***UPDATED 9-17-05***
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located near downtown Dayton and the University of Dayton. Andy Bertch has graciously given permission for this cache. Please be respectful of the grounds and mourners, it is sacred land. Woodland is open year round from 8am to 7pm. The office is open Monday – Friday 8-5, Sat 8-Noon, Sunday & holidays closed. The mausoleum is open from 10 to 4. Please read the grounds rules as you enter the gates. All but one clue marker can be reached with out crossing a road. All most all markers can be easily seen from the coordinates given. If it isn’t visible, it is very near the spot you are standing.
Woodland is over 200 acres and contains the highest point in the city. John Van Cleve was the first male born in Dayton and was also the founder of The Woodland Cemetery Association. The Association was formed in 1842 and the cemetery opened in June 1843. It was a rural cemetery and the 3rd of any importance opened in the US. There are many Daytonians of international, national, and local importance buried here including: Erma Bombeck, Col. Edward Deeds and family, John Alexander Collins, Orville and Wilbur Wright and family, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, John Van Cleve and family, Daniel Cooper (consider by many as the founder of Dayton), Charles Kettering, John Patterson and family. As you can see, some the greatest minds of their time were buried in Woodland. I know this looks daunting at first but consider it a nice walk/drive and an abbreviated lesson in Dayton history. This tour should be a nice introduction to the cemetery and some of the people who have changed our world or who made our city great.
The cache will take you to the following points of interest:
Karl Bitter- Karl Bitter was born in Austria and moved to the US in 1889. He was discovered by Richard Morris Hunt and became an important sculptor in his time. His works include sculptural enhancements for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and decorations for the Administration Building at Chicago’s World’s Fair. Tragically, he was struck by a car and killed in 1899.
Erma Bombeck- Erma Bombeck became a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and humorist but started her career as a copygirl at the Dayton Herald when she was 15. Shirley Temple came to town for a premiere of her movie and Erma interviewed her for the paper. The article was on the feature page and Erma’s career took off. The 29,000-pound rock monument commemorates her life and the 25 years she and her husband, Bill, spent in Arizona. He said he wanted a “piece of Phoenix” here.
Collins Obelisk- John Alexander Collins was a Locomotive engineer on the Cincinnati-Hamilton-Dayton Railroad, and his Obelisk is Woodland’s tallest monument.
Deeds Family Mausoleum- Col. Edward Deeds was an innovator of his time. He hosted meetings of “The Barn Gang”. The electrified cash register and electric starter were born out of those meetings along with several other inventions as well. The Deeds mausoleum is he largest mausoleum in Woodland. If you walk NW, across the road, there are several more interesting monuments.
Paul Lawrence Dunbar- Paul Lawrence Dunbar was a son of slaves. He was a classmate of Orville Wright and the only black in his class at Central High School. He wrote a large collection of dialect poems, Standard English poems, essays, novels, and short stories. He died of tuberculosis.
Greek Orthodox Alter
The Lookout- This is the highest point in the city and has a wonderful view.
Lee Lynam- Lee Lynam was the first Dayton Police officer to be killed in the line of duty. He had entered a saloon to question a Mr. Jackson. When he entered, another man, John Francis, followed him in and sat about 10 feet down the counter. Officer Lynam asked Mr. Francis if he would like something to drink. Mr. Francis came with in 2 feet of Officer Lyman and then pulled out a revolver and shot him. Officer Lyman had only been on the force for 5 years and by all accounts was one of the best men in the department. When you visit this grave, please remember all the police and firemen who risk their lives even while doing the everyday parts of their job.
McMillan Angel- A frequently visited monument because of its beauty.
Jonny Morehouse- Jonny Morehouse was a 5-year-old boy that accidentally fell into the canal. His dog jumped in and pulled him out but, unfortunately, Jonny had drowned. Legend has it that Jonny’s dog sat by the graveside for several days, morning, noon and night. People began to worry about the dog so they started leaving bits of food. Today, people leave toys and trinkets to decorate the marker to symbolize the sympathy they feel.
Patterson Knoll- The Patterson family has been very important to the Dayton area and the world. Col. Robert Patterson led troops that protected the new settlers from Native Americans. John H. Patterson founded NCR and invented the cash register because he was tired of his employees stealing from him. John Patterson also started the Miami Conservancy district after the flood in 1913. He ran a fund drive with a large cash register at Court House Square to total the donations. This allowed the dam and levee system to be built so that Dayton is safe from flood. Lt Frank Patterson was a test pilot at Wilbur Wright Field. He was killed in a crash of a DH-4 while flight testing the synchronization of machine gun and propeller.
Wright family- Wilbur and Orville Wright were always inventors. They observed everything around them and then wanted to know how it worked. They started in the printing business and soon switched to bicycles. They had always dreamed of heavier than air flight and soon decided to start work on it. They did a lot of research and testing with the first wind tunnel and then moved on to Huffman Prairie. Huffman Prairie didn’t have the wind needed for a sustained flight nor the soft place for a hard landing so they began looking for one and found it at Kittyhawk¸ North Carolina. They achieved their dream of heavier than air flight on December 17th, 1903.
Wright Iris Garden
Now, on to the tour and cache…
All coordinates are N39 degrees 44.XXX and W 084 degrees 10.XXX, so only the last decimal digits need to be figured out.
When you reach the coordinates listed, you will be near a point of interest. Look around for the clue given. You will need all the information above to locate some of the clues. Take note of the first three and the last two numbers on the marker. The two-digit number is to confirm you are looking at the right clue. The three-digit number is to adjust for coordinates. The first three digit number of the clue are to adjust the N coordinates and the second set is to adjust the W coordinates. If you substitute this in, it will take you to your next point of interest.
Here’s is the first one for an example:
Let’s start at N39 44.569 W 084 10.747
Your clue might be:
58 The Office -273 -174
Take note of the office hours sign on the door…8-5, 8-Noon
858-273=585
858-174=684
Your new coordinates will be N39 44.585 W084 10.684
This should get you on your way! Enjoy your walk/drive.
58 The Office –273 -174
98 Caito by The rock +141 +235
13 Harry Potter's Mr. Fudge +256 –636
89 Deadly sin +115 –501
05 Not the bottom… +118 –319
00 Review life’s importance, near the garden +171 –69
31 Ida Canby near Stroop –739 +270
54 Abel’s Catherine,resting in front of the angel +481 –496
78 Staffordshire,England -166 –448
29 Katherine was Wright –853 +160
02 A Saylor resting near the willow -891 -724
93 A just woman resting –969 +323
01 In the Line of Duty +295 –997
21 Ask the test pilot +485 +421
I would allow at least 2-3 hours for this tour if you drive, longer if you walk. It is 2.5 miles if you don’t take any wrong turns. You could certainly pack a lunch and make a day of it. The best place to park for the final stage is N39 44.690 W084 10.641. The final cache location tends to be a hang out so watch for muggles and bring a bag for CITO. Please make sure the cache is exactly as you found it.
Once you have finished, N39 44.518 W084 10.983 is a great place to stop for a treat.
I have to put a BIG thanks to my friends Deni and the Portly Penguins. They helped with the research and to make sure I had all the stages correct.
***UPDATE*** 6/23/2008 I have made a few changes to the clues and the final stage has been moved to a hopefully more muggle free zone. The approach to the final can be a challenge but is still no more difficult than the next to last stage if you choose the correct way to go.
Please contact me if you are having issues since the update.