Indiana Spirit Quest #23: Drink More Milk Traditional Geocache

The Indiana Spirit Quest series of geocaches will take you to a number of small, rural, historic cemeteries built by Hoosier Pioneers in central Indiana. You can map out a route and get a bunch of ‘em in one trip!

The trail of this quest will take you to an old cemetery in Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana. Check out the Cow Marker on the way in to the Independent Order of Oddfellows Cemetery, but you must go down the hill and find an even older graveyard: Old Lagro Township Cemetery. Located on a high bluff, surrounded on three sides by Lagro Creek, it contains only very old tombstones, many broken or worn, dating to the 1840’s and 1850’s in varying states of dis-repair. But , smack dab in the middle is a partially restored plot, that of the Enyart Family, with cleaned, repaired stones, and well tended graves. To learn about their restoration project, and see some fascinating before-and-after photos of the restored tombstones, click on this link:

Tombstone Restoration

Enyeart family began in the 16th century when two brothers, younger sons of the Prince of Holland, emigrated to America. The elder went to Pennsylvania and settled, the younger to New Jersey. 1816 a descendant of the elder came to Ohio and settled in Butler County. A few years later, three of his children and their families moved to Indiana and settled in Lagro, near the canal. Enyearts are lineal descendants of the Black Prince, famous in English history, and of Louis XIV of France.

With two such ancestors the Enyearts have reason to keep family records. William Enyeart, a descendant, married jane Norris and was father to 21 children. He was commissioned an Ensign in the 4th Co., 3d Battallion, Bedford County on Dec. 10, 1777, and was made 2d Lieutenant on May 23, 1778.

Since the Enyeart emigration, a member of the family has fought in every one of America's wars: Levi Enyeart in the Civil War (1862-1864), Marcus and Russell Enyeart in World War II, Lemoine in Korea, Herman in Vietnam (1962-64) and Larry in Vietnam (1966-68).

Among first settlers working their way westward were the Enyearts settling around Lagro, 1834-35. Brothers Joseph, Levi, and Benjamin, sons of William and Jane (Norris) Enyeart, Ohio, brought their families. Joseph built the first sawmill east of Lagro with his brothers, who were cabinet-makers, and they farmed 360 acres. Their father died in 1828, Huntingdon, Pa. The mother and rest of the 20 brothers and sisters came in later years and married. Jane Enyeart (Aug. 19, 1772 - Sept. 20, 1848) is buried in the old Lagro Cemetery.

Jospeh Enyeart (1792, Penn. - Sept. 19, 1852, Lagro) married Margaret Wichard (Feb. 4, 1816, Hamilton, O.). they had 12 children: Sarah died young, Eleanor married Nathan Miller, John married Amanda Hall, William J. married Nancy Ann Banning, Silas married Sarah Kisner, Jacob married Sarah Lang, Levi married Rosanna Bunker, Jane married Hirom Clark, James married Matilda Hensley, Abraham married Rachael Bunker, and Hannah married Richard Ring, all of Wabash. (Note: Abraham and Levi married sisters, daughters of Isaac and Emilla (Snyder).

Oct. 16, 1850, Levi Enyeart (b. 1828, Ohio) married Rosanna Bunker (Oct. 7, 1832 - Feb. 18, 1923) in Monument City, Ind. She was born in Morrow, O. They had six children: Leander, Harvey, Melissa, Marion who married Amanda E. First, Flora who married William Robert Benson. Levi lived around Lagro and Dora with his family before being drafted into the Civil War in 1862 (75th, Co. A of Wabash County) and killed in Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 11, 1864.

Leander Fair Enyeart, Levi's son, (Feb. 1, 1855 - Feb. 2, 1938) married Hannah Lowry (Jan. 19, 1860 - Sept. 21, 1879, Huntington). They had four sons: Dennis, Levi, Marquis (Mark), and Harvey who died young. Leander later married Mary First and had Austin who is the father of Mary Wagoner and Lloyd Enyeart of Huntington. Mary married Homer Wagoner, Jr. and had Michael, Roger, and Tommy, all of Wabash. Leander lived on his own farm land around New Holland. His son Dennis married Grace Hall. He was a retired Honeywell security guard at the time of his death in 1949. They had six children: Harvey, Henry, Harry Emma Louise, and Dorothy (all deceased) and Russell who lives in Danville, Ill. Dorothy married Russell Leonard and had four children: Jane Ann who married Carl Hill, Larry who married Vickie Boardman, Robert who married Henrietta Sizemore, and Linda Lou who married Walter Case.

Marquis (Mark) Enyeart (b. Feb. 23, 1887, Huntington) married Ethel Keesling (July 6, 1907 - Nov. 14, 1961, Wabash). They lived on a farm near Treaty, owning land east of Treaty to Twin Bridges. He was on the board for Liberty Twp. and an assessor for several years. He was also a member and deacon of Treaty Christian Church. Mark later married Iva May (Davis) Harrell and lived in LaFontaine. Their children are Herbert, Eva May (deceased), Elizabeth who married Harold Ulrey, James Howard, Alice who married Ray Baldwin, Norman, and Marcus.

In addition, there are numerous Civil War vets resting here.

From Genius Loci's Log:

September 5, 2004 by Genius Loci (2957 found)
Hutt, Mattster and I were certainly very impressed with the caches we found in and around the town of Lagro. We never expected their like in such a small, out-of-the-way corner as this, but maybe that's because Lagro wasn't always such an out-of-the-way place. In canal days, it must have been one of the prominent towns of the area; yet how short-lived was that boom!
Although it's been 170 years since Lagro has been so up-and-coming, at least today it can boast some of the best caches in this part of the country! Not the least of those is ISQ #23 - a fascinating location that mixes the more modern monuments of but a few years past with a rich history featuring historical stones from Indiana's earliest pioneer days. We didn't neglect visiting both areas and paying our respects at each. Thanks, SixDogTeam!
- Genius Loci ('the Guardian Spirit of a Place')

The cache container is a larger plastic spice bottle, and should be easy to find. The clue is a spoiler. Do not climb down into the Ravine. If you find a fallen U.S. flag, please stick it back in the ground, preferably next to a Vet’s Marker. As always, please be respectful, and cache in, trash out.

walk your puppy Available year-round Less than 600 ft. from car to cache No Historic Outhouses available Check Lagro Creek Tide Before Caching

Happy Caching from EARTH DOG!!

GEHEN JETZT JAGD FUR UND FINDEN DEN SCHATZ. VIEL GLUECK!!

NOTICE, 7-29-05: NIGHT CACHING IS NOT ALLOWED ON ISQ's. LOGS INDICATING CACHING AFTER DARK WILL BE DELETED.