“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 two years, the quest has grown to over four hundred and eighty caches hidden in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Ontario, and the hiders have grown to over twenty-five cacher teams, most of which are comprised of Dogs and their Humans. Over 1,000 cacher teams have logged over 12,000 finds.
(Photos by Team Itchy & Scratchy)
INDIANA SPIRIT QUEST #494
"Doh-Boys?"
Atop a hill set back from the road is Simpson Cemetery in Jennings Township, Fayette County, Indiana. It is the burial site of this region's earliest "white" settlers. Native American burials may also be part of this cemetery or located very close by.
A native of Maryland, born in 1773, Thomas Simpson, Sr. was the first to settle this area of the country. Prior to that time Simpson acted as a hunter for a government survey crew. In 1808 and 1809 Simpson and the survey party traveled from the Ohio river valley to Michigan, surveying the “twelve mile purchase.”
On the approach of winter, the survey party built a log cabin by a spring on the northeast quarter section of this township which they occupied during the survey of that region of land. In December of 1809, Simpson, by means of a four-horse wagon, moved his family, consisting of his wife and six children, to the cabin, and on that site passed the remaining years of his life. Simpson died on February 5, 1848 and was buried in this cemtery.
From an interview with Simpson’s son, by a 19th century historian… “In the vicinity of the cabin, probably three-quarters of a mile south of the spring in that early day, was a camping-ground for the Indians which they frequently occupied and many were their visits to the Simpson dwelling, where they were always fed, which, because of the kindness they remembered, no depredations were committed in the neighborhood. Just north of the creek, which by the way, was known by the Indians as Brushy Creek, and subsequently designated by the pioneers as Simpsons’ Creek, in honor of the first settler, was the place of burial of the Indians, and on the arrival of the Simpsons was still used.”
Simpson cemetery is on a patch of high ground overlooking a creek to the south that is still known today as Simpson’s Creek. The precise location of the original cabin is not known, but it is easy to imagine Simpson standing on the hill top with the survey party looking down across the little valley late one fall, deciding where best to build that cabin.
HandiCaching.com rating: H12433
The cache is a decon container with room for small trades. The original cache contents have been selected to complement the theme of this cache. As usual, the cache is hidden away from graves. Please leave the cache exactly as you found it.
As always, no ISQ searching after dusk, 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, bbSurveyors , DoverDuo, -{Los}-Xile, Prairiepartners, WilliamsFamGC, Bean Blossom Gang, Team Itchy & Scratchy, Wishbone86, krisNjoe, Bikinibottomfeeders, Awsome Ev, Lord Elwood, 501_Gang, Donsdi, dougsmiley, doobies and Che K. 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
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