The Caretakers of this cemetery work very hard to maintain it as a very nice memorial ground. They have kindly given me permission to place a cache in this 'people garden'. Ground Zero is the location of the cache, which is not attached or near any of the graves. You will need additional information to be able to open the lock. Flip open the top of the dry box (this is not locked) to reveal the last three digits of the following coordinates:
N 43 56.XXX (on the left)
W 092.02.XXX (on the right)
Use that information to go to the secondary location. Facing towards the North, look for the FIRST WORD on the THIRD LINE. This is your code to open the box.
This is a very roomy cache, with easy access from I90. I will be launching five Creatures of the Night Travel Bugs, and there are many Creatures to be found in the box to trade. Make sure to place back the box as it was found, scrambling the lock code for the next Geocacher, and PLEASE, close the gate when you leave. We are allowed at this location by the kind permission of the Caretakers . . . I would like to stay in their good graces. This cache is not accessible after dark.
A HISTORY OF THE SINCLAIR CEMETERY
ST. CHARLES, MINNESOTA
As written by Chester Groger
In the summer of 1854, Joseph Sinclair, his wife Ann, and their son Alexander and his family came to Minnesota. Alexander’s family consisted of his wife Betsy, their 7 year old daughter Clarissa (later to become Mrs. William H. Groger) and their 2 year old daughter Ann. They came from Holderness, New Hampshire, by way of rail to Peoria, Illinois, stage coach to Dixon, Illinois, and river boat to Winona. They arrive there on the 19th of August and, within a few hours after landing, Ann Sinclair, wife and mother, died of cholera. She was buried in a cemetery near the levee and two days later Joseph and the remaining family proceeded by horse and wagon to St. Charles Township. There they homesteaded a claim on Government land southeast of St. Charles on what was known as the Ridge Road. Joseph Sinclair died at the age of 67 in 1859 and was buried across the road from their log cabin in the southeast corner of the farm. Young Ann Sinclair, then 11 years old, died in 1863 and was buried near her grandfather. Two neighbors were also buried nearby, William K. Russell in 1863 and William Boyd in 1864.
By 1874 the need for a cemetery and an association became apparent to the neighborhood and on April 7, 1874, a group of neighbors met at the home of Leander West to form such an association. Alexander Sinclair offered to deed one-half acre in the southeast corner of his farm for the cemetery. It already was the resting place of his father and daughter and two neighbors. Thus, on April 13, 1874, a deed from Alexander Sinclair to the Ridge Cemetery Association was filed at the Court House in Winona, along with a plat of the cemetery. The neighbors present at this organizational meeting were Alexander Sinclair, Leander West, William H. Groger, John L. Downing, Dewitt Smith, Judson West, A. B. Dyar and Oscar Kately. John L. Downing was appointed chairman and G. L. Downing was appointed secretary. Trustees were elected by ballot and Dewitt Smith was elected for a term of one year, William H. Groger for a term of two years and A. B. Dyer for a term of three years. Subsequent records of association meetings show I. D. Boyd as continuing secretary and new members Ghorham Palmer, S. C. West, Hugh Groger, Louis Palmer, Charles Kately, Guy Thomas, B. F. Downing, F. E. Downing and Lloyd Downing.
Sixteen family plots were sold to neighbors in 1874 and 7 more plots were sold to new neighbors between then and 1903. Alexander Sinclair, in his deed for the land, reserved a large family plot and set aside a section for those who could not buy a lot or were so-called transients. Each family plot contained 6 lots and the plot was sold for $5.00 with all families participating in the care of the cemetery. No assessments for cemetery care were made until 1915, when a charge of $2.00 for each occupied plot was assessed. Similar assessments of $1.00 and $2.00 per year were made until 1925, when fewer families remained and the association asked for donations from each family to cover maintenance costs. During the 1930’s, when Lloyd Downing grew strawberries commercially, a strawberry and ice cream social was held at the Hugh Groger farm for several summers to raise money for the cemetery. Records show that an old fence was removed and a new one built in 1880. In 1889 that fence was replaced with a Gliden painted fence. Again, in 1908, a new fence was built and, in 1916, it was voted to plant some maple trees along the fence line. No further mention of trees appears in the records and it might be assumed that the pine trees were planted at that time.
There has not been an association meeting since 1936, when Hugh Groger served as the last president. He continued to handle contributions and the maintenance of the cemetery each year until his death in 1952. His wife, Maude Groger, continued in his stead until her death in 1969. Leland and Maxine Splittstoesser helped to oversee the annual maintenance for a few years and, since then, the author has tried to see that the cemetery is cared for. In 1975 Chester and Emma Groger started to build a care fund at the St. Charles Bank with the help of the annual contributions from families with the occupied plots in the cemetery. By 1979 the fund had grown to the point where each family was asked to contribute a one-time amount to the fund which, at interest, would help provide funds for yearly maintenance. Only a few of the original families remain but, with funds available, someone from those families will hopefully see that the cemetery is maintained for many years to come. In addition, lots are available to present neighbors for $100.00 for two lots and there could be some new participation.
At this writing, it is nearing 125 years since Joseph Sinclair was buried on his farm. Since then, there have been 79 burials and 22 families have purchased and used family plots. The cemetery has served the neighborhood well in the past and can continue to do so with the participation of the remaining families and of the new families in the neighborhood. The history of the Ridge community and of the families who have been part of the Sinclair Cemetery will always remain with us.
March 1, 1982 Chester Hugh Groger