RODABAUGH
Three miles east of, but across Wabash River from, the hamlet of Georgetown, and almost directly across Wabash River from the hamlet (a limestone-quarry town) known as New Kenneth (as opposed to an older Kenneth, 2 miles east, which is the site of an abandoned quarry.)
On the south side of the Cliff Drive Road, and
approximately 400feet southwest of the extreme northeast corner of the
Fractional northeast quarter of Section 31, T.27 N., of Range One (1) EAST of 2nd
Ind. P.M. in northern CLINTON TOWNSHIP, in the west-central part of CASS COUNTY, IND.
Nearly a quarter of a mile east-northeast of
the WESTLEY HITCHENS home, a large two-story farmhouse, which likewise is on the
southerly side of the Cliff Drive Road, which road runs along or near the
southerly bank of a westwardly-flowing Wabash River. This road is a somewhat
hilly one, and commands some very fine views up and down the curving
Cemeteries usually are on knolls or on high
terrace-rims; but this one is decidedly an exception to the general rule. It is
in the extreme corner of a cultivated field and in the bed of a former south
channel of the
Immediately north of the cemetery, the Cliff
Drive Road today is climbing out of the broad creek-hollow (former
river-channel) in an eastwardly direction, and on a very long and artificial
ramp (of earth and stone). Just north of the cemetery, this ramp is about ten
feet higher than is the cemetery, the drop to the cemetery being almost
perpendicular. But only a very short distance eastward, the steeply rising hill
towers, as an equally perpendicular solid limestone wall, from 15 to 25 feet
above the road , and, especially at a projection (“Indian Look-out Point”),
affords a fine view down the here slightly curving Wabash River. One may well
wonder why this little pioneer-day cemetery was placed at the base, instead of
at the summit, of this high and commending terrace-rim. The answer seems to be
that on the summit, the solid limestone apparently comes very close to the
surface of the ground; whereas in the bed of the old river channel, it probably
was found far more practicable and easy to dig graves in the rich bottomlands or
riverbed soil.
The cemetery today (April 16, 1941) is a
neglected tangle or “jungle” of wild-flowers, tall grass, weeds, bushes,
vines, small saplings, and some brambles. In this tangle, somewhat to our
surprise, we searched out one large, broken-of, and fallen, and moss-covered old
slab, and eight other and smaller grave-markers, a couple of which, are probably
mere foot-stones. Also there are a few sunken places that are apparently
unmarked, unless small and fairly regular (brick-like) blocks of native,
limestone were intended for grave markers.
With a great deal of difficulty, we managed to
scrape the thick coating of moss from the largest (recumbent and broken) old
slab (not to mention also the lichen!) and finally were able to decipher the
following lengthy inscription:
Aged 46 years, 11 months, 9 days. Come all our
sorrows chase; Wipe the tears from every face; Gladness let us now obtain,
Partners of the endless reign. Death, the latest foe, destroy; Sorrow then shall
yield to joy, Grief shall flee awa, (sic)
Swallowed up in endless da. (sic)
A puzzling feature about this inscription is the extreme smallness and the unexpected spelling of the word (or at least segregated syllable) BOUGH, and the fact that the ANNARODA is carved in very large letters, and as if it all were one word. We doubtfully wonder if the carver (who certainly was no amateur!) was trying his best to drive home to us the idea that this lady’s first name really was not “Anna” but actually “Annaroda”; and that her middle (perhaps maiden) name was “Bough”, and that she married a man name Rodabough!
So we puzzledly wonder whether this lady should be listed as:
RODABA(orO)UGH, Anna (Mrs. C.)
ROADBAUGH, Annaroda Bough Mrs. C.
One of the seven other (nor any of the small, brick-like, chunks of limestone) seem to contain any lettering, or at least any that can be deciphered at this late date. If this cemetery is ever restored to a cared for status, other legible markers may come to light,---markers which are reasonably thorough, but more or less superficial, search has failed to disclose.
This practically forgotten little cemetery is
approximately four miles west of (down
The C. Rodabaugh, of whom Anna (or Annaroda!) was the wife, is very possibly CHRISTIAN Rodabaugh, who, we find, established himself and his family on this land at the quite exceedingly early date of 10-3-1828, and hence was one of Cass county, Indiana’s very earliest American settlers Nevertheless, the trustees of the Wabash & Erie Canal (which was just across the river from) seem not to issued to him an actual PATENT to this land until 3-1-1853, or nearly a quarter of a century later. Helm’s [1886] “History of Cass County, Indiana”, p.709, indicates that Christian Rodabaugh died circum 1873-1874. See also Deed Record Book “M” p.385, for his patent; and Deed Record Book “R”, p.575, for this Christian’s seeming preference for the spelling RODABAUGH, as opposed to Rodebaugh, Rodabough, etc., etc.; though early maps, and even other records, occasionally say Rodebaughs.
*COMMENT*
As early as at least the Mexican War period, there was in another part of
Cass county (the
R.B.
Whitsett, Jr,
L’Anguille
Valley Memorial Association,
This report was transcribed by Sadie Cunningham for the Cass County INGenWeb Project in September 2006.
Added 15 October, 2006