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[John Hallwas] His father came to join him
and to live with his son here in this area
and uh died here so they buried him in the family plot.
But, his name was Moody Chase
uh Moody an old kind of name
that was fairly common in puritan times
for example it shows the background of the family.
The cultural background there in New England.
And also Moody Chase was born in 1769.
So he's one of the earlier burials
that was one he wasn't buried then
but, one of the oldest people
to be buried in this cemetary.
Again there's 28 people all toiled
who was born before 1800 here.
But, I'm going to show you
very shortly a uh the oldest person
that is the first born person
who was buried in the cemetery.
[Reporter] Okay great John thanks!
[Reporter] John as you're taking me through
the old Macomb cemetery
I can't help but notice that there are some stones
that are very well placed
very easy to read
but, then there are some scattered
about propped up against trees
maybe not as readable what is the story behind these?
Why are these all sitting here?
[John Hallwas] While it's basically a question of
certain kind of cemetery deterioration.
The old Macomb cemetery is a good example
of one that hasn't been looked after
in terms of the condition of the stones
or the placement of the stones over the years.
And as a result when stones
fall over which is very common with the early
thin slate stones that if you get a lot of rain
for example there slowly start to tilt
in the soft soil and after a period of time
they fall flat over.
And then commonly they'll break also
they might be hit by a mower or something.
And then uh the uh people move them
and leaned them up against the tree.
I guest so the don't have to encounter
them with a lawn mower.
Or maybe out of fear that they'll
eventually sink into the ground
which does happen also and completely
be covered by the sod.
The problem with that approach
is that then you've removed the stone
from the burial sight and people
who come along later and are interested
in the history expressed in the cemetery
don't know percisely where that grave is located.
So we've had that take place
a number of time in the cemetery
and that's why you see
stone's that are leaning up against trees
are in piles sometimes.
So actually there are people
in the community now that are taking an interest
in looking at the records of the cemetery
Gary Rhodes from Oakwood Cemetery for example
Walter Bernette from the City Government
and their taking a look at seeing what they can do
to determine where certain stones
that have been obviously moved
belong if they can and of course in some cases
putting some stones back together
again that are in two or three pieces.
[Reporter] Yeah it seems like not only
standing up against these two trees
that were standing in between but, also
all over the cemetery piles of piles of head stones
that you know you can't really decypher any more
what about those is there anything
that can be done for those?
[John Hallwas] Fortunately we have a good set of records for this cemetery
Marge Harris for example here in town
years ago did a survey of information
about the burials here both working
with newspaper records
and also with the stones themselves.
And so that we have good records
from what stones were available decades ago.
About who's buried here and what was on the stones.
so that's very helpful also to determine
to things back together and determine
at least rough location in some ways
for these moved stones we have good records.
[Reporter] Well I just have to ask what's next on the trip?
Were gonna go look at a uh stone for a youngster
and also talk about the most noted figure in a sense
associated with the cemeterial the figure
whose most unique who was a stone carver.
[Reporter] So we've arrived at the next stop
of our tour of the old Macomb cemetery
and I find this particular head stone
interesting John because it has obviously
had been broken into a couple of pieces.
But, it still looks fairly well maintained
I mean you can sill read the inscriptions
and you can still who lies here
can you tell us a little bit about this?
[John Hallwas] Yes, of course this is an example
of the kind of stone that you and I
were just talking about which often get's carted away
from the burial sight itself but, fortunately
this is still here and it's a very good example
of an early style of head stone
this is slate which was very common
before they had granite for example
in the 19th century
and it's also interesting in terms of the shape.
This is a headboard or bedboard shape
in that it looks like a head of a bed
very common in the east coast
in New England
and also beyond that in Europe.
A shape that was later abandoned
for a more rectangular or curve top style.
It's also interesting because
of the carving on it and we actually
have the signature as it were
of the carver as well.
but, it begins with a formula that's fairly common
in this cemetery [sacred to the memory of]
and that particular formula
is one indication of the stones
of a man named John Long.
Who was a our earliest identifiable
stone carver here in McDonough County
and maybe in all of Western Illinois.
Another thing if you look at his
terminology and his approach
sacred to the memory of Nathan Mott
[Gu] and he just runs out of space
after the [G] and picks it up
with the next line [OMELY] in other words
he divided words including names
when ever he ran out of space.
He didn't try to center lines at all.
Memory departed this life April 19th
A.D. 1834 age 65 years and so many months
and 19 oh yes and even on years
y.e.a.r. and he puts the [s] on the next line
So he just cuts words anywhere that he runs out of space.
And that's one of the identifiable
features of a John Long stone.
And here down in the corner
below that you see his initials [JL].
John came west into the Macomb area
about 1834 married a local gal
and lived about a mile from here.
Just north of the Laimone River.
And he did a number of the early
stones that is he carved them
here in the old Macomb cemetery
in the 1830's and early 1840's.
And in fact his work as a pioneer stone carver
one of the things that makes this cemetery
a unique historical site in the Western Illinois region
because usually you can not identify
the early stone carvers aat all.
And he did a very good job with his, his lettering
and with the general layout
and nature and cut of the stones
and use of boarders and so forth.
He was a very good stone carver.
[Reporter] It's very specific about the ages
that people died this one is 65 years
5 month and 19 days.
Do you have any idea
why that was part of his style?
[John Hallwas] That was a very common style
even [sacred to the memory of]
which he uses to begin his stones.
Universally that was a formula
that was that he was copying from a tradition.
And also putting down the not only the year
of age but also the number of months
and days was also part
of an early ultimately European based
stone carving tradition.
[Reporter] Where are we going next John?
[John Hallwas] Were heading near by
to the stone of a child
[Continues in part 3]