A beautiful granite monument at Rose Hill Cemetery sits in the Spencer Addition bearing the names of John B. Crafton, his wife Sally and his children, Harry and Woodward. This, however, is not the burial site of John, only his wife and children. John B. Crafton died on the Titanic in 1912 and his body was never recovered.
John Bertram Crafton was born on April 20, 1853 in Owen County, Indiana. His parents were John and Lucy Keith Crafton, poor farmers from Kentucky. He had two sisters: Sarah and Margaret; and three brothers, David, Henry and Thomas. Little is known of his early life, but as a young man he began a career as a telegraph operator for the Monon Railroad, later earning a promotion to a conductor and finally to train master. I am not sure if he worked at the Monon station here in Bloomington, or if it was elsewhere.
He moved into real estate soon after, not finding any satisfaction working for the railroad. But, it was the rich limestone deposits in Monroe County that led him to found the Crafton Quarry Company, developing the limestone fields in Smithville. It was here that he would find his fortunes.
On January 18, 1877, he married Sarah "Sally" Frances Alexander, the daughter of Nany and James J. Alexander. They had two sons, Harry R. Crafton was born in 1885 and Woodward Crafton in 1887, who would die the following year of brain fever.
After making a good bit of money in the limestone business, John sold off his assets and moved his family to Roachdale, Indiana, located in Putnam County. Here is became interested in the lumber industry in the Southern United States. During 1911, he managed the Mississippi Stone and Lumber Company in Starr, Mississippi.
John decided, after a lot of hard work, that he was going to take a break and visit the spas of Europe, hoping to find a cure for his arthritis. Just prior to making his way to Europe, he visited Bloomington to spend some time with his brother, David Crafton, and some friends. Incidentally, he also purchased grave plots in Rose Hill Cemetery as well as having a monument erected. In early 1912, he departs New York on the "Cincinnati", frequently expressing his desire to return home.
He toured Europe, spending time in Carlsbad, Germany for his rheumatism. When he came to Milan, Italy, he telegrammed his wife that he was coming home. Originally, he planned to leave on the German steamer "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria" which was scheduled to leave port on April 17th. But, since he wanted to get home, he exchanged his ticket for a ship that was leaving a week earlier - The "Titanic". He boarded the Titanic at Southampton, England on April 10th, 1912. He was listed as being a first class cabin passenger,
It was on April 19th that a telegram arrived at the home of John's brother, where the entire family had been gathered waiting for news. This telegram told them that John had died when the Titanic went down. His body was never recovered, which means that the monument in Rose Hill is a cenotaph for him, though his wife and children are buried there.
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REFERENCES
Encyclopedia Titanica - John B. Crafton
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