Olathe Memorial Cemetery Tour Guide
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Olathe Memorial Cemetery Walking Tour A Walk Through Olathe’s History Our Past The Olathe Memorial Cemetery was founded in 1865. When The Mission of the Olathe Memorial the founding fathers in 1858 laid out the City of Olathe, no provision had been made for a cemetery. Since church yards were Cemetery is to provide the community the traditional burying ground, someone suggested that burials with compassionate burial services, be made in the Church Square. All burials were made there for several years. “Church Square” was bounded by Willie, Prairie, with dedication to maintaining Walnut and Mulberry streets. This location was never used for church purposes, probably because it was so far from town. accurate and lasting records in a In 1865, Mr. Watts Beckwith announced that with or without beautifully kept setting the support of the city, he was setting aside 10 acres of his land for cemetery purposes. This is the reason why the first burial in the present cemetery is from the Beckwith family. It wasn’t until the railroad right-of-way cut through Church Square that it was necessary to move the graves to the present location. This accounts for the fact that several stones in the cemetery bear dates earlier than 1865. No trace remains today of the Church Square burial site. In 1879, the city bought the Beckwith tract and added acreage in 1889. The Olathe Memorial Cemetery has many interesting historical features and stories. In the original section of the cemetery, you will General Information find tombstones marking the early settlers of Olathe. Not far from Gates are open for day use only. the Beckwith Monument is the shaft marked Alger and Nelson, early settlers who came in 1859 by covered wagon. Nearby is the Office Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8:00 am - 4:00 pm monument of Rev. I.C. Beach, Olathe’s first minister, and his sons A.D. and Edward, two of Olathe’s earliest physicians. Full-size, Cremation, and Infant Lots available. For information on lots, interments, or headstones, The Tour contact the Cemetery Office at: You are about to take a step back over 150 years into Olathe’s history. The citizens you’ll find buried here represent all walks of 738 N. Chestnut life...from doctors, lawyers and politicians to Civil War soldiers, Olathe, KS 66051 gunfighters and desperados, and early pioneers who came looking (913) 971-5226 for opportunity and a better life. [email protected] We hope you enjoy your walk through Olathe history. There is much to see here, history that can be learned here, and many stories that can help bring our past back to life. Olathe Cemetery Walking Tour A Walk Through Olathe’s History 1. Shelter House/Chapel 4. Harvey Livermore The Cemetery Shelter House Mausoleum was originally built under the Harvey Livermore and his direction of Walt Huggins, family are entombed in the Cemetery Superintendent. It Livermore Mausoleum. He was built of native limestone was the General Manager from a nearby quarry in 1937 as a WPA project during the of the Johnson County Great Depression. Fifty years later in 1984, it was restored Cooperative Association. by the Lions Club. He represented the 2nd Ward on the City Council in 1882. (Lot 2-2-252-N2) 5. Westphall W. Frye 2. Memory Lane Westphall W. Frye was a The DAR landscaped bed and Memory Lane were dedicated on Johnson County banker since May 30, 1934 by the Daughters of 1905. He was associated with the American Revolution. Forty- the Grange movement for 27 eight maple trees to represent each years and managed Grange of the 48 states, a granite boulder, stores in Gardner, Stanley and Olathe. From 1912-1926, and lilac bushes were placed on the site originally. It was he was in partnership with brother W.L. Frye in the Frye re-dedicated in 2000 with a bench, new landscaping, and the Brothers Furniture and Undertaking business. It would later illuminated flagpole. (Lot 2-2) become W.L. Frye & Sons Funeral Home. (Lot 2-2-179-S1) 6. Mabel Claire Schmidt Mabel was born in 1888 and moved to Olathe in 1941. She 3. The Columbarium Wall was known the world over for the The Columbarium Wall honors raising of fine turkeys. From 1920 to 1939 she was an exhibitor the cremated remains of departed and prize winner at the Kansas City American Royal. She loved ones. It was erected in exhibited Big Ben, a Tom turkey, in 1929 at Madison Square June of 2004. (Lot 2-9-1) Garden in New York and was awarded the prize of the World Champion Turkey. She even won internationally in Rome, Italy at the World’s Poultry Congress. (Lot 2-2-126-S2) 7. Paul Hubbard 9. Don W. Paul Hubbard was an Roberds instructor for 43 years Ensign Don W. at the Kansas School for Roberds was the Deaf and was their the first Olathe first Athletic Director. resident to die in He organized the first football team at the school after WWII in 1942. He he graduated from Gallaudet College (a school for the was 21 years old. deaf) in 1899. He received his earlier education from the (Lot 2-2-132-S3) Colorado School of the Deaf. He was an outstanding athlete at Gallaudet, playing quarterback and devising the huddle 10. James Dudley Dent system for calling plays. He’s generally credited with being James Dudley Dent is the first to use it. The Kansas School for the Deaf named remembered as one of the their football field in his honor. (Lot 2-2-75-S1). few good men who ever lived in Johnson County to whom the title “the perfect gentleman” has been applied so aptly and so often. He was 8. Sarah Cole a pioneer Olathe merchant Sarah Cole was born shipboard and former County Treasurer. J.D., as on the Atlantic Ocean in 1855 he was best known, came to Olathe in while her parents were enroute 1883 and was a clothing merchant in one capacity or another from Ireland to America. She for 50 years. He served as City Councilman for several years, grew up in West Virginia, and was an active Mason all his life. (Lot 2-2-194-S2) eventually becoming a teacher. She followed her sister to Kansas where she met Dr. Anna 11. Charles Norris Goff, a pioneer woman doctor who encouraged Charles Norris was a former Sarah to also become a doctor. She graduated Olathe newspaper editor, car from Homeopathic School of Medicine in Lincoln County, agent, and world traveler. In the first school to admit women to their curriculum. Dr. Cole 1898 he established the Olathe practiced medicine for nearly 40 years in Lincoln County, News-Herald, which later merged with the Olathe Mirror becoming a leading physician. (Lot 2-2-175-S1) Publishing Company. In 1910 he established the Ford agency in Olathe. He made early automotive history during a road run in a Model T, covering a circuit in Kansas and Missouri and lasting 4 days. (Lot 2-2-138-S2) 12. The Baby’s Circle 15. Fred McIntyre The Baby’s Circle was Fred McIntyre was born in 1848 established in the 1950’s in Wisconsin, and served in the to honor the most precious Civil War with his two brothers, inhabitants of the cemetery. George and Myron. He was known (Lot 2-2-1) as the youngest Olathe soldier in the Civil War, joining shortly after being involved with penning up Quantrill’s men as they were raiding Olathe in 1862. After joining he was one of the soldiers who pursued General 13. Marshall Ensor Sterling Price in his retreat after the battle of Westport. As Marshall Ensor, with the a young man traveling with his family, he met Wild Bill help of his sister Loretta, was Hickok, who took a fancy to Fred. He let Fred ride his plow awarded the William S. Paley beam as he worked on a farm in Monticello. They were to Award in 1940 for teaching meet later in life when Fred was a soldier fighting Indians radio and Morse Code from and Wild Bill rode into his camp. He recognized Fred as the his Olathe farm station from boy who once rode his plow beam. Fred and his younger 1920 to 1941. About 10,000 brother Will were life-long companions, partnering in the licensed radio operators restaurant business. (Lot 2-3-1-57) were gained as a result. Marshall and 16. James B. and John J. Judy Loretta ran the 120 acre dairy farm which James B. and John J. Judy were brothers is now operated as an Olathe Museum. Marshall, a skilled who enlisted in the 12th Kansas Regiment furniture maker, taught manual arts for 47 years at Olathe during the Civil War. The brothers High School. (Lot 2-2-154-E3, 2-2-155-W1) were killed during Quantrill’s Raid in September, 1862. They were kidnapped, robbed, and shot to death near their home in Olathe in retaliation for the involvement 14. Civil War Circle of their father, Reason S. Judy, in the battle of Lone Jack, Located in the Civil War Circle are Missouri. (Lot 2-3-1) soldiers who fought in the War Between 17. Mary Crane the States. The statue, a gift to Olathe Mary Crane was one of the first from the Grand Army of the Republic, teachers in the Johnson County was dedicated in 1893. It is one of the Public Schools. She began her first memorials erected to Civil War teaching career near Lenexa veterans in Kansas.