MOUNT HOPE CEMETERY

This name may or may not have significance when we know that it is the name applied to the cemetery which is a part of the institution known as "The County Home." This is the county home, that provided for the care of it's indigent poor.

The first County farm was in Franklin Township. Jonathan Seegar was one of the committee appointed to select and buy a farm so that Grant County would not be remiss in its duty to its helpless poor. This farm was purchased and a two story brick building was erected in 1855. This house stands on the north side of an east and west road. The cemetery lay to the east of the house facing what is now an extension of Western Avenue of the City of Marion. Since no stones or markers are placed at pauper graves, this God's Acre was forgotten for (by) the County when the farm had been removed to Mill Township. While constructing the new by-pass in 1940 workmen uncovered human bones which were supposed to be those of former Grant County citizens.

Mount Hope, of today, is on county land lying west of the new infirmary which is directly north of Gas City. The indigent poor find their final rest in this place which is kept in very good condition by the manager of the institution.

This was written by the DAR in the 1940's.

The Grant County "Poor Farm" or "Potters Field" was first established on the west side of Marion, about what is now known as 16th Street and the 9 & 37 Bypass in 1855. Or what in 1995 is currently the K-Mart location.

The second Home for the Poor in Grant County was constructed in 1889 on a farm north of Gas City in the N.W. 1/4 of Section # 27, near the location of the Griffin Mill on Walnut Creek. To my knowledge no list was ever kept of the indigent poor of this county that may have passed on while living at the 1st "Poor Farm". But recently I have discovered a list of persons who died during the period of 1904 and 1954 at the second location of the "Poor Farm" or Grant County Infirmary or Old Folks Home which are just a few of the names this home for the indigent of the county lived. The cemetery was plowed up and corn was planted on top of the graves. But renewed interest in the past of our county caused a public outcry about the condition of the cemetery known as Mount Hope. So the area was fenced in and grass was seeded. There is a sign at this location that only states the name of Mount Hope. No stones or markers are there.

A modern building was erected in 1973, and the old home on Garthwaite Road was torn down. Burials do not take place at the home now. I believe they are mostly taken care of at the I.O.O.F. in Marion, which is presently called by the name of "Estates of Serenity". The following list was donated to the Indiana History & Genealogy Dept. of the Marion Public Library, Marion, Indiana in 1994 by Mildred I. Taylor. How this list was obtained is unknown. The list contains 107 names of people that are buried at the Grant Co. Home (this would be from the second Grant County Home) on Garthwaite Road.



Grant County Home/Infirmary 
Deaths and Burials  
1904 - 1954


	Bailey,
		Sarah				1850 - 11/19/1925
	Baldinger,
		Charles				1864 - 7/30/1937
	Ballard,
		Mary				1862 - 1/4/1929
	Bear,	
		Anthony				1823 - 6/24/1906
	Belton,
		Tommy				1839 - 4/10/1925
	Bernard,
		Joseph				1821 - 10/3/1906
	Biddix,
		Mary J.				1836 - 5/13/1918
	Bonard,
		Joseph O.			____- 10/3/1906
	Bowman,
		Dessie				1858 - 3/22/1922
	Brady,
		Thomas				1883 - 2/9/1940
	Brown,
		William				12/2/1870 - 5/23/1941
	Brandin,
		William Harvey			1860 - 6/24/1944
	Burden,
		John				8/14/1860 - 10/15/1938
	Cain,
		Sam				1854 - 2/29/1936
	Carey,
		Samuel				1842 - 4/25/1925
	Carson,
		Lizzie				1868 - 6/25/1914
	Clanin,
		Lena				4/3/1894 - 8/15/1954
	Clawson,
		Dave				1871 - 4/27/1925
	Conyor,
		Infant girl			6/29/1908 - 6/29/1908
	Copp,
		Peter				1860 - 3/12/1936
	Courtney,
		John				1849 - 11/6/1904
	Cox,
		George W.			6/20/1854 - 11/19/1939
	Creamish,
		William				1873 - 3/5/1923
	Culley,
		Julius				1858 - 5/2/1928
	Collins,
		James				1860 - 8/6/1910
	Davis,
		Richard				1827 - 3/26/1907
	Devah,
		Neal				1850 - 7/2/1918
	Dicken,
		Joseph				1891 - 12/20/1924
	Divelbuss,
		Luther				1853 - 3/18/1916
	Drake,
		Annette				1835 - 10/5/1905
	Eaton,
		Claude J.			8/17/1861 - 8/23/1937
	Elsthrod,
		Nichols				10/3/1854 - 8/10/1908
	France,
		Mary				1836 - 9/23/1906
	Frazee,
		C.C.				11/18/1850 - 3/10/1932
	Frazee,
		Mary				5/6/1861 - 11/30/1930
	Galloway,
		Gilbert				8/25/1856 - 5/13/1941
	Gause,
		Clayton				1865 - 3/19/1936
	Gifford,
		Charles				____ - 7/18/1906
	Gray,
		Marion B.			2/22/1874 - 4/20/1942
	Gwyn,
		J.W.				____ - 6/11/1905
	Hamilton,
		Charles				1850 - 12/25/1924
	Harding,
		James				10/12/1889 - 11/13/1944
	Harley,
		Abe				____ - 6/24/1943
	Ishmel,
		Nancy E.			3/1/1871 - 7/2/1943
	Jeffery,
		George				1880 - 3/8/1940
	Jones,
		Joseph				1864 - 12/3/1941
	Jones,
		W.M.				____ - 10/15/1906
	Judwin,
		Isaac				1808 - 4/28/1906
	King,
		Cora				____ - 7/5/1907
	Kirkwood,
		Chester J.			1/12/1895 - 7/28/1947
	Leader,
		Frank				1862 - 8/30/1922
	Lightfoot,
		Mary Ann			1862 - 6/18/1927
	Lowe,
		Steven				1848 - 6/4/1915
	Lyons,
		Andrew				1867 - 7/27/1937
	Marshall,
		Jane				____ - 1/24/1909
	Marine,
		William				1863 - 5/16/1922
	McGinnis,
		Wash				____ - 9/23/1911
	McGrath,
		Mary				1847 - 2/25/1907
	McKnight,
		John				1825 - 3/17/1905
	McLaughlin,
		Joe				1831 - 11/16/1917
	Meyer,
		Rosie				1868 - 3/19/1939
	Mill,
		Charles O.			9/11/1871 - 5/18/1943
	Minton,
		Henry W.			7/7/1877 - 11/14/1943
	Monroe,
		Dora				1850 - 12/28/1907
	Moore,
		Leauder				1849 - 9/6/1927
	Morrison,
		Amy				1862 - 3/7/1938
	Morrison,
		John				1864 - 12/14/1931
	Morrow,
		Steven				2/5/1865 - 4/25/1940
	Mullin,
		Maggie				____ - 3/1/1934
	Niverson,
		Infant girl			2/8/1906 - 2/8/1906
	Niverson,
		Mrs. ( ? )			1886 - 2/8/1906
	Ollinger,
		Bert				1/30/1877 - 3/20/1938
	O'Neill,
		Thomas				11/28/1862 - 12/8/1938
	Parago,
		Sarah				1846 - 9/16/1927
	Peatt,
		Jennie				1837 - 10/7/1914
	Powers,
		Maggie				1830 - 3/17/1906
	Prim,
		William				1856 - 1/17/1929
	Richardson,
		Catherne			1851 - 2/15/1909
	Ricks,
		John				1863 - 7/3/1936
	Roberson,
		Charles				____ - 4/3/1926
	Roberts,
		Charles				1846 - 4/4/1926
	Roberts,
		William				1874 - 1/29/1929
	Rowe,
		William				1/25/1853 - 12/4/1940
	Ruddick,
		Mace				____ - 7/20/1905
	Rusher,
		David				1862 - 6/28/1930
	Scott,
		Fred				4/11/1880 - 5/15/1942
	Selfridge,
		Clarence			1865 - 11/24/1936
	Slater,
		R.H.				1851 - 6/13/1929
	Smith,
		Milo				1849 - 6/18/1915
	Smith,
		Perry				1863 - 3/24/1939
	Smith,
		Rebecca				1843 - 1/27/1907
	Snodgrass,
		Charles W.			1856 - 4/3/1941
	Snyder,
		Emma				1873 - 9/21/1908
	Spray,
		Daniel				1875 - 2/24/1938
	Stephenson,
		Charles				1861 - 2/7/1945
	Stokes,
		Dan				____ - 12/24/1908
	Sutton,
		Mike				5/7/1861 - 9/8/1940
	Thornburg,
		Edward				1848 - 12/28/1918
	Todd,
		James Lewis			5/17/1857 - 8/3/1939
	Walker,
		William				____ - 4/13/1919
	Watkins,
		Robert				1874 - 5/8/1922
	Watkins,
		William				1884 - 7/15/1935
	Weaver,
		John				1843 - 11/28/1937
	Wells,
		Frank				1871 - 2/7/1922
	White,
		Ambrose				1851 - 1/24/1910
	Williams,
		Belle				3/22/1855 - 5/28/1950
	Workinstline,
		Edith				1873 - 2/4/1909

...Original page by Sheila D. Watson

Return to Cemetery Listings Page

Return to the Grant County Home Page