Pleasant Hill Traditional Cache
spokehead7: Had to archive this one. May put it up again later this fall.
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(small)
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Another quiet cemetery on the spirit quest trail.
This small cemetery located in Geauga county has many graves from the 1800s. It also has several veterans from wars including the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and a WWII vet killed in action on a B-17 bombing run.
Close to the cache site is an unusual wrought-iron fence/tombstone memorializing the deaths of five Wilson family members from spotted fever: the mom (Melissa) and four of her 11 children. All five died during a 1-month period dating from August 21 to September 22, 1844. The children ranged in age from 11 to 21.
Caroline Wilson, the oldest child of Melissa Sherwood Wilson and Oliver Wilson, was the first victim. She died just 4 days short of her 21st birthday. Her mother, Melissa, died 9 days later at age 38. Reuben, age 11, died about 2 weeks later followed within days by his brothers Kiler, 13 years old, and Nathanial, 16 years old.
What had to be a devastated husband/father moved back to Niagara County, NY, with his remaining seven children, one of whom was under 9 months old.
Spotted fever is a bacterial disease caused by tick-borne rickettsiae. It is typically characterized by skin eruptions, fever, and cerebral meningitis. Thankfully, antibiotics have substantially reduced mortality associated with this disease.
Please be respectful when searching for this cache, and only search during daylight hours. You don't have to disturb any graves or cross any fences to find it.
It's a beautiful bike ride from the Cleveland area, for those so inclined. I've seen this so many times on bike rides that I decided to give it a cache.
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