|
Showing 1 - 2 of
2 matches in All Departments
This is a non-fiction account of the early settlers of Winchester,
Indiana, founded in 1818. The people in the book are buried in an
old graveyard, long ago abandoned and forgotten. The author
remembered the graveyard fondly from her childhood. Upon returning
to her home town after retirement, she found the graveyard almost
completely destroyed, with only seven standing tombstones.
Determined to restore this final resting place for Winchester's
earliest pioneers, she formed a committee, set to work, and with
the help of community members, local contributions, and the work of
talented restorationists, the work was completed and the cemetery
is now a serene and beautiful place, and a proper memorial to
Winchester's settlers. But the author could not get the people
buried there out of her head. What were they like? How did they
live? What did the artwork and insignias on the tombstones mean?
She spent over two years researching the genealogy of each of the
276 persons known to be buried there using local historic
resources, old newspapers, and genealogy sites on the web. She also
spoke with some descendants. The result is a book full of history
from the years 1800-1890. In this book you will meet the people and
learn about early life in Indiana. You will learn about how the
settlers lived and how they died. Included is a chapter on what
markings on gravestones mean. You will hear first person from a few
of the people buried there, including a five year old boy, a Civil
War soldier who died in a confederate prisoner of war camp, and a
man who ran a groggery who had a run-in with the women of
Winchester. The book is full of the kind of facts that genealogists
love, but is equally appealing to a middle-school student
interested in early Indiana history told in a easy-to-read fun way.
There is sadness as you read about the deaths of so many children,
and young mothers. There is interest as you read about how the
community developed and the contributions made by the people in the
graveyard. There is humor as you read about the women who got in a
fight on one of the main streets There are also ninety-one
obituaries which in themselves provide significant history. The
author grew up in Winchester, became a registered nurse, lived her
adult life in the Bay Area of California, and chose to retire back
in her little hometown. The graveyard, which was a beloved place in
her childhood, became a passion in her retirement, from its
restoration to the story of its inhabitants. It is easy to read,
informative and hard to put down.
|
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.