Thursday, February 9, 2017

Too Many Died







Off a country road in Wauconda, Illinois, there is a small, old cemetery dedicated to a pioneer family that had many die with a few others that are buried there as well.  The Fisher family had so many children that died young.  The tombstone sits there between two bushes, next to a farm.  

The tragedy of this pioneer family also intrigues me and is something I am still investigating and trying to determine why so many died in this family.  The Dowell Family and Wilford Drover all died on April 06, 1916.  What happened to them?  This cemetery is maintained by the Wauconda Township.


http://waucondatownship.com/wp-content/uploads/Fisher-Family-Burial-Listing.pdf


Henry Wallace Gale


Henry Wallace Gale was a few months shy of his 21st birthday when he died of Typhoid Fever in Tennessee during the Civil War.  His family owned the farm land that is now the location of the Volo Auto Museum.  He is said to be haunting the land, but he is not the only one.  There are stories of a young woman and a little girl that are also seen in the Antique Barn of Volo.  I believe they are the Ida Gale sisters that were cousins to Henry Wallace Gale.  Read more about his life in my book:




Henry, you and your fellow soldiers (both Union and Confederate) have not been forgotten:




Civil War Soldiers of Volo



There are nine Civil War Union soldiers buried/honored via cenotaph in the Volo Cemetery (maintained by Wauconda Township).  Four died during the war (three from disease and one in battle), one died shortly after returning, and the last four returned to live out their lives.
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H. Wallace Gale:
The first that soldier that has been studied was a young man who lived on the farm owned by his family that is now the Volo Auto Museum.  His name was Henry Wallace Gale (H. Wallace Gale).  He died at the age of 20 from Typhoid fever, in a hospital, on February 16, 1863 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Eleazar Graves:
Eleazar Graves died at 21 in a hospital on July 13, 1863 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Burr Ackley:
Burr Ackley died at 29 in battle as a seargent in the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia on September 20,1863.
Nelson Huson:
Nelson Huson died at age 22, in  a hospital on January 04, 1865 in Columbia, Tennessee.
Lewis Weatherly:
Lewis Weatherly made it home but died shortly afterwards (probably due to a disablity acquired during the war).
Robert E. Walton:
Robert E. Walton made it home to live out his life.
John H. Walton:
John. H. Walton made it home to live out his life.
Andrew J. Raymond:
Andrew J. Raymond made it home to live out his life.
Amelius Ames:
Amelius Ames made it home to live out his life.










Why Volo?





I became interested in the town of Volo, Illinois after a visit to the Volo Auto Museum and a strange experience that was repeatable in their Antique barn.  The experience was paranormal and I'm still investigating the situation.  As I dug deeper into the history of the town and the land, I became very intrigued and compelled to write about it.  Most specifically, it was the story of Henry Wallace Gale ( a deceased Civil War soldier who is said to be haunting the barn at the Volo Auto Museum) that grabbed my attention.

I began researching and ending with more questions about the founders of this town that was originally called Forksville, Il and was incorporated as the town of Volo as recently as 1993.  I continue to research Volo and the surrounding area that has a real mystery to it.