Fieldwalk at Beech Grove Cemetery
Introduction - Meredith
On Wednesday, June 19, 2019, we took a trip to Beech Grove Cemetery here in Muncie. During this trip we learned about the history of the cemetery, visited some of the prominent graves, met some folks, and made some audio and video recordings. One of the folks we met was Dave Taylor, one of the cemetery’s board members! He pointed out the grave of Benjamin Cohen to us, tucked away in the Jewish section, telling us that Cohen had been a counselor to FDR on the New Deal! Tina Sulfridge, the Office Manager, was also such a great help as well. She showed us some maps, gave us a tour of the building, and provided us with useful information about the grounds and its history.
Located at 1400 Kilgore Ave, Beech Grove Cemetery claims Delaware County’s largest historic landmark. Though its official history begins in 1841, it has a prehistory. In “A History of Beech Grove Cemetery” by Dolores Black Rench, she writes that the Delaware Native Americans had “chosen a portion of [the site along White River] for a sacred burial ground.” (You can download a pdf of the complete history of purchase the Beech Grove Cemetery Records book in the office.) This area came to be known as Beech Knoll. Later on, when white settlers arrived, the village was known as Munceytown, and picnics, gatherings, and political rallies were held there.
Before Beech Grove Cemetery was established, there were two public designated burial grounds in downtown Muncie:
1. On the northside of East Main St, east of Beacon St
2. On the northside of Adams St, west of Franklin
2.5. Three boxes of unidentified bones were found when excavating ground for a basement for Friends Memorial Church at the northeast corner of Adams and Cherry. They were reinterred at Beech Grove in October 1906 and May 1907
On December 17, 1841, Samuel W. Harlan, John Jack, and James Hodge (trustees for Munceytown) purchased 1.5 acres from Moses and Nancy Eby. This acreage was the first part of Beech Grove Cemetery and is referred to as the Old Ground. Over the years, more and more acreage was leased, deeded, and purchased, expanding the cemetery’s land. One of the most significant additions was that of John Moore’s 51 acre farm (also known as the John Galbraith farm) on April 8, 1902.
Interestingly enough, Goldsmith Gilbert, his wife, and family (arguably the founders of Muncie) are buried in the Old Part, or, rather, had been moved there from their plots at their family home. There are some death date mix ups though for Goldsmith’s wife Mary! Another fun fact, Gilbert and Mary’s daughter Mary Jane was the first white girl born in Muncie and Delaware County. Interesting! Their family home, a log cabin, was located at Walnut and Wysor, not too far from Muncie Memories HQ! Same goes for their original burial grounds too...
How we memorialize - Jenna
Overall, the experience at Beech Grove was educational and I enjoyed the hours we were able to spend exploring. Beech Grove Cemetery is full of hidden beauty, from stained glass windows in mausoleums to Crazy Circle, which should be more aptly named Chaotic Circle. From above, Crazy Circle is a beautiful arrangement of headstones to create a spiral form. On the ground level, it’s many graves piled into a section to help achieve this effect. While walking through it, I wondered why a cemetery would go to such great lengths to achieve this, and did the people buying those lots know they would be part of this “fun fact” for the cemetery?
Aerial image of crazy circle.
Plans of crazy circle.
In crazy circle
Like many places, Beech Grove Cemetery has hidden beauty and plenty of history. I believe my favorite part of this experience was discovering the unique characteristics that belonged here. Many of the gravesites were delicately decorated and many of them helped you learn more about the person who had passed. Leaving flowers is always nice for a loved one who has passed, but leaving memories and items the deceased cared about when they were living seems more personable to me.
One gravesite in particular caught my eye. It was for a young man who was only 20 years old. His friends and family left him a memorial with a skateboard, a half empty bottle of whiskey, and other trinkets that represent him. I find creating a memorial full of personal joys and belongings allows you to better understand the person who has passed and creates a connection between the individuals grieving, missing, or celebrating that person.
Exploring Beech Grove was a great introduction to learning about the history of Muncie, and I hope we go back to discover parts of the cemetery that we did not visit the first time!
Architecture and Communities - Kitty
Beech Grove is laid out in two discrete sections: the newer section is across the tracks, reached by way of the underpass and then the rest of the cemetery. The older section was laid out to be enjoyed more like a local park in today’s time; this was not uncommon for the era in which the cemetery was founded. It wasn’t until more recently that the newer grave plot system was employed, allowing more bodies to be buried instead of focusing on scenery, which the landscape expert O.W. Crabbs had in the past.
Along with the many curious layouts of the cemetery, it is interesting to note that the cemetery itself is around 120 acres. This large area contains an array of different communities of Muncie with differing grave markers. For example while most mausoleums are found along Mausoleum Row, it is not uncommon to see them scattered throughout older parts of the cemetery. Obelisks stand next to wooden crosses or field stones. Walking through the cemetery, it felt as though the Muncie community was holding itself together even in death. The rich standing next to the poor in unity.
As Beech Grove has changed over the years, so have the community locations. While the newer sections of the cemetery integrate all of the communities of Muncie, the older part keeps separate communities apart, making them radically visible. There is the Jewish section, the African American section, which is labeled Colored for historical reasons, the Armed Forces, and Baby grave sections.
Exploring Beech Grove allowed us to immerse ourselves in Muncie’s unique past to understand its present better. We are happy with what we have learned so far, but we want to know more. What do YOU know about Beech Grove and the people that are there? We would love to hear from you!
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