Exploring Oak Ridge Cemetery and Lincoln's Tomb - Springfield, Illinois

springfield is the third city to be designated the capital of the state of illinois and it has held that title since 1839. it was carved out of the wilderness a mere 20 years earlier by trappers and fur traders who worked the area along the sangamon river in the two centuries since springfield's founding a vast array of personalities walked along its ancient streets most came and went without leaving so much as a slight crease on the pages of history while others like one prairie lawyer rose out of obscurity and went on to redefine what it means to be an american many who came found a good place to put down roots and here they remain beyond these gates is a vast necropolis dappled in sunlight and shaded in memories its hilly terrain rolls from the past to the future and the dead whose dominion this is suffer the living who will hear their stories [Music] come walk with me and meet the citizens of springfield illinois resting in oak ridge cemetery before the creation of oak ridge cemetery there were two small graveyards located in downtown springfield but as the capital city grew they quickly became obsolete in 1855 the springfield city council authorized the purchase of acreage beyond the city limits their purpose was to establish a new cemetery to replace the two they had a second land purchase followed a year later enlarging the property to 28 acres the cemetery's board of managers hired noted botanist and landscape artist william saunders to create a practical working cemetery without sacrificing any of the countryside's natural beauty the design settled upon was in the style of the rural cemetery movement that was popular in the victorian era oak ridge was officially dedicated on may 24th 1860 saunders creation was an immediate success winding paths were added to guide visitors through a picturesque setting that not only provided a fitting abode for the dead it gave the living a pastoral escape from the noise and grime of the city its beauty and popularity was a powerful incentive for families to move loved ones out of the older defunct graveyards william saunders went on to design city parks and cemeteries across the country including the national cemetery at the gettysburg battlefield [Music] today oak ridge encompasses more than 365 acres and is the largest cemetery in the state of illinois with the addition of the lincoln tomb and monument in 1869 it is the second most visited cemetery in the country after arlington carl albert helmley was an up-and-coming merchant in the tin and stove trade when on february 15 1857 his wife marie gave birth to their third child a girl whom they christened eliza her parents had no reason to believe that their happy little girl wouldn't grow and flourish just as her father's business ventures had but fate had its own designs by autumn of the same year eliza was born she became seriously ill with fever and diarrhea for which no remedy could cure when she died on september 8th the cause was attributed to teething it was a common misconception at the time that deaths of children under one year was the result of cutting teeth however the likely cause was cholera [Music] carl and marie buried their daughter in a small plot in the city cemetery located in the center of town but eliza would not rest there for long in 1858 she was moved to a new cemetery two miles north of town and laid to rest here in block one hers is the first recorded burial in oak ridge cemetery the placard marks the original location of the grave however her body is no longer here in 1867 she was moved again to the family's permanent plot in a different section of the cemetery little eliza is no longer alone she rests beside her mother and father and four of her ten siblings in the first decades of its existence burials took place at oak ridge that were like little eliza transfers from other graveyards thus there are many graves that seem to predate the cemetery one of them is that of john kelly who died in 1823 the bodies of he and his wife were moved here in 1865 when a road widening project forced their relocation from a private cemetery on the family's old homestead john kelly a north carolinian born in 1783 arrived in sangamon county in 1819 and built the first cabin in what would become springfield the cabin also served as the county's first courthouse pascal pauli enos came to illinois from vermont in 1823 he and several others purchased land adjacent to the kelly settlement and laid out the design of the new town they named it calhoun but people were already calling it springfield so the name didn't stick pascal was appointed receiver in the springfield land office by president james monroe it was an appointment he held until 1829 he died three years later but his descendants continued to be instrumental in the growth of the state capital of the many graves predating the cemetery there are four that seem oddly out of place in central illinois because in life the people in those graves never set foot in the state within the owlsley family plot are three distinctive coffin-shaped headstones belonging to thomas owsley iii his wife mary thomas's son henry and his wife martha coming from loudoun county virginia thomas and henry provided supplies to the continental army during the american war of independence for their sacrifices they were granted farmland in western virginia located within the section that broke off to form the state of kentucky in 1792 the owlsley name appears frequently in the pages of the state's history one of thomas's grandsons even served as governor of kentucky thomas mary henry and martha lived out their days on the family's plantation and were buried in its small cemetery where they remained until the property was sold worried that the graves would fall into neglect a granddaughter living in springfield had the bodies transferred to oak ridge in 1890 and even though they are far from home they still receive the respect and attention they deserve being in the state capitol it's no surprise that many of oakridge's inhabitants were politicians in life scores of office holders rest here from county clerks on up to a man considered by many to be the greatest american president of all four illinois governors are here and though their deeds have largely been forgotten they helped set the machinery in motion that turned a vast prairie into a state ninian edwards was born in maryland and lived in kentucky before coming to the illinois territory where he served as its first and only territorial governor from 1809 18 after statehood in 1818 he went to washington d.c as an illinois senator after serving the customary single term he returned home and was elected as the third governor of the state retiring from politics in 1830 he moved to belleville but instead of taking it easy he spent his time serving those in need in his community when a cholera epidemic broke out in 1833 he stayed on to administer medical care to the sick sadly he contracted the disease and became another victim of the epidemic edwards had a busy afterlife as well he was buried in belleville where he remained until 1855 when his body was moved to hutcheson cemetery in springfield and a few years after that he was moved again to his current location in the edwards family plot in oak ridge william bissell's term as illinois governor is one of firsts when he took office on january 12 1857 he was the first catholic to do so he was also the first republican and being partially paralyzed from a stroke he was the first disabled person to assume high office and sadly he was the first governor of the state to die before his term ended before becoming governor bissell a veteran of the mexican war had a reputation for his fiery temper he began his political life as a democrat but switched to the republican party to protest the passage of the kansas-nebraska act that allowed territorial settlers to vote on whether slavery could spread into their territory it was a volatile issue that threatened to tear apart the country [Music] holding to his religious faith bissell was a firm abolitionist and once as a member of congress he accepted the challenge of a duel by mississippi representative and future leader of the confederate states jefferson davis although both men came to terms without a fight bissell's mere acceptance of the duel almost disqualified him from running for [Music] governor although able to walk with the aid of a cane and a sturdy arm to cling to bissell's mobility was greatly limited it made him the first and only illinois governor to be inaugurated in the executive mansion and to never set foot in the capitol building on march 18 1860 bissell died 10 months shy of the end of his term he was 48 years old [Music] the modest headstones of shelby cullum and his family stand in contrast to the immense power he wielded within the republican party on a state and national level in the latter half of the 19th century throughout his very long political career he was known as mr republican or more simply as the man who looks like lincoln his political career began in 1855 when he was elected as springfield city attorney it followed with elections to the state house of representatives and to three terms in the united states congress as well as two terms as illinois governor but he resigned to serve the first of five consecutive terms in the united states senate after nearly 60 years of public service he retired in and passed away a year later at the age of 84. his grave lies on the brow of the hill in the shadow of the lincoln tomb across the lawn from the lincoln tomb is a stately mausoleum that turns the heads of all who pass by it is the resting place of john riley tanner and the rough-hewn granite of his tomb is perfectly emblematic of the farmer from down state who was once convicted of murder and managed to become governor of illinois from 1897 to 1901 after military service in the civil war he settled in clay county to become a farmer but ended up in politics oddly his career stemmed in part from a deadly dispute over four dollars with an ax wielding in-law named tom erskin at the trial tanner was convicted of manslaughter for shooting erskine and sentenced to five years in prison but the verdict was overturned upon appeal and he went free almost immediately afterwards he was elected as sheriff of clay county from there tanner rose through the ranks of state politics thanks to the patronage of shelby cullum who also had a hand in getting him elected governor in 1897 but the tanner column alliance would not last as governor tanner was a maverick he eliminated the state's budget deficit settled a violent labor dispute and when the spanish-american war broke out he organized and equipped a unit of african-american national guardsmen to send to cuba despite sound governance tanner was constantly at odds with fellow republicans especially cullum whom he felt was working to derail his agenda the rift between them grew so that tanner ditched plans to run for a second term in 1900 and instead focused on taking column senate seat it was a bitter contest that he ultimately lost at the cost of his health when he died the following year over thirty five thousand mourners attended his funeral friends and supporters raised thirty thousand dollars and commissioned the tiffany company of new york to design his tomb that was dedicated in 1908 the world has little noted nor long remembered the administration of john riley tanner but many a visitor to the lincoln shrine has often paused at his rough-hewn granite tomb and wondered what sort of man was he to be afforded this place of honor [Music] another protege of shelby cullum buried in oak ridge is kind-hearted william allen northcutt who served two terms as illinois's lieutenant governor under the administrations of john tanner and his successor richard yates a lawyer by trade northcutt was the district attorney for bond county for 10 years after his final term as lieutenant governor he became the u.s attorney for the eastern district of illinois he was also active in the modern woodmen of america fraternity and served as its head consul it was that organization that erected the memorial at his gravesite in 1917. his grave is located only a few feet away from his mentor and the political godfather of springfield shelby cullum on november 19 1863 president lincoln came to the dedication ceremony of a new national cemetery at gettysburg pennsylvania it would serve two purposes one as a place to lay the nation's martyrs to rest and two to establish a place of remembering what they did after the civil war ended these places of remembering appeared in town squares and in cemeteries across the country at oak ridge the first one was dedicated in 1874. the soldiers memorial lists the names of 40 illinois volunteers who gave that last full measure of devotion they are buried in various spots within the cemetery 13 were laid to rest at the foot of the [Music] monument in 1895 the grand army of the republic established a second burial ground for veterans interments on the spot began in 1891 with the last taking place in 1930 at its center is a memorial for peace after the battle a cannon was inverted into concrete so that it may never be used in anger again a few paces from the grand army mound an american flag flies over another decommissioned cannon it marks the burial spot for veterans of america's so-called splendid little war with spain in 1898 illinois volunteers arrived in cuba barely a week before the spanish surrendered they remained on the island throughout the summer battling the heat and disease they were furloughed in september of 1898 and were civilians again by thanksgiving between 1941 and 1945 987 000 men and women from the state of illinois served their country during world war ii of that number 22 000 never saw home again on december 4th 2004 this memorial was dedicated at oak ridge in honor of those 987 000 men and women who were rightly referred to as the greatest generation the korean war memorial dedicated in 1996 stands in commemoration of the 1748 illinois residents who were killed in the conflict its centerpiece is a 12-foot bell surmounted by four figures representing the various branches of the united states military [Music] 2970 names are inscribed on the polished granite walls of the illinois vietnam war memorial they are the names of illinois residents killed and listed as missing in action in one of the nation's most complicated and divisive conflicts we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these deads will not have died in vain that this nation under god shall have a new birth of freedom and the government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth [Music] there is another memorial in oak ridge and although it's not military its origins reach back to the civil war in 1864 reverend francis springer a neighbor of abraham lincoln was a union army chaplain assigned to fort smith arkansas when the fort closed in december of that year reverend springer was appalled at the number of orphaned children left roaming the streets he arranged their transport back to springfield via boat and train it was an arduous journey and not all survived but those that did were taken into the home for the friendless it was a charitable organization that gave temporary shelter to indigent women and children displaced by the war in its 40 years of operation nearly 7 000 people in need arrived at the home for assistance after closing its doors in 1904 the home evolved into the family service center which was located at the same address many of the children were malnourished and sick when they arrived at the home and in its 40 years of existence 643 died while under their care oak ridge cemetery donated a plot of land for them to be buried their little graves are marked with only a number most of the children's records were lost in a fire but a large monument was added in the years after the home closed so that passers-by will know the importance of this cherished piece of ground in a quiet seldom visited section of the cemetery is a statue of an angel that stands watch over the nearby graves she casts an especially wary eye towards three small headstones nearby it's almost fitting when you consider the story of one of the people buried there reed waddell was born into a well-to-do springfield family growing up he had everything he wanted but sometimes privilege is a curse early in life he developed a knack for gambling or more specifically a knack for how to cheat at gambling waddell's habits strained the relationship with his parents and at the age of 21 he was disowned by his family at their parting his father warned him that his sins would send him to an early grave now on his own he turned his flair for the khan into a way of life he moved to chicago where among other grifters he was known as kid waddell he is credited with being the originator of the gold brick scam where lead bars are plated with gold and sold to unsuspecting victims for thousands of dollars each it's estimated that the kid netted around a half a million dollars on this scam this also made him a target of law enforcement from one end of the country to the other feeling the heat the kid folded tent in america and sailed for europe and set up his rackets game in paris it was there that he partnered with another expatriate and bunko artist named tom o'brien it's unclear what sort of con they had going but it led to a dramatic falling out at a popular parisian nightclub called the cafe american on the night of march 26 1895. the atmosphere in the club was celebratory but it was interrupted by a sudden quarrel that ended with kid waddell clubbing o'brien over the head with a bottle both men parted company that night without further incident but the quarrel was far from over the next morning waddell arrived at the gare de noir railroad station to meet a friend as the kid waited o'brien approached with a revolver and fired six bullets into his back waddell was rushed to the hospital where he died eight days later o'brien was arrested trying to flee the train station at his murder trial his lawyer argued that it was customary for americans to settle disputes with a gun the court didn't buy it and he was sent to devil's island where he died in 1904 upon learning of her son's death waddell's widowed mother had his body brought back to springfield she laid him to rest beside his father who had foreseen this very outcome although it was a tragic reunion the prodigal son was finally home standing upon the crest of lawn hill in block 7 is one of oak ridge's most impressive monuments that in part owes its existence to scandal it was erected to the loving memory of maddie rayburn whose marble effigy rests atop a 40-foot granite column the monument was commissioned by bishop william rayburn a former methodist preacher who abandoned his wife and two children to be with his lover maddie redfield it was a crime of the heart that led to his deposition by the methodist conference william and maddie were married soon after and with his new bride rayburn continued to preach his own religious philosophy that grew into a sect known as the pilgrim movement among its tenants was a doctrine of free love the puritanical media of the day was not kind to rayburn and his pilgrims they described their meetings as orgies and often cited his blasphemous relationship with maddie as an example of his debauchery but criticism didn't slow them down in the 1880s william and matty brought their teachings to the old world they traveled extensively across europe and went as far as egypt and palestine but wherever they went they always found time to come back to springfield if for nothing more than to tweak the noses of their detractors after traveling abroad in 1891 maddie became suddenly ill and passed away in new york city at the age of 55. [Music] heartbroken rayburn brought her body back to springfield for burial and began planning her memorial he wanted something that not only expressed his love but would also stick in the side of the city's elite who treated her so poorly in life after two years of construction at an estimated cost of seventeen thousand dollars approximately a half million dollars today the grand monument to hattie rayburn was complete in the years that followed william rayburn's pilgrim movement disbanded and he left the united states he remarried late in life but it was said that for the rest of his days he kept an empty place set at the table for maddie he died in belfast northern ireland in 1930 at the age of 94. today the statue of maddie rayburn standing upon its tall perch gazes down with just the hint of a smile that must have turned the tongue clucking high society folks purple [Music] cemeteries are peaceful places that hide the turbulent and violent ends of some who are buried there take for instance the modest headstone of the late dr jacob early a methodist minister who dabbled in politics the only clue it gives that something went wrong is early's brief lifespan it says nothing of the greed corruption and deceit that caused it to tell the story we have to begin where it ended on the evening of march 7 1838 at springfield's spotswood hotel on that night dr earley passed the evening in the sitting room reading unbeknownst to him an inept mid-level official named henry truett stood close by waiting for the other patrons to leave the room truett who was a nominee for the registrar of the galena land office had recently learned that dr earley was the author of a resolution to have him taken out of the running truett confronted the doctor who would not confirm or deny if he was the author of the resolution unless he be given the name of the informant when truitt refused early told him they had nothing further to discuss this only deepened truitt's anger and he began shouting insults and curses having heard enough early rose to leave at which time truett allegedly pulled a gun seeing the weapon early grabbed a chair and swung it at his assailant before the cloud of smoke cleared truett escaped into the night leaving early bleeding on the floor he clung to life for four days before dying of his wounds at the age of 32. [Music] truitt was caught the same night of the shooting and was almost lynched in the process when it came time for the trial conviction seemed almost certain truitt's young defense lawyer built a case for self-defense but the fact remained that dr jacob early was a popular man in springfield and truett was not the trial lasted three days and after truitt's lawyer gave his closing argument the jury retired for an hour and 40 minutes before returning a verdict of not guilty now free henry truitt returned to galena and tried to live down the label of murderer somehow he managed to get elected mayor but was forced to resign for beating a man within an inch of his life in the town square eventually he moved to california hoping to outrun his past the only one connected to the affair to come out the better for it was the young defense lawyer in fact everyone involved is now just a footnote in his story funny how fate works [Music] jacob early was buried in the old city cemetery then later moved to oak ridge where he now rests beside his wife catherine standing in the center of oak ridge is the old bell tower in the early days of the cemetery there was an adjoining chapel that has since been removed the tower bell tolled at funerals one strike for each year of life [Music] these headstones are a testament to the inherent need in each of us to be remembered after we're gone there's sort of a compromise we make with time or perhaps they're just an attempt to get the final word we don't usually have a choice in when or how we exit this life but we do have a choice in the way we tell posterity about who we were some do it with traditional monuments while others go for something more unique thomas strawbridge jr came to america from ireland when he was still a boy he settled in sangamon county and became the area's first saddle maker his gravesite is rich in victorian symbolism and blends rustic elements with more traditional ones the entrance to his plot features a hitching post that alludes to his work with horses thomas was a lifelong bachelor and is buried with his sister mary their names are inscribed on the supports of an arch representing the gateway between the worlds of the living and the dead on the top of the arch are symbols of wheat which stand for a long useful life the roses the broken tree and the urn signify death on either side of the arch are two log chairs the one on the right is for mary notice how her cloak is draped over the back the chair on the left is thomas's and his hat is carefully placed as if waiting for its owner to return it's meant to convey the emptiness left in the wake of their passing empty chair monuments and all their varying designs fit into the rustic cemetery aesthetic of the late victorian era and are common sights throughout the older sections of oak ridge two stand over the resting places of william and jane moore william moore was a contractor who built many public buildings in springfield including the north and south porticos of the old state house [Music] of all the chair stones there is one that is like no other it belongs to patrick dowling a popular springfield saloon keeper his throne-like chair is draped in symbolism the vines signify man's relationship with god the ferns represent humility frankness and sincerity the profound effect of dowling's premature death is present in the inscription engraved on his monument that reads thou shalt be missed because thy seat will be empty up until about 1930 so-called tree stones were popular monument designs the broken or severed limbs symbolize a life cut short this towering monument belonging to the brandt and hamer families is one of the more impressive of the type it is the resting place of george and mary hamer along with four of their children all of whom pre-deceased their parents john brandt is also buried here he was the husband of george and mary's daughter ida both george and john were veteran engineers for the wabash railroad [Music] a very similar monument to this stands a short distance away but it's only a quarter of the size it belongs to phoebe floorville when she passed at age 93 she had two surviving children four grandchildren 17 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren she was also noted for being the wife of billy the barber the man who cut lincoln's hair erastus wright was a well-known school teacher and the commissioner of schools in sangamon county for years his monument is a unique interpretation on the log concept but who would expect anything less from a man who wrote a tame elk to work every day [Music] some tree stones are accompanied by smaller markers for individuals buried within a family plot as can be seen around the george grant monument the monuments we have just seen were the creation of swedish-born sculptor edward levanius he was the owner of the 20th century monument company in springfield and his early engravings were all done by hand most tree stones you'll find were placed by the woodmen of the world a fraternal benefit society begun in 1890 by joseph cullen root members purchased life insurance and annuities through the organization that also offered grave monuments the unveiling of a woodman monument was a community affair as shown in this old photo the monuments are usually inscribed with the organization's latin motto which means though silent he speaks [Music] another of oak ridge's noted monuments belongs to john krause who for 18 years owned and operated a beer garden that was popular with springfield's large german population krause's monument is adorned with a photographic image of him set in porcelain below it is a bronze plaque depicting his beer garden that featured a pavilion and a bandstand after john's death in 1894 his widow emma sold his business which quickly became an attraction for the lower rungs of society it eventually closed in 1900 and all that remains of it is here among the dead edward lewis baker graduated from law school in 1847 and was admitted to the illinois state bar but he followed a path into journalism in 1855 he became part owner and editor of the illinois state register newspaper with a promising career under his belt he married julia cook edwards from one of the top families in springfield julia was also the niece of mary lincoln and through that union he developed a friendship with her husband abraham in 1860 lincoln was with baker at his office when word arrived from the republican convention in chicago that he'd been nominated for president on the third ballot president grant appointed him ambassador of the argentine republic in 1873 a post he held for 23 years his tenure ended on june 20th 1897 when he fell under the wheels of a moving train car that he was attempting to board in buenos aires gravely injured doctors were forced to amputate baker's right arm at first his recovery seemed to be going well but his injury became infected and he died on july 8. his body was returned to springfield for burial on his headstone a bronze plaque bearing his likeness was placed by his friends in the argentine republic as a token of their gratitude for his kind and generous nature as we've seen there is history in every corner of oak ridge cemetery in many ways america's destiny was forged by the hands that now lion repose beneath its grassy slopes and whether great or small the monuments that stand atop these graves reflect a large portion of midwestern humility with just a dash of american brash thrown in for good measure jutting from a hillside is the red clay mausoleum of orson stafford he went to sea at the age of 13 but was crippled in an 1835 shipwreck after surveying sites for lighthouses on the great lakes he settled in springfield where he met and married eliza sherman mr stafford was a jack of all trades running the gamut from shoemaker to merchant to city council member he and eliza had no surviving children after retirement they spent their remaining days together in florida after their deaths they were brought back to springfield for internment [Music] thomas reese was the publisher of the illinois state register from 1881 to 1933. in 1902 he was elected to a single term as a united states senator from illinois reese's close friend and the associate editor of his newspaper was henry w clendenin the bonds these two men forged in life continued in death they and their families now share the same burial plot marked with an elegant neoclassical colonnade some grave markers display the occupation the deceased had in life fred donovan's headstone tells of his devotion to the game of baseball in 1895 at the age of 20 he entered the major leagues with the cleveland spiders and was teammates with legend cy young he bounced around in various leagues playing wherever he could in the off season he was employed with the illinois watch company until ill health forced him to leave work and the game he loved fred died at the young age of 42 resting beside his headstone as a simple monument in the shape of a baseball tom brown was a breakman on the chicago peoria and st louis railroad on the afternoon of august 23 1912 the train he was working on derailed outside of alton illinois it rolled down an embankment into the mississippi river killing tom and the train's engineer five others were seriously injured an image of his locomotive is displayed on a simple headstone [Music] william dyrus was born in norway and was a jeweler and clockmaker by trade his clock-faced headstone also reminds us that time is fleeting and that it's 10 minutes till midnight in real estate location is everything especially if you want to be noticed and the same holds true in the land of the dead roy bertelli a musician who dedicated his life to the accordion knew the value of a good location which is why he jumped at the opportunity to buy a prime spot just inside the front gate of oak ridge later however he was surprised when the cemetery informed him that they sold him the plot by mistake when they threatened legal action roy didn't back down and eventually won his day in court afterwards he built an elaborate sarcophagus that he visited regularly tourists on their way to the lincoln tomb would often find him playing one of his accordions from the site of his future grave but rumor has it that when roy died in 2003 he was buried in a military cemetery nearby and that his beloved accordions were laid to rest in some of the best real estate in oak ridge cemetery susan lawrence dana was the only surviving child of roona and mary lawrence she was a springfield socialite who devoted most of her life to activist causes such as equal rights for women and african americans she was also a patron of the arts when her father died in 1901 she inherited his vast fortune and immediately began work remodeling her family's stuffy victorian abode to bring her vision to life she hired renowned architect frank lloyd wright his creation was a magnificent example of his prairie style that incorporated a japanese influence that susan loved the house's arched front doorway opens into a series of ever expanding spaces that continues throughout the interior wright designed hundreds of features from light fixtures to skylights and stained glass windows to furniture made of white oak he also designed easels for susan to display her extensive collection of japanese art susan lived an entertained springfield social set in the house for over 20 years in later life however she encountered serious financial setbacks that forced her to withdraw from the limelight and to take up residence in her estate smaller guest quarters [Music] by the 1940s her vast collections had to be broken up and sold at auction in 1944 the house was sold to charles c thomas a publisher of medical journals it remained in his family's possession until 1975. today the dana thomas house belongs to the state of illinois and is open to public tours it has been designated a historic landmark by the illinois historic preservation agency susan lawrence dana who suffered from the continual onset of age-related dementia died in 1946 when she was buried in her family's plot in oak ridge her name was added to a colorless granite monument but susan's true memorial is the splendid house she built in the heart of her hometown [Music] once i loved the spider when i was born a fly a velvet-footed spider with a gown of rainbow dye she ate my wings and gloated she bound me with a hair she drove me to her parlor above her winding stair to educate young spiders she took me all apart my ghost came back to haunt her i saw her eat my heart a selection from the congo and other poems by vasha lindsey published in 1914 poet vashal lindsay was born in springfield in 1879 and like his father was expected to practice medicine frustrated he quit medical school after three years to pursue his dream of becoming an artist he studied illustration at the chicago art institute and the new york school of art but had no great success in selling his work by 1905 he was in manhattan selling poetry on the streets the following year he took to traveling the country's back roads on foot giving poetry recitals and lectures for food he distributed samples of his work that he referred to as rhymes to be traded for bread with poetry lindsay found his true calling and enjoyed success for many years much of his fame came from his highly animated and vocal recitations he felt that poetry should be treated as performance art or what he called the higher vaudeville and in this style he was years ahead of his time lindsay always had a special connection to his hometown of springfield and its history while there he often took distinguished visitors on tours of its historic sites it was the location of his poem abraham lincoln walks at midnight that enjoyed wide circulation in this 1917 photo we see lindsey at lincoln's tomb lindsey felt his work lacked the critical acclaim it deserved critics described his writing as tedious and incomprehensible he believed his recitals were to blame and wrote to a friend that my tiny reputation as a writer seemed wiped out by my new reputation as an entertainer however he continued to perform and publish collections of poems and essays but his popularity began to wane and as it did his money problems increased in 1925 he married a high school teacher from spokane and they had two children together but with his financial woes increasing lindsay went on lengthy tours between 1926 and 1929 to support his family and to get out of debt by the end of it he was exhausted and deeply depressed with his mental health deteriorating he moved his family back to springfield once again he was living beyond his means which put him back in financial trouble only now it was worsened by his increasing delusions and paranoia that forced him to cut back on touring if it's a poet's lot to suffer then vasha lindsay did just that creatively and financially drained he took his own life on december 5th 1931 by ingesting lysol however in reporting his death the newspapers attributed the cause to coronary thrombosis his epitaph is only one word but it speaks volumes of all the lives we have explored there is one that looms above them all to walk among the headstones of his contemporaries it's difficult to find anyone whose life wasn't touched by his it reminds us that before abraham lincoln belonged to the ages he belonged to springfield after a 14-day 1600 mile journey from washington to springfield abraham lincoln was finally laid to rest at oak ridge cemetery on may 4th 1865. his remains were placed in this receiving vault until a temporary tomb could be built in december the specially constructed vault was ready and he remained there for the next five years while his permanent resting place was completed this stone block marks the spot where the temporary tomb once stood today the lincoln monument is not only a shrine to the man who led a nation through four bloody years of civil war it also honors those who fought and died so that nation could have a new birth of freedom [Music] out front is a bust of lincoln by gutson borglum with its nose rubbed to a bright shine by visitors seeking good luck [Music] within the tomb bronze sculptures depict lincoln through his formative years on up to his presidency [Music] beyond an iron gate is the crypt containing the bodies of his wife mary todd and three of their four children there is also a cenotaph for their eldest son robert who is buried in arlington national cemetery in the center of the room a red granite stone stands above the place where the savior of his country is buried he is gone but his spirit lives in the hearts of freedom-loving people the world over [Music] the time has come for us to end our walk in oak ridge cemetery but not before we take a last look at its timeless landscape where the world outside has no sway here we walk in the footsteps of those who have gone before just as others in years to come we'll walk in hours here all becomes one as we are bound together by what abraham lincoln called the mystic chords of memory [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] my [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] um [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Grave Explorations

Views: 174,692

Rating: 4.8709679 out of 5

Keywords: grave tour, abraham lincoln, illinois

Id: n2ehWdhAi8c

Length: 63min 28sec (3808 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 31 2017