Ed Schwartz and Richard Crowe - 1977

[bachelorsgrove_com]

Back when Bachelors Grove cemetery was getting popular due to the paranormal events, Richard Crowe was considered the guy who really gave it a lot of attention. Richard would go on a late night radio talk show with Ed "Chicago" Schwartz to speak about a lot of different topics relating to the paranormal. The broadcasts reached the public on a mass scale and a lot of people would call in to the program to speak about their own experiences. I consider any of these radio episodes which mention Bachelors Grove cemetery to be historical in nature and can even provide a lot of useful information not found elsewhere.

For example, people often ask when the fence around the cemetery was erected and by listening to the broadcasts you will find out the month and year. All of that type of information can almost be considered priceless, especially if it is very difficult to find the official documents.

Another interesting fact is that most of the paranormal style books mention a "ghost house" out at Bachelors Grove cemetery. The usual reference is that there was never any house built near the cemetery but Richard himself speaks of his own discovery of the house foundations found west of the cemetery as far back as the 1970s. This was obviously long before any information about the houses was posted on bachelorsgrove.com and it makes one curious as to why all of the earlier publications never mentioned the existence of these homes? Overall, it's very fun to listen to these broadcasts...

Here are a couple of the broadcasts recovered so far which are linked from the Archives:

Eddie Schwartz - September 24, 1977 (MP3 Format)

Eddie Schwartz - October 29, 1977 (MP3 Format)

If anyone happens to have a copy of any other broadcasts please come forward. I would even be willing to pay you for your time in recovering them. And of course, you would be given full credit for your findings.

Pete

[Aten]

Those sure were cool to listen to Pete, I hope there will be more.  :wink:

[MarkMc1990]

Cool, I wish there was a way we could see the pictures that woman was talking about!

That also might have answered my question about the oldest burial in the cemetery...Isabella Moss, 1848.

[bachelorsgrove_com]

That also might have answered my question about the oldest burial in the cemetery...Isabella Moss, 1848.

Actually, the oldest burial date on record was that of William B. Nobles. Here is a snippet of a newspaper article from 1935:


Blue Island Sun-Standard
August 16, 1935

"The earliest date noticed in the cemetery was that on the tombstone of William B. Nobles who died in 1838 at the age of 36. Mr. Fulton says that many of the tombstones were not erected until years after some of the people had died but the Nobles stone is undoubtedly old but probably not as old as the death."


The complete article can be read here if you are interested.


Then, for fun, if you search the Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales database you will find that William owned property next to the cemetery in 1835. The legal description would put it at approximately 143rd and Ridgeland Ave. For a better description, it would be south of 143rd and then east of Ridgeland. And then the southeast corner of the property line would sort of go near the house foundation with the single well on the north side of the old Midlothian Turnpike. There are, however, records showing Thomas McClintock owning a portion of the property next to the cemetery as well. Thomas purchased the property in the same year as William but it would have been between Williams' property and the house foundation on the north side of the old road. Then there is a 1900s map showing that James Fullerton owned all the property that both William and Thomas used to own.

Here are a couple of the records:



Purchaser:   NOBLE WILLIAM B
Residence of Purchaser:   UNKNOWN
Social Status:   
 
Legal Description:
   Aliquot Parts or Lot:   W2SW
   Section Number:   08
   Township:   36N
   Range:   13E
   Meridan:   3
   County of Purchase:   COOK
 
Details of Sale:
   Acres:   40.00
   Price per Acre:   1.25
   Total Price:   50.00
   Type of Sale:   FD
   Date of Purchase:   06/26/1835
   Volume:   687
   Page:   167


-----------------------------------------------


Detailed Information
   
Purchaser:   NOBLE WILLIAM B
Residence of Purchaser:   UNKNOWN
Social Status:   
 
Legal Description:
   Aliquot Parts or Lot:   W2NW
   Section Number:   08
   Township:   36N
   Range:   13E
   Meridan:   3
   County of Purchase:   COOK
 
Details of Sale:
   Acres:   40.00
   Price per Acre:   1.25
   Total Price:   50.00
   Type of Sale:   FD
   Date of Purchase:   06/26/1835
   Volume:   687
   Page:   167




Don't pay too much attention to the "Acres" description. He probably only had 40 and not 80 if you combine the records. You come across discrepancies like that all the time. Also, the poor guy dies 3 years after officially purchasing the land... I am actually ordering copies of all the land records in the general area from the state archives. They only let you request two at a time so it will take a while before I get them all. I also found records for the Batchelder family That will be a fun set of land sales records to have. Plus I may have some more evidence that the Batchelders were here before the Rexfords. As most people know, the Rexfords are the ones that tried to claim Batchelors Grove as their own back in the day by saying it was for a "group of single men." Brad Bettenhausen mentions it in the History section but I found a earlier date to help support the theory! Once I get the land records and a copy of my other "evidence" I will post them in the Archives over at bachelorsgrove.com

[bachelorsgrove_com]

Cool, I wish there was a way we could see the pictures that woman was talking about!

Same here, but from what it sounds like Richard was probably correct. You know there are a ton of photographs where people see things in the leaves so-to-speak but nothing is really there. The fact that she mentions that the position of the "person" CHANGED from the last time she viewed the photograph kind of gives it away that something isn't right. Plus she claimed that ALL of her photographs had something in them. To be honest, what are the odds of getting something in ALL of the photographs?... It could very well be a case of wishful thinking.

Pete

[Matt743]

Wow, these shows are a pretty cool find.   Here's to hoping that more turn up!

[bachelorsgrove_com]

I have received word that I may be able to obtain every episode that spoke about Bachelors Grove cemetery. Stay tuned and wish me luck!


Pete

[poornorman]

Wow - I remember listening to these as a kid. Eddie used to have Richard Crowe on as a guest every year on or around Halloween, even after he moved to WGN from WIND. Richard had some good local legends, but it was always the callers with their true stories that would freak me out as a young child!  :shock: