended from some of the people who came over on the Mayflower.   She had a few siblings: Sarah Bartlett Bradford Bishop (1807-1872), her burial place is unknown;  Clement Jordan Bradford (1808-1878),  buried in New Liberty IOOF Cemetery, New Liberty, Owen County, Kentucky; Joseph Bradford (1815-1873), buried in Williams Bradford Cemetery, Martinsville, Morgan County, Indiana; and Mary Bradford Grubb (1824-1907), buried in McDill Cemetery, Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio.

Emma Crandell

Born: unknown

Died: 1911

Mary J. Painter

Born: unknown

Died: 1905

Martha M. Gilbert

Born: unknown

Died: 1899

M.L. Butler

Born: unknown

Died: unknown

Sarah Caldwell

Born: unknown

Died: 1897

Nancy Munden

Born: unknown

Died: 1896

Mary J. Cottle

Born: 1828, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio

Died: March 22, 1893, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was married to Rodman H. Cottle (1822-1888) and they had one son named William Cottle (1851-1889).  They are both buried in Crown Hill.

Mary's obituary states that she was the first to enter the house and the first to die there, leaving all of her possessions to them, having paid for her stay out of her own funds.

 

Their also appears to be another set of monuments at Crown Hill dedicated to the Home for the Aged, aka the Home for Friendless Women.  I did not see these monuments in this section of the cemetery, so I am not sure where they are at, but I did find them on Find-A-Grave.  I will list the names below, but you can view the stones here. (The monuments that photographed are in Section 37 while the ones listed below are in Section 31).

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Apsey

Born: 1828

Died: October 25, 1891

Willie Barnett 

Born: unknown

Died: unknown

Donald Benham 

Born: unknown

Died: unknown

Robert Bess

Born: unknown

Died: unknown

Anna Trafton Beswick

Born: December 9, 1819, Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine

Died: April 2, 1906, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was the wife of the Reverend Phillip Isaac Beswick (1818-1878), who is buried in Greencastle City Cemetery, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana

Helen Boop

Born: unknown

Died: 1897

Gwindaline Campbell 

Born: unknown

Died: 1877

She has a small headstone nearby that says "My Gwindaline", which leads me to believe that she may have been a child.

Marcie Campbell 

Born: unknown

Died: 1902

Sarah Case

Born: unknown

Died: 1904

Infant Coone 

Born: unknown

Died: unknown

Sarah Stutesman Dilts

Born: 1811

Died: January 23, 1901

Maud Dinsmore 

Born: unknown

Died: 1902

Sadie Dragger 

Born: unknown

Died: December 26, 1900

Her father was named George.  At some point she was married, because she had a son named George Otto Dragger (1881-1975).  He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Augusta, Butler County, Kansas.

Lulu Fisher 

Born: unknown

Died: 1896

Infant Frye

Born: 1896

Died: 1896

Hannah Jones

Born: unknown

Died: 1907

Mary Keeley

Born: unknown

Died: 1910

Dorris Keeper

Born: unknown

Died: 1899

Alice Meek 

Born: unknown

Died: 1878

Matilda Mills

Born: unknown

Died: May 19, 1900

It's possible that her name is Mahalia, but it's unsure.  Her father's name was listed as William Mills (?-?).

Mary Mulbarger Mount

Born: September 6, 1818

Died: March 12, 1902

She was the daughter of John Mulbarger (?-?) and Sarah Mulbarger (?-?).  I have no information on them.  She was married to Joseph Mount (?-?), but I know nothing else.

Margaret Wehol Pressel

Born: December 25, 1842

Died: July 4, 1905

She was the daughter of David Wehol (?-?) and Francois Wehol (?-?).  Her husband was Thomas Pressel (?-?).  There is no burial information for any of them.

Infant Preston

Born: unknown

Died: 1898

Hannah Shafer

Born: August 3, 1847, Metamore, Franklin County, Indiana

Died: November 6, 1910, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

She was the daughter of Adam Shafer (?-?) and Sarah Downing Shafer (?-?).  I don't have information for their burials. She was never married.

Ann Martin Smith

Born: unknown, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Died: November 2, 1903, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

William H. Smith

Born: unknown

Died: 1897

He has a nearby memorial stone that states he was a member of the Veteran Reserve Corps.

Sarah Williams 

Born: unknown

Died: 1899

Sylvester Windsail

Born: unknown

Died: 1899

As you can see from the list above, there are some infants and some male residents, which is interesting as it was noted that they didn't start accepting male residents until 1936.  But it's hard to verify without having a full lists of residents, which I doubt we will ever have.

I hope that these residents all found some sort of peace in their lives after their families all passed on.  I hope that they found joy and happiness, or at least contentment.  RIP residents of the Indianapolis Home for Aged Women.

~~~

I hope that you enjoyed your walk with us today.

 This month's grave spotlight of the month is about Elsworth "Elzie" Easton, a young man murdered in Stinesville on Christmas Eve in 1889.

According to an article titled "Double Murder, Terrible Shooting Affair" in the December 27, 1889 edition of the Republican Newspaper the Bloomington Telephone, Elsworth "Elzie" Easton, son of William and Jennie Easton was shot and killed by George Buskirk.

The article goes on to say "Elzie Easton and James Douglas had been at Gosport during the afternoon and while there became more or less under the influence of liquor.  Shortly after 6pm, they boarded a work train and came down to their home at Stinesville.  Soon after arriving they went to the saloon of George Buskirk, a little frame building on the south side of the main street of the town..."

At this time, people in the town were getting themselves together to attend the "Little church on the hill" where the annual Christmas tree had been erected.  Town was quiet, young and old were preparing for the holiday.  Meanwhile, at the saloon of George Buskirk, a terrible tragedy was about to occur.  

As far as the newspaper article states, there had been some words of a quarrelsome nature between Buskirk and Easton, but it is not known what the quarrel was actually about.  Regardless of what these words were, Buskirk ordered Easton to leave, not Douglas, just Easton.  When Easton refused to leave, Buskirk picked up a double barreled shotgun and fired, killing Easton instantly.  

Most of the patrons of the saloon ran.  Douglas stayed.  Buskirk ordered him to leave, which Douglas started to do, begging him not to shoot.  For some reason, he did anyway, hitting Douglas in the arm and the left side.  

Douglas was dragged from the scene.  Buskirk fled.  But by this time, the whole town of Stinesville had heard the shots.  

A few hours later, Douglas was in the care of Doctor Stansifer when a reported from the Bloomington Telephone called on him.  Doctor Stansifer informed him of the following:

"The first of the whole matter, I went into the saloon of George Buskirk with Easton and was standing by the beer boxes.  Young Hargis was in there and started pushing Easton to one side.  A few words passed between Easton and Buskirk; Easton wanted to fight and pulled a revolver from his pocket...Easton said he could whip Buskirk, Hargis or all of us.  I took Easton's revolver away from him ten minutes before the shooting.  Buskirk knew Easton did not have the revolver when he was threatening to whip him just before the shooting."

According to Milton Hargis, Buskirk told Easton to get out twice, Easton asking him to put down the gun at the same time.  It didn't take long for gunfire to erupt after that.  

Many of the townsfolk stated that Elzie Easton was a pleasant and honorable young man...when not drinking.  James Douglas, his friend that was with him when they entered the saloon, was said to be more of a troublemaker.  He had, at one point, owned a barber shop in the town, in which he had been allowing gambling.  George Buskirk, however, was said to have been a hard character and ran a disreputable establishment.  

The county coroner, Doctor Maxwell, Jr. told the telephone that he had heard enough of the evidence to justify the belief that Buskirk was not justified in his shooting of Easton and that there was no excuse for his attack on Douglas.

Meanwhile, Buskirk was on the run.  It was said that he had initially wanted to turn himself into the sheriff but was afraid of being attacked and killed by a mob.  Instead, he chose to run.  He mounted his horse and made his way south.  It was only a few days later that it was reported in the Bloomington Republican Progress. on January 8, 1890, that George Buskirk had been captured in Sanborn in Knox County, Indiana at the home of a relative, though not by the Knox County Sheriff, who refused, but instead by the marshal located at Gosport.  George Buskirk was arrested without incident.

A month later, as reported in the Bloomington Republican Progress on February 5, 1890, a crowd gathered at the courthouse to hear the trial.  George Buskirk testified on his own behalf.  He stated that Elzie came into the saloon and demanded that another patron, a man named Lee Wampler, buy him drinks.  Wampler didn't want to and Elzie threatened him.  Buskirk ejected him from the bar but he came back, angry and cursing and demanding beer.  When Buskirk refused to serve him, Elzie left, prompting Buskirk to bar the door.  Elzie started throwing rocks at the door and threatening to kill the saloon owner.  It is assumed that Elzie was already well into his cups by this time, but this also goes against the fact that it was said earlier that Elzie and Douglas were coming home Gosport around 6pm and the shooting happened not long after.  

Buskirk states now that later in the evening, Elzie came back with Douglas and demanded to be served again.  He drew his revolver and threatened Buskirk with hit, stating that if he drew the shotgun that was sitting there, he would kill him.  It was then that Buskirk fired, hitting Douglas by accident.

This statement of facts goes against what Doctor Stansifer told the paper and what Douglas said about when they came back from Gosport.

After all of the facts were stated, Buskirk was sure that he was going to be charged.  The Judge noted the law stated that a person could defend their domicile if needed.  The case was turned over to the jury and the next day they came back with the verdict of Not Guilty, a surprise to everyone there.  But shortly afterward, George Buskirk had to attend a bond court appearance and it was here that the jury decided instead that he was guilty and he was fined for assault, a fine of $500.

After this, George Buskirk disappears for a while.  It is assumed that he decided to make his way elsewhere to find work and start a new life.  Indeed, he is not heard from again until 1899 when it was reported that he killed a native Central American Man.  This reason for this murder is unknown, but those that captured him wanted to burn him at the stake for what he did.  A judge ordered him tied to a tree, apparently for safekeeping, until they could decide what to do with him.  During the night, he untied the rope and disappeared into history.

The subject of our story was laid to rest in Mount Carmel Cemetery in Stinesville, Indiana.  As a side note, this is one of my favorite cemeteries, as it is set in a beautiful wooded setting and is laid out in such as way that one needs to walk around an explore.  I photographed his grave in 2015, not realizing at the time what his cause of death had been.

Listed on the headstone with Elzie, are his parents, hotel-owners William G. Easton (1826-1894) and Delila Virginia "Jennie" Williams Easton (1836-1909).  Buried a few miles away were three of his brothers, Millard Lindsey Easton (1856-1934), William Perry Easton (1857-1911) and John W. Easton (1862-1926), all buried in Chambersville Cemetery.  One further brother, George Brinton McClelland "Clell" Easton (1864-1922), is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

I haven't found where James Douglas is buried as he also just disappears from the records after the shooting.  I have found a man by this name and within the right timeframe buried in Valhalla Memory Gardens, but I have no idea if this is him or not.

Elsword "Elzie" Easton was a young man who was killed in an instant of anger.  RIP Elzie.

~~~

REFERNCES

Hoosier State Chronicles - Bloomington Telephone

Monroe County History Center - The Murder of Elsworth "Elzie" Easton

Hoosier State Chronicles - Bloomington Republican Progress