A Thanksgiving Eve Tragedy 1901

File this under the interesting places geocaching takes you to....

A few days ago I mentioned TaGeez, ShelleyJean and I explored Oakwood Cemetery in Adrian, MI looking to solve Necropolis Ruins. On this dreary, overcast snowy/sleety day, one monument caught my attention.

Lovely, isn't she? What tale did she have to tell?

On the back, there was a plaque with four black and white photos.

Beneath is read:

On Thanksgiving Eve, November 27, 1901 6:45 pm Trains No. 4 and No. 13 collided head on between Seneca and Sand Creek. Train 4 was east bound to Detroit carrying residents going home for Thanksgiving Holiday. Train 13 was west bound through Montpelier Ohio to St. Louis Missouri carrying a large group of Italian Immigrants on contract to work for mining companies in Colorado and California. On impact, cars on Train 4 exploded but were saved from fire by the quick thinking of the Train’s engineer Aaron T. Strong. Train 13’s cars were shattered on impact and instantly caught fire when an overhead kerosene lamp fell to the floor of one of the cars blocking the escape of those trapped inside. One-hundred plus Italian immigrants lost their lives and their remains were placed in five coffins and buried in unmarked graves here in Oakwood Cemetery. This tragedy remains one of the worst railroad disasters in Michigan History.

Railroad spike embedded at the base of the memorial

So sad. But geocaching brought us here and gave us the opportunity to read this. 115 years later I sit here thinking about those lost souls.

I am thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

MGA15 Picnic - Lake Erie Metropark

Just wanted to share some pictures of the latest MGA15 (Metropark/Michigian Geocaching Adventure) picnic in September. It was an absolutely stunning day in my favorite Huron Metropark. TaGeez and I spent the day with WikidKriket and friends.

Lake Erie Metropark - our view upon arrival

Kriket ran into Maizie

scrapcat always taking pictures
[Source: WikidIriket]

Freighter on the horizon

Portah, Alona Spiegel, Team Gate, TaGeez, and WikidKriket

I won a first-to-find: Saturn GC62H6P

TaGeez and Team Gates

[Source: Team Gates]

Bet you can't guess what we're looking for!

  

Heading off to another part of the park
Alona Spiegel and Team Gates are good sports

MGA15 Picnic Attendees

Kriket and TaGeez waiting for the potluck

Team FRL won a paracord dog leash
Kriket trying it out on TaGeez
Nothing keeps him out of trouble, though.

After a lovely morning of geocaching and potlucking, we headed out to several of the nearby Huron Metroparks for additional MGA caching.

Oakwoods

WIllow

Ninjas at Lower Huron

TaGeez for the find

Team FRL in our matching shirts
Now onto Mexican food in Royal Oak!

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Funny postscript to our day:

At the end of the potluck, we tiredly left the park leaving our chairs behind. The Seed Spreaders sent us a ransom note! All in good fun, and they were kind enough to drive up to Southfield and drop them off. Geocachers are the best people!

Metroparking on Memorial Day

We've had a bit of a family crisis to deal with.... all is well in the end.  But as a result, I never posted my pictures from our recent MGA 2014 adventure.  Members of Team Free Range Lobsters (Myself, SnakeyLicks, WikidKriket, Fiona-the-wonder-geo-pup and 3inaTree) explored Lower Huron, Willow and Oakwood Metroparks.

First stop: Lower Huron Metropark

Unsuspecting fools.... 

... because the skeeters were waiting!  Rained for several days
before and the cache was in a natural marshland. Ugh.

Willow Metropark:

Fiona for the find!
Actually, Jeremy was signing as she was looking.

A lot less marshland = happier cachers!

In the middle of Willow Metropark is
Huron Township Cemetery.
Fitting to visit on Memorial Day

Lovely old cemetery - stones dating back to the Civil War

Oakwoods Metropark:

Time for our hot dog lunch!
Fiona is rewarded for being a good pup-pup

Visiting Hawkeye at the Nature Center

Pilgrimage to Squirrel Nutkins GC363
Michigan's 6th oldest active cache

Cemetery Hopping.

That area of Southeastern Michigan is brimming with historic, well-maintained cemeteries.  So, on the way down and back, I stopped off at a few.

SQ - Happy Hunting Grounds GCRFTC

Near SQ-Mother's Day Cache GC2VQR1

Circa 1810 GC1PH79

This last stop was quite fascinating.  It was my last stop of the day.  It's a cemetery (established 1842) that currently resides in the middle of several fenced in parking lots/storage yards and bordered by the highway.  The only way to it is to lightly-trespass by parking in a junk lot full of abandoned cars and walk down this blocked off paved road to the cemetery on the hill.  Weird!  Cool!

Down the Lane #21 - Clark Cemetery GC2RWY2

Blue check is the parking

Although I missed my partner-in-cache (TaGeez was home sick), it was a beautiful (if stifling hot) day.  Totals for the day included:

• 3 MGA14 caches
• 7 cemetery caches
• 1 historic cache with a deceased raccoon hanging nearby

Looking forward to our next excursion!