Meeting Held in Mound Cemetery

 Marietta Daily Leader, September 28, 1898

Tuesday afternoon at 3:30, under the rays of a setting sun and in the shadow of the famous Mound and surrounded by the graves of the historic men who planned and laid the foundation of our beautiful city in the years long since gone by, the Village Improvement Association held a meeting to protect the fast decaying and down-trodden graves of those to whom we owe our present homes. The graves of those who made it possible for the Mound Cemetery to be in existence. Could a more appropriate place have been chosen?

About fifty members of the association and a few of those interested in the work which they have taken up, that of advancing and beautifying the city's parks and cemeteries, gathered to do what they could to further the ends of the association.

Promptly at 3:30, Chairman Dan Buell called the meeting to order and in a few chosen words stated the object of the meeting. The meeting was called for the purpose of devising the ways and means whereby the cemetery should and could be beautiful.

Mr. W. T. Westgate was called upon to state the present condition of the cemetery fund. He stated that the funds of the Mound Cemetery were far from being enough to do any work at all in this graveyard and that the trustees were forced to take money from the Oak Grove fund to pay the actual running expenses.

Councilman B. F. Wood was called upon to give his views as to what he thought the City Council would do to help the matter along. He stated that he was not certain whether the Council had any legal right to pay for any improvement of this sort, but he for one was heartily in favor of the work and if he had the legal right would vote for it.

Rev. George R. Gear spoke on the matter and stated that he was enthusiastic in the matter and thought the matter should be attended to at once.

A question arose as to the deed and title of the land on which the cemetery was, and Mr. R. D. Cook read the following paper.

It may be a matter of interest to the lot holders in this cemetery to know that most of them have nothing but a sexton's receipt for money paid for a certain amount of ground, or perhaps nothing at all to show that they are owners of lots. The record of the trustees which dates back only to 1858, is for most lot holders the only foundation for a claim to ownership. If any lot holder under such circumstances should move from Marietta, leaving no representative, the unoccupied space in his lot would be at the disposal of the trustees to sell or keep vacant. That such forfeited space will be sold is unlikely now that we have Oak Grove Cemetery. But such a possibility can be avoided and the lot assured to the owner or his heirs forever by his having a deed recorded by the trustees, the entire cost of which is but $2.50.

It is also interesting to know that the Mound Cemetery is not town property. It is in reality state property and stands in the same relation to the town as did the Ice Harbor Lot before it was given up by the state. To give the town absolute control over this cemetery the legislature would have to act as it did in the case of the Ice Harbor Lot.

Mr. George M. Woodbridge told of the early history of the "City of the Dead" in this city and was of the opinion that something should be done at once. He did not think that the paper read by Mr. Cooper was exactly correct, but stated that the exact data could be found at the proper place of recording such papers.

Mr. S. J. Hathaway spoke of the early history of the cemetery and of the transfer of the Oak Grove property for that of Mound Cemetery. He spoke of several instances which came to his notice as City Solicitor, at which time the question was gone over. He was in favor of improvement. Rev. Mr. Coil spoke of the improvement of the grounds and said that he thought it was a duty we owed to the dead and the living to give the ground immediate attention.

Mr. Westgate was called on several times to give certain facts pertaining to the grounds and he stated, among other things, that the people that were making the greatest fuss about the bad condition of the grounds were those who had the worst looking lots. He said that the trustees had no funds to better the condition and that they were powerless to do anymore work than was at present being done.

A committee was appointed, consisting of Mr. Hathaway and Judge Rood, to look into the deed and title of the land and suggest proper steps to have it put in proper form. A committee on ways and means was appointed and Rev. George R. Gear, Hon. B. F. Wood, and Mr. R. D. Cooke were named to serve. The meeting then adjourned to meet at the call of Rev. Gear. Where with all, the meeting was a success and the scene an inspiring one. Much enthusiasm was shown and the work will be pushed forward at once.

Fight at Marshall's Hall

 The Marietta Register, August 26, 1880

One of the worst fights ever known in Marietta occurred at the dance at Marshall's Hall on Greene Street Monday night. Sundry fights of lesser magnitude were going on all through the evening till about ten o'clock, when they culminated in a grand wholesale riot and continued for nearly two hours, till the parties desisted from sheer exhaustion. An adjournment was then made to the street, but the police there kept them under a little, though it was nearly two o'clock in the morning before all was quiet.

The trouble, we are told, originated some time before, in Becker Brothers' saloon, between a young fellow named Tom Highland and Weirick [Weyrich] the bartender. The fight Monday night began by someone pitching upon Weirick. His father was in the room at the time, being a member of Becker's Orchestra and, with the rest of the band, took his son's part. A lot of fellows downstairs rushed up and the fight became general.

Tuesday morning men were around everywhere with sore and broken heads. No revolvers were used or knives plunged, but chairs were hurled into splinters and one man, Jake Schlicher, was wounded so badly on the head that he is hardly expected to live. The one who struck him is not fully identified. Some said it was a man named McCue, others did not know.

It was a fight between "Texas" and the "Stockade" and a disgrace to the city. Where the chief blame rests it is for others to determine, but it is very unfortunate that such an affair occurred.

New Buildings

The Marietta Register, September 28, 1882

Something is being done in Marietta, as will be seen from the following list of new buildings, either just completed or in the process of erection:

On Front Street, George Blake has moved his clothing stock into his new two-story building, making a fine looking addition to the other business structures in the vicinity.

Glines & Snyder have the new addition to their store completed and already stocked with goods, giving them one of the largest store rooms in the city.

The Curtis property, recently purchased by Theodore F. Davis, has been altered and occupied by the C. & M. R. R. for a ticket and express office.

On the opposite side, a few doors above the Register office, is a new one-story brick owned by Mrs. Arendt of Missouri, which the Hon. Henry Bohl will soon occupy and fit up in elegant style for an insurance office.

Rolston, Hall & Company's new elevator, calculated to hold 35,000 bushels, looms up like an architectural Jumbo. Besides this they are making some repairs on their mill building.

Dirks, Bahlman & Company, just across the river, have also made some improvements, principally in the way of new machinery.

At the corner of Front and Montgomery streets, Mr. J. F. Ermlich has just erected a small wooden store building, which will be occupied by a party from Williamstown, W. Va., with groceries and notions.

Mr. F. S. Turner expects soon to build a very fine residence on Second Street next to Mrs. Franks', and below on the same street are two substantial houses nearly ready for tenants.

Mr. Thomas Cisler is pushing his one-story frame on Putnam Street, which will soon be ready for rent.

Mrs. J. H. Talbot is putting the finishing touches on his new house, corner of Washington and Third streets.

On Fifth Street, Styer, of Styer & Bukey, has his handsome residence well underway, and further down, near Putnam Street, Mr. George Blake is building for himself a two-story house.

Mr. Thomas McGrath has repaired his house on Sixth Street near Washington until it looks like new, and a few doors below him Mr. William Young has nearly completed a dwelling for himself.

On Third Street, near Butler, W. G. Way will soon have a handsome residence completed.

   

Marietta Woman, Wife of Famous Arctic Explorer, Passes Away in Washington

The Register-Leader, July 26, 1920

A telegram received by Rev. George R. Gear Saturday night from the Associated Charities in Washington, D.C., states that information concerning the relatives of Mrs. Lilla Stone Pavy, wife of the late O. P. Pavy, famed Arctic explorer, is desired by that organization.

According to the telegram, Mrs. Pavy, was was well advanced in years, died in Washington of the infirmities of old age. The Washington organization sought to find relatives or close friends who could give directions as to the disposal of the body. The telegram would indicate that Mrs. Pavy, who was at one time well-to-do, died in destitute circumstances.

Mrs. Pavy was the daughter of the late Reverend and Mrs. Marsena Stone, both deceased. Rev. Stone was at one time pastor of the First Baptist Church here [1869-1872]. His daughter, Mrs. Pavy, graduated from Marietta High School. Later the family moved to Washington and the daughter was united in marriage to Mr. Pavy. While here, Rev. Stone built the house at the corner of Fourth and Scammel, now occupied by Frank McKinney.

The Stones and Pavys were well known in social circles, both in Marietta and Washington until a few years ago. Following the death of her husband, Mrs. Pavy gradually dropped her local connections and stopped corresponding with her friends. Mrs. Pavy had two brothers, William and George Stone. William is thought to be dead and the residence of George is not known. 

Mr. Pavy received a large amount of publicity a few years ago on account of his expeditions into the Arctic regions. It is thought that upon his death his widow was left in poor circumstances and that rather than depend upon her friends for help, she concealed her identity and worked for her support.

Rev. Gear sent word to Washington that the body should be buried there. He stated Monday morning that in all probability, Mrs. Pavy is the last member of her family.

[Lilla May Stone Pavy was born in New York in 1852. She was working as a teacher of literature and music when she married Octave Pierre Pavy in New Orleans in 1878. Octave Pavy died while on the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition in 1884. Lilla married again in 1891 to Homer W. Case in Nebraska. The marriage was unsuccessful and she reverted to her birth name, as listed on a state census of 1915 in Newark, New Jersey, where her occupation was listed as "Bible writer." According to her obituary in the "Washington Times," August 1, 1920, Lilla May Pavy, aged 68, died of pneumonia at Walter Reed Hospital.]