On Tuesday, I posted about the tombstone of Joseph H. Layton in Etna Cemetery in Licking County. At the time, I did not have his obituary, but mused that there was probably a newspaper article about the train wreck. Bill Johns did a little bit of research and found that, indeed, that was the case. I was then able to go onto NewspaperArchive through the Ohio Genealogical Society (members have access — a good reason to join!)

Joseph H. Layton (referred to as Herbert in one of the articles) was killed in a train wreck near Bloomingburg, Fayette County, Ohio, on 14 May 1903. A repair crew had been working on the tracks and “the ballasting had been largely removed. The rails spread and three cars were plunged into a ditch at the bottom of a high embankment.” Layton, a fireman on the train, tried to save himself by jumping from the engine, but broke his neck. The B&O train was on its way from Cincinnati to Washington Court House when the accident occurred.

Also killed in the accident was engineer John May. No passengers were killed.

According the article, two days before the accident Layton’s father, J. M. Layton, had contacted photographer George Chase to get a photo of “his boy’s engine.” The two of them went to the depot and got “an excellent likeness” of the engine, Joseph Layton and John May. According to Chase, the father said he wanted a good photo even if it cost him his last dollar because, “He may be brought home dead from his next trip.”

Joseph Herbert Layton was the son of James and Mary Layton, who were living on Broadway in Summit Station at the time of the accident. Joseph moved to Newark circa 1900, about the time of his marriage to Laura Kelley. In 1900, they had a son James H. Layton. According to his obituary, Layton was survived by two children. I have not determined the identity of the second child.

Sources:

Herb Layton household, 1900 census, Etna Township, Licking County, Ohio, sheet 2B, nos. 41/41.

Joseph Layton household, 1880 census, abstract viewed on FamilySearch.org.

Newark Advocate, May 14, 1903, p. 1 and 3.

This tombstone is in Etna Cemetery in Licking County, Ohio. I have not looked for an obituary for him yet, but I would not be surprised if there is an article about his death. Judging from the tombstone, I would say that he worked for the B&O Railroad and was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. The fact that the occupational information is so prominently displayed and that it states that he was “killed at Bloomingburg, Fayette Co., O,” leads me to think that he was killed while working on the railroad.

A search of the Fayette County 1867-1908 Death Index and the Licking County Death Index yielded no results.

Joseph H. Layton
1876-1903
Killed at Bloomingburg, Fayette Co, O.

EDIT: More information found on Joseph H. Layton

Joseph H. Layton, Etna Cemetery, Licking County, Ohio. Photograph by Amy Crow, 5 July 2009; copyright 2009, Amy Crow. All rights reserved.

This broken tombstone is in Etna Cemetery in Licking County. It is the first I’ve seen with two small hands like this. Unfortunately, the surname is missing. The ages are illegible, but judging from the lamb, the two tiny hands, and the diminutive form of the first names, I think these are two young boys. Buried together like this, they are likely brothers.

Complicating discovering their identity is the fact that their ages are unknown and they died between census years. Also, Licking County’s death records for this time period were destroyed in a courthouse fire.

Tombstone of Artie and Georgie, Etna Cemetery, Etna, Licking County, Ohio. Photo by Amy Crow, 5 July 2009; all rights reserved.

Artie E., died June 6, 1878

Georgie E., died April 15, 1875

Asbury Cemetery in Columbus is not only well maintained, but they have done a good job of repairing some of the older tombstones, such as this one for Zechariah Algire. Despite the top 3/4 of the stone having broken off at one point, it is still remarkably legible.

The top features a broken column, symbolizing a life cut short. It is also signed by the stonecarver, J. W. Jungkurth of Lithopolis.

Zechariah Algire, Asbury Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Amy Crow, 9 June 2009; all rights reserved.

“In memory
of
ZECHARIAH
ALGIRE
born Decemr 1st 1813
died March 27th 1844
aged 30 years,
3 months and
26 days.
Life is a span, a fleeting hour.
How soon the vapour flies.
Man is a tender, transient flow’r
That e’en in blooming dies.
J. W. Jungkurth
Lithopolis”

[NOTE: I also published this on Amy's Genealogy, etc. Blog.]

John C. Coble tombstone, Asbury Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio. Photo taken by Amy Crow 9 June 2009; all rights reserved.

This tombstone is in Asbury Cemetery in Madison Township, Franklin County, Ohio, near the intersection of Noe-Bixby Road and Winchester Pike. It is in excellent condition. I love the epitaph.

“In
memory of
John C.
Son of John and
Jane Coble.
born Augt 3th 1838.
died Septr. 17th 1840.
aged 2 years,
1 month and 14 days.
This lovely bud so young
and fair,
Called hence by early doom
Just came to show how
sweet a flower
In paradise would bloom.”

Vandals have stolen the statues from several children’s graves at Forest Cemetery in Circleville. According to cemetery caretaker Martin Garner, parts of at least 5 graves have been stolen over the past month. 

WBNS 10TV has an article and photos here.

Thanks to my friend Beth Santore at GraveAddiction.com for alerting me to this.

The Army Corps of Engineers has found 10 caskets at the site of the old Cheshire Cemetery, at least 5 of which contained human remains. They have also announced that those remains will definitely be reburied in Berlin Cemetery, site of the graves from Cheshire Cemetery that were relocated in the early 1970s.

Full article can be found at the Columbus Dispatch.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the caskets discovered earlier this week at Alum Creek Reservoir did indeed contain human remains. The Army Corps of Engineers has contracted Devore-Snyder Funeral Home to move the remains. They likely will be moved to the Berlin Cheshire Road Cemetery west of Alum Creek Reservoir.

Back in 1973, the Army Corps of Engineers moved the old Cheshire Cemetery in Delaware County to make way for Alum Creek Reservoir. It is estimated that they moved approximately 1,400 graves. Apparently they missed some, as several caskets have been found jutting out of the ground on the east bank of the reservoir. According to Corps spokeswoman Peggy Noel, the coroner’s office has been called in to see if the caskets contain any remains. 

The Columbus Dispatch has a story here.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to go to Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Newark. I wasn’t able to spend a great deal of time there; I hope to go back soon and explore some more. 

At the top of the hill is the Wehrle family plot. There is a large monument in the middle, surrounded by individual tombstones. One of the things I found interesting was that all of the individual stones were identical; even the ones for people who died in the 1950s used a German-script style font.

In the Wehrle family plot is Rev. Joseph M. Wehrle. What caught my eye at first was that his tombstone includes his date of ordination. The front of the stone is an excellent example of the eucharist, chalice, grapes and wheat. As noted in Douglas Keister’s excellent book Stories in Stone, the use of all of these elements together was restricted almost exclusively to clergy. 

According to his death certificate, Joseph Michael Wehrle was the son of Joseph and Philamena (Morath) Wehrle. Joseph was a priest at Saint Mary’s Church in Columbus, which is located in the German Village section of town. 

From the tombstone: Rev. Joseph M. Wehrle/ Born October 24, 1865/ Ordained August 15, 1899/ Died April 24, 1924.

Rev. Joseph M. Wehrle tombstone, Mount Calvary Cemetery, Newark, Ohio. Photo by Amy Johnson Crow, 6 March 2009; all rights reserved.