Latest big project completed

[John Winn]

So, not related to a CW vet but I figured this was a better forum than Chat. This is the family block of an Irish immigrant who was a Mexican War veteran, friend of Kit Carson, fluent speaker of several native languages, trapper on the great plains, very successful Oregon gold miner, founder of the town of Gold Hill, Oregon and builder of the first bridge to cross the Rogue River (in Jackson County, Oregon).

We moved and leveled the obelisk, re-aligned and leveled the curbing all the way around, re-built and leveled the steps, and re-set the two small stones (and their foot stones).

Some of you have expressed interest in what I do in the cemetery so thought I'd post another thread. I hope it's of interest.

 

[dlofting]

Great job of restoration. Can you tell us his name ?

 

[John Winn]

Great job of restoration. Can you tell us his name ?

Thank you very much. Thomas Chavner is his name. If you're reaaaaalllly interested I can send you some good bios. If so, PM me with an email address. An interesting man.

 

[UCVRelics]

Great Resto Job. How did you move the big grave marker back in it original place?

 

[John Winn]

Great Resto Job. How did you move the big grave marker back in it original place?

Oh, it was nothing.

Actually, we moved it from it's original place because the Madrone tree roots had pushed it almost over. So, we moved it forward onto the only flat ground left in the block, right up next to the steps. It all works.

 

[John Winn]

Sexton and assistant at the controls. Experts.

They do the heavy moves and we do all the rest with picks, shovels, 2x4 pieces, pry bars, and levels.

 

[Booner]

Nice work John W.
I'm always sorry to see old tombstones that have fallen over. Most of them never seem to ever get uprighted.

 

[John Winn]

Nice work John W.
I'm always sorry to see old tombstones that have fallen over. Most of them never seem to ever get uprighted.

Thanks. It's a labor of love story. There's not a lot of people who do this kind of work (more back east than out here). I am often unhappy to see the condition of many old cemeteries. Dust to dust I suppose but I try and maintain pieces of our history and honor those whose stories are our history and often truly amazing. As I often say: they were tougher than us.

 

[Booner]

Thanks. It's a labor of love story. There's not a lot of people who do this kind of work (more back east than out here). I am often unhappy to see the condition of many old cemeteries. Dust to dust I suppose but I try and maintain pieces of our history and honor those whose stories are our history and often truly amazing. As I often say: they were tougher than us.

I agree, they were tougher than us. And being tough was just an every day occurrence to them.

Your work reminds me I've got to do something to my gg grandfather's stone. It's getting a little bit of "lean" to it. The sad thing is, if I don't do it, who will? After I'm gone, who's going to decorate the family graves for Memorial Day? For most people now, my family included, Mem. Day is just a 3 day weekend.

 

[EJ Zander]

John
Do you find that trees like this in cemeteries were planted or are they natural growth? In either case were they just allowed to get out of hand?
I have noticed in my area pines being planted back in the day. Now they are huge and disturbing the stones like in your pics. The pine planting was done in our area in church cemeteries as well as small family farm cemeteries. This includes my family's graves.

 

[Pete Longstreet]

Nice work John. That's admirable. Did the family reach out to you for your assistance? Or was it self-initiated?

 

[Biscoitos]

So, not related to a CW vet but I figured this was a better forum than Chat. This is the family block of an Irish immigrant who was a Mexican War veteran, friend of Kit Carson, fluent speaker of several native languages, trapper on the great plains, very successful Oregon gold miner, founder of the town of Gold Hill, Oregon and builder of the first bridge to cross the Rogue River (in Jackson County, Oregon).

We moved and leveled the obelisk, re-aligned and leveled the curbing all the way around, re-built and leveled the steps, and re-set the two small stones (and their foot stones).

Some of you have expressed interest in what I do in the cemetery so thought I'd post another thread. I hope it's of interest.

View attachment 413797
Great work!
View attachment 413798

 

[John Winn]

John
Do you find that trees like this in cemeteries were planted or are they natural growth? In either case were they just allowed to get out of hand?
I have noticed in my area pines being planted back in the day. Now they are huge and disturbing the stones like in your pics. The pine planting was done in our area in church cemeteries as well as small family farm cemeteries. This includes my family's graves.

The tree is a Pacific Madrone. There are a few planted trees in the cemetery but almost all are naturally occurring. People just didn't take the time to cut them down when they got started in a bad spot. Until 2007 when we formed our Friends group the cemetery was in very bad shape as the city doesn't really have funds to keep it up and there are a lot of graves for people with no surviving family to look after them (it's officially an Oregon Historic Cemetery, a designation made by the legislature).

Nice work John. That's admirable. Did the family reach out to you for your assistance? Or was it self-initiated?

Thanks. The last family member died in 1990 but the guy with the big obelisk was an Oregon pioneer and he died in 1888. We just try to fix any that need attention. However, we only work on the historic markers and structures. Modern graves are the responsibility of the owners of the plot or family. The city doesn't have funds to take care of graves or markers (and it's not their legal responsibility to do so; they don't sell care agreements like commercial cemeteries). We have a robust Friends group that does lots of upkeep (e.g. grounds cleaning) but there's only three of us who do the preservation/restoration work.

 

[bankerpapaw]

Nice work!!!

 

[John Winn]

Nice work!!!

Why thank you.

 

[John Winn]

John
Do you find that trees like this in cemeteries were planted or are they natural growth? In either case were they just allowed to get out of hand?
I have noticed in my area pines being planted back in the day. Now they are huge and disturbing the stones like in your pics. The pine planting was done in our area in church cemeteries as well as small family farm cemeteries. This includes my family's graves.

At the risk of taking up too much band width here's a few photos of another tree fix on a different project (almost done with it; complicated - and sorry, the site loads the first image incorrectly oriented). The solution was to remove one curbing piece and cut the other so as to make two, shorter pieces. We used a gas-powered concrete saw (courtesy of one of my partners, a retired contractor). What you can't see is the root mass that's below ground - that's why the pieces aren't closer to the trunk. Took some serious pick work to get these guys out; they weigh some 250 pounds each and are 16 inches deep.

 

[donna]

Great work. Thanks for sharing with us. It is wonderful what you do for these old graves.

 

[EJ Zander]

At the risk of taking up too much band width here's a few photos of another tree fix on a different project (almost done with it; complicated - and sorry, the site loads the first image incorrectly oriented). The solution was to remove one curbing piece and cut the other so as to make two, shorter pieces. We used a gas-powered concrete saw (courtesy of one of my partners, a retired contractor). What you can't see is the root mass that's below ground - that's why the pieces aren't closer to the trunk. Took some serious pick work to get these guys out; they weigh some 250 pounds each and are 16 inches deep.

View attachment 413890



View attachment 413892

View attachment 413893

John,
You might like this news story about the restoration of Saint James Moravian Cemetery. I have many family members buried there starting from its inception in the 1740s. I appreciate the effort that all the volunteers put into fixing it up and placing the stones back with the right graves. I am sure that family members would appreciate all that you do to look after their loved ones.
www.wgal.com/article/volunteers-restore-270-year-old-lititz-cemetery/5849479#

 

[John Winn]

John,
You might like this news story about the restoration of Saint James Moravian Cemetery. I have many family members buried there starting from its inception in the 1740s. I appreciate the effort that all the volunteers put into fixing it up and placing the stones back with the right graves. I am sure that family members would appreciate all that you do to look after their loved ones.
www.wgal.com/article/volunteers-restore-270-year-old-lititz-cemetery/5849479#

That's great. I love to see people adopting these old cemeteries. Way cool to see how they're replacing the stones to their correct positions. My only unhappy comment is the use of shaving cream; that's not a good thing.