“INDIANA SPIRIT QUEST”
The Indiana Spirit Quest series of geocaches will take you to a number of historic cemeteries built by Hoosier Pioneers. In just a year and a half, the quest has grown to over three hundred sixty caches hidden in thirty-eight Indiana counties, and two Ohio counties, and the hiders consist of several cacher teams, which are comprised of Dogs and their Humans. Over 750 cacher teams have logged over 8,900 finds. One cache machine found 102 ISQ caches in a single day (daylight hours only).
(Photos by krisNjoe)
INDIANA SPIRIT QUEST #385
"Haven Fun Yet?"
WELCOME TO Rest Haven Cemetery in Edinburgh, Indiana. If you are one of those that like to walk around and check out the cemetery after you have found the cache, this place will entertain you for an entire day. This cemetery is absolutely huge, and there are many veterans interred here.
George M. Wells enlisted in the Navy prior to the Spanish-American War. During his service, he sailed on the Vermont, Sandoval, Richmond, Wisconsin, Solace, and the Indiana. He was promoted to Chief Gunner during the war. After the war, he became an instructor in ordnance at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. He left the service in 1906 to return to Edinburgh and work at one of the local veneer mills. Ten years later, he established the Blue River Coal Company, where he worked until his retirement in 1941. When the USS Indiana was dismantled, Wells was able to secure for Rest Haven the section of the deck plate which was penetrated by a mortar shell in the action off Cuba.
Paul Larsen joined the Navy shortly after graduating from Edinburgh High School. He sailed aboard the U.S.S. Cowell. On one morning towards the end of the war, he and another seaman shot down a kamikaze pilot. He recalls: “He said he didn’t know what to do. I told him ‘Just keep shootin’, and I’ll keep loadin.’ And I’ll be if he didn’t hit that sucker, and that plane went down but 100 yards from the ship.” After the war, Paul started an appliance business on Main Cross Street in Edinburgh, which he ran with his wife. He soon relocated Larsen’s Appliance to downtown Edinburgh, where the business still stands, and now Galen's Appliance is operated by his employee of over thirty years.
Other individuals of note found at Rest Haven include:
Adolphis H. Smith (family stone) – the last surviving Civil War veteran in Edinburgh. He was honorably discharged from the GAR and died at 96.
Thomas L. Wray (bronze military marker)- Killed in action on July 29, 1918 in France.
Colonel R.J. Ryan (family stone) – Born in Ireland; entered the 35th regiment (a.k.a. first Irish regiment), which consisted strictly of Irish men. Promoted from Lieutenant Colonel, he remained in command until the 35th and 61st (second Irish) were combined, and he was forcibly relieved from duty. An article from the Indianapolis Sentinel in 1864 read: “We are told that the brave 35th IND which left Indiana 3 years ago numbering 1100 now counts but 65 men capable of bearing muskets. It is with Sherman, and proposes to remain with him until he conquers or the last glorious Irishman of the 35th lies under the sod.”
Richard Johnson (military marker) – A sergeant in the War of 1812 and was kept as a prisoner of war in Quebec for six months.
James M. Hargis (headstone) – His stone bears only one date: 28 Oct 1900. He is the only Confederate soldier we found in Rest Haven. He died when he was 82.
FIND LOGS ON THIS CACHE THAT INDICATE NIGHT CACHING WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE!
The cache container is a camo matchstick container. BYOP. Please replace the cache so that is at least as concealed as you found it, if not better. .The cache is not located near a grave... If you find a fallen US flag, please stick it back in the ground. As always, please be respectful, and cache in, trash out.
"Indiana Spirit Quest" is brought to you by the following fellows of GEOISQ*: SixDogTeam (Earthdog Patrick, Lead Dog, Wheel Dog) Kodiak Kid, THE SHADOW, Team Shydog, Rupert2, Torry, ~Mystery Dog~, Team Tigger International, Cache Commando, bbSurveyors, Dover Duo,Los Xile, Prairie Partners, WilliamsFamGC, Bean Blossum Gang, Team Itchy & Scratchy, Wishbone 86, krisNjoe, Angelina Jolie, and Bikinibottomfeeders. If you are interested in spreading the Quest to your neck of the woods AND WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US, email SixDogTeam.
*Grand Exalted Order of the Indiana Spirit Quest
:)