The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-05
TIE OLD CITY OF THE DEAD.
Won of Note Whose Remains Resin What
Is Known as''the Old Cemetery"
Greenlawn's History-WilIiam Quarles, Hugh
O'Neal, William Stewart, Col. Paxton and
Alex. RalstOn Among It's Silent Tenants.

Passing by the old cemetery on kentucky
avenue the other day, the writer, who had not
been inside the fence for half-score of years
before, went in to note the changes that had oc-
Cured; some conspicuous enough from the out
side; some only perceptible to close observation
and q good memory. The most distinct i'm
preston derived from this short and casual visit
was that the cemetery was easily capable of
being made as beautiful and attractive any
'H'city of the deadr Of its dimensions anywhere.
1t is too lsvel for striking or picturesque views
csrsainly; but its gently undulating surface, its
universal turf, and its numerous and vigorous
growths of cedar and other evergreens would, if
needy cleaned Up and kept we'll ordered, make
AS pretty rural scene as could be wished for
d mornings stroll or sunset musing.
IT'S HISTORY.
TIE stold grave yard the origin or nucleus Of
the present cemetery, was laid out, or selected,
rather, in the summer Of 1s2L It was sickly
season, that second summer of the citys settle
men., and the first of its laying OUT by Sur.
veYor Ralston-but three persons of many
a1uCdred escaped the chills and fever-and a pro-
vision Of a resting splaee for thoss who might
be called away was natural and obvious sug-
gestion of the situation. James Blake, Matthias
r. Rowland, father of orr local historian, John II.
b Rowland and Daniel Shaffer selected the site
on the river bank opposite Governors Island, v
a low, heavily timbered, weed eovered
sandbar cut off from the east
7bank by narrow, shallow 'chute,"
ali washed away years ago. 1t has ssince been
known as the .'colored cemetery" The bluff
hank has been much cut under and cut away by
freshets. and probably third Of the original
area has gone down the river, in some cases
Leaving portions of skeletons uncovered, it is
Esia. The Enclosure was about four acres the
eize of city square Mr. Shaffer died within a
few weeks after the selection of the site, and
after remaining for time III o grave near his
double log cabin, on the high ground south of
Hogue's creek, near Pennsylvania street. his re-
gnains were removed to the graveyard, and were
hhe first buried there =
In 1884 an addition was thought necessary, and
Nicholas MeCarty, Isaac Coe. James Blake,
James NJ Ray and John G.. Brown father of our
ex-city engineer James W., made one in Feb
frzNry of that year, containing five acres and
called it the Union Cemetery" 1t was always
known as the new graveyard" Some of our
pi0noer settlers would not have known what it
WAS by the name of cemetery The proprietors
made an arrangement conveying to the survivors
Ahe unsold lots of those who should die in virtue
OF which the late James NJ. Ray as noticed by
the city press at the time, became sole
owner of the unsod portion and gave
at to the First Presbyterian Church.
In September, 1888, the Philadelphia owners Of
Ahe woods pasture north Of the new grave yard,
Sitter. Price il Co, laid out about eight of
ht In an addition called 'Greenawn Cemetery, !"
u name generally applied to the whole col
lection of grave-yards. And in February, 1852,
the late Edwin j. Peck added seven and a half
more acres north of 'Greenlawn" This addition
cf.,f1, L.. 4
tion Of the four combined cemeteries. Gravel
walks wound about through the turf the native
hrees were trimmed and protected, and the slope
towards the river bank was made especially at
4raetive by shrubbery and large levels of fine
grass On the north side, close to the Van
Ealia railway tracks, were the graves of the
rebel prisoners, who died in camp or
hospital here. Before any considerable demand
for the lots in this addition arose, Crown Hill
was opened, and in a few years the railway took
4he ground for freightyard uses and for its shops
md round house, and the rebel dead were re-
moved TO Crown Hill This is a brief history of
The old cemetery, which, IN all probability, will,
IN few more years, be emptied as far as prac-
ticahle into another and safer Site and then COW
ered with mills and shops, and coal and lumber
yards.
In his recent visit the writer noticed quite a
number of old tombstoneS displaced and leaning
,0r lying about as indifferently as slabs in saw
mill. Most of them we're of the soft semi-sat
Of the White river bluffs, of which the crumbing
foundations of the old State-house aud the tumb-
hing abutments and piers of the old bridge were
built Every one was more or less defaced by
0ecay, some showing portion of name and a
whole date. some showing whole name and no
Hiate, or bat small part of one; some showing
nothing Ineligible of letter or figure some
square or box tomhs, or one at least, that of
Isaac Howk, 1888. had apparently fallen by their
sown weight, been taken down to avoid it,
Not few of the more durable monuments of
aaser date were leaning far enough to need
r,tNk pnt1i A~Ol-.
khere. The grass, long and ragged, in dreary
patches; boards scattered about, and red, sticky
clay dropped around The most conspicuous
change to an old resident was the dis
Rppearance of the Quarles vault. This
stood little south of the main road,
west from the avenue gate, and probably hun
dred feet west of the fence, about the highest
ground IN the cemetery. Its whole elevation
could be easily seen from the street. 1t has
been entirely demolished, and not yestige of it
is left even to indicate its site. 1t was square
briek structure, about twelve feet of a side by
ten feet high, and much the same in size and ap
pearance--except the little cupola on the top
ms the present vault of Kregelo 81 Whitsett not
far from its site. The name of William
aQuaries," with the date, 1913. thereabouts,
was cut In the stone cap of the door.
WILLIAM QuARLEs
Mr. Quarles was in his time the most con-
%picuous, though certainly not the ablest.
criminal lawyer of the city bar. He came here
at an early day, probably before 1880, and mar
ried here one of the daughters of Luke Walpole,
zone of the earliest merchants, father of the late
Thomas D. and Robert L. Walpole. At the
stime Of the boom in west city lots, caused by
the location of the canal along Missouri street
NE bought and built on the south side of Wash
6ngton street, the present site of the Capital
House. This was soon after abandoned for a
large square brick on the west side of the Circle
where Mr.. English's Hotel is, close by and here
so the writer that it was 4 year later He was
an ardent Wing, and frequently made speeches
during the political campaigns, and was once
proposed, or was talked OF. as a candidate for
the Legislature, and possibly for Congress He
was not an impressive nor pleasant speaker
His utteranee was indistinct and mushy He
mcuthed his words. he slouched in his attitudes