J. D. ROWE

Editor's Note: The following concerns one of the first Christmases in the Lake Keystone area. Information was obtained by Margaret Edgar from the late J.D. Rowe, of Cleveland, son of pioneer settlers in the Terlton area. Mr. Rowe grew up in the Terlton area and much of the information was derived from a diary he kept for many years. The articles were saved by Norma Ross, Keystone Crossroads Historical Secretary.

Five lonely graves can be found in the corner of a field about 40 rods south of the northwest corner of Section 14, Township 20, Range 8.

"I have told before about Jim Kennedy, son-in-law of Hodge Benson, coming to the Triangle Country in the fall of 1894 and wintering with Hodge and John Benson. I think it was about December 18 that Kennedy's small boy, about 62 years old (this age HAS to be an error, given the rest of the story), took sick with diptheria and died," J.D. Rowe, Cleveland, well versed in Triangle Country history, recalls.

"My father and the four Hackleman boys - Frank, Charlie, Elige and Dell, along with Ora and Everett Thurman, went to dig the grave.

"John Benson said he would set aside an acre of ground for a graveyard and showed them where to dig the little boy's grave. The weather was dry and cold, with a cold north wind blowing so the diggers hauled up a load of wood for a fire to set around. They took turns digging. Only one could work at a time. After they got down about three feet they hit a dry, hard, yellow clay.

"While they were talking, an old man about 70 years old named Meeks came up to help. He had settled on a claim two miles northwest. The first thing he said, upon seeing those dark hair lines in the clay, was: 'Lay a few small pieces on the fire, because I think those lines are caused by gas seeping through crevices. No telling how far away!'

"My dad laid a few pieces on the fire and to everyone's surprise those lines burned, throwing off a tiny blue blaze.

"Mr. Meeks then told about how he had crossed the Plains to California during the Gold Excitement in 1849. He said he crossed the plains with four oxen and a wagon, going with a big wagon train. Not being lucky in finding gold, he had drifted back.

"He said 'The day is coming, no telling how long it will be, but some day oil and gas will be discovered in this country.'

"The men were all day digging that little grave because of the hardness of the ground. They had the funeral at the Benson house next day at 10 o'clock. All the people in the neighborhood attended and walked to the grave nearly 3/4 mile away. My father was one of the pall bearers and I remember him speaking about how tired their arms got carrying the casket so far, with changing hands.

"A cousin of John Benson had taken the northeast quarter of that section and a sister, Mrs. Mendall, and husband with small girls were wintering at Dick Benson's; also Dick's father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Benson. Luke and Hodge's mother, past 90 years old, was at Hodge's place. She took sick with pneumonia and died less than a week after the little Kennedy boy.

"And again Father and the Hackleman and Thurman boys dug her grave. And of course it took longer. The time for her funeral had been set at 11 o'clock and the grave diggers were hurrying to get the grave ready. They always dug graves almost six feet deep in those days.

"They had just climbed out of the grave when Dick Benson came and said his little 7-year-old niece, June Mendall, had just died with diphtheria.

"The people had already gathered at Hodge's house and the preacher, Mr. Taylor, had come to preach the funeral. Dick suggested they postpone the old lady's funeral till next morning, then have a double funeral, which they did.

"The Kennedy boy's grave is the one farthest south, then June Mendall's, then Grandma Benson's the farthest north.

"Later in February, someone traveling through camped at Benson's and the woman gave birth to a baby. It was buried about four feet east of those three graves. A short time later another traveling man lost a baby and it is buried there," Rowe continued.

"In the Spring John Benson sold his relinquishment to Dr. George A. Waters, who was in partnership in Cleveland with a Dr. Baker who had come to the openeing and filed on 80 acres at that time north and west of the town of Cleveland. Dr. Waters had quite a herd of cattle he had taken in exchange for doctor bills.

"After my baby sister was born, Dr. Waters came and wanted Father to build a fence around the north 80 of the NW quarter which was the former John Benson claim. Father and my half-brother, Frank Hall, drove the posts 162 feet apart and put on the wire around that 80 for Baker's doctor bill which was $6. Father asked Waters if he should fence around that acre where John Benson had said would be a graveyard.

"Waters said, 'No, I don't want any damned spread eagle of a graveyard staring me in the face! There won't be any more graves there and if Benson's don't want the cattle tramping over the graves, they can build their own fence.'

"Sand stone markers are used on three graves but there was nothing to show where the two babies' graves are. That is why I call them the five lonely graves -- and I will add that many years later a well was drilled about half a mile north of those graves and there was gas enough that it was a flowing well for several months, which proved old Meeks right when he predicted oil and gas would be found there sometime in the future."