This month's Grave Spotlight of the Month is for Elder John Vawter, a pioneer founder of Morgantown, Morgan County, Indiana, though as we will see later on in this blog, that may not be entirely the truth. 

John Vawter was born in Orange County (now Madison County), Virginia on January 8, 1782 to Reverend Jesse Vawter (1755-1838) and Elizabeth Watts Vawter (1762-1830), both natives of Virginia on January 8, 1782.  He was the eldest of 6 siblings, the other beings: William Vawter (1783-1868), James Vawter (1783-1873), Sarah "Sally" Vawter Stribling (1789-1871), Achilles Vawter (1794-1862), Ann Vawter Moncrief (1797-1887).  His family moved to North Carolina when he was an infant.  At some point his family must have also lived in Tennessee as one of his siblings was born there.  They also lived in Scott County, Kentucky for a time where he converted to Baptism and was licenses as a Baptist preacher before moving on to Madison, Indiana, where his father was also a preacher.

While in Madison John served in various public positions. He was the town's first magistrate, Sheriff of Jefferson and Clarke Counties and US Marshall from 1812/1814 to 1829. During the Indian Campaign from 1811-1813, he served as a frontier ranger.  He was also was State Legislator for Jennings, Brown and Bartholomew Counties in 1836.  John was a Civil Engineer by trade and was responsible for surveying Jennings County in 1813, platting the town of Vernon.  He also became its first permanent resident in 1815.  In 1820, he served as the first pastor of Vernon.  

John Vawter was a very busy man.  For nine (9) years, he served as the clerk of Silver Creek Association and then went on to hold the same position with the Creek Coffee Association for twenty-two (22) years.  During this time, he continued to preach and survey.

In 1835, he sent $3000 in merchandise to Morgantown to start a general store and in 1848, he moved to there. It is said that he presented a brick church to the Baptist congregation.  Now, while he was an important part of Morgantown's history, he was not the founder of the town as is stated in many places.  Morgantown was founded in 1831 by Robert Bowles and Samuel Teeters.  It was originally a mill town, possibly with little in the way of actual layout. So in 1836, Colonel Vawter arrived to help re-plat the town along with Isabelle Teeters, wife of the original founder, Samuel Teeters.

He was married four times in total.  His first wife was Polly M. Campbell Smith Vawter (1782-1825), who is buried in Vernon Cemetery, Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana. They were married on December 17, 1805. With her he had three children, as far as we are aware: Jane Vawter Storey (1809-1864), buried in Vernon Cemetery, Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana; Colonel Smith David Vawter (1806-1882), buried in Vernon Cemetery, Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana;  and Emily Vawter Campbell (1814-1877), buried in Vernon Cemetery, Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana.

 His second was Jane/Margaret Smith Vawter (1800-1826).  They were married somewhere around 1826 and it appears that she died shortly thereafter. She is buried in Vernon Cemetery, Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana.  There are no children listed for them.  

The third was Ruth Minton Vawter (1805-1850).  Their marriage date is not known. They had three children: Marion Vawter (1830-1880), buried in Old Baptist Church Cemetery, Morgantown, Morgan County, Indiana; Mary Ann Vawter Obenshain (1836-1897), buried in Old Baptist Church Cemetery, Morgantown, Morgan ounty, Indiana; and John Allan Vawter (1832-1874), buried in Old Baptist Church Cemetery, Morgantown, Morgan County, Indiana. She is buried in Old Baptist Church cemetery, Morgantown, Morgan County, Indiana.

Finally was Martha McGannon Pearce Wilson Vawter (1822-1892).  They were married around 1853.  She is buried in Vernon Cemetery, Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana. They had one child: Emma Vawter (buried in Old Baptist Church Cemetery, Morgantown, Morgan County, Indiana.  Her genealogical information states that she was killed by falling lumber. 

John Vawter died on August 17, 1862 at the age of 80 years old and is buried near many of his familiy in Old Baptist Church Cemetery.  

In September each year, the town of Morgantown celebrates his life and times with the Colonel Vawter Days Celebration.  There are lots of booths with food and crafts.  I have never been regardless of the fact that I lived there for several years.  Hopefully one day, I can go.

Thanks for taking some time to learn about John Vawter.

~~~~

RESOURCES:

Indiana History - Grinstead Family and Coffee Creek Association Collection

Morgan County History Museum - History Blog John Vawter

Morgantown, Indiana - Colonel John Vawter

Vawter Family in America

 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.