Published: September 21, 2006 04:21 pm      

Spring Hill tombstones really do talk

When I walked through the gates Saturday at Spring Hill Cemetery, I thought I might have stepped into one of those A&E shows about haunted places.

I found out the Red Mask Players — a very talent-filled local community theater group — does well not only with comedy and drama, but with historical depictions.

I went to Spring Hill to learn about Danville’s history through their “Behind the Tombstone” fundraiser with the Vermilion County Museum.

The period regalia — especially from far away among the tombstones — really made the actors look like apparitions, and I found myself doing a double-take a time or two.

On the tour, I “met” several famous Danville figures from various time periods. I didn’t know Danville was home to so many Civil War heroes or friends of Abraham Lincoln.

Josephine Fithian and William Fithian — played by Wilbur Bolton and Mary Ann Laker — were our guides.

It was nice to meet the Fithians, because I’ve visited their home. They looked great for their ages of 207 and 193.

The Fithians spookily referred to Spring Hill as “our place” and those buried within as “residents.”

I wondered whether they should have planned this event a little closer to Halloween.

Mariah Vance, Dr. Fithian and Judge John Pearson were all friends or contemporaries of Lincoln’s.

Pearson (played by Tom Fricke) and Fithian joshed each other about politics.

While Democrats and Republicans today debate the war on terror, long ago, the big political arguments concerned slavery.

Pearson was a Democrat who was friends with Stephen Douglas, while Fithian, a Republican, was buddies with Lin-coln. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall during their debates.

I have to give props to a few players who gave especially spirited performances — Gretchen Elliott, who played Clara Palmer; Bob McIntire, who played William Cannon; Chuck Pundt and Dave Laker, who played fictional grave robbers Luther and Abner; Nathan Ingold, who played William Brown; and Jason Asaad, who played Tom Nicholas.

I learned a lot from their speeches.

Clara Palmer was an enthusiastic women’s suffrage activist who was 92 when she finally got to vote for president. She was the daughter of Asa Palmer, Vermilion County’s first physician.

McIntire’s William Cannon was Joseph Cannon’s albino brother, who had a gift for business. His accomplishments in Danville are as notable as his brother’s.

Pundt’s and Laker’s grave robbers were hilarious. They played the perfect hillbilly opposites to many of the sophis-ticated, upper-class “residents.”

Ingold was so believable as the fallen, young Civil War soldier William Brown, that I think he’d make a great actor in a movie about the war. From his speech, I learned that Lew Wallace (after whom my mom’s high school was named) was a general in the war. I only attached the name to his book, “Ben Hur.”

Asaad was captivating as gypsy king Tom Nicholas. He made me laugh as he assured us gypsies were not murderers and thieves, and they liked to “do a little dance” now and again.

Saturday’s weather was perfect for a walk under the shady cemetery trees. Last year, I visited Spring Hill for this column, but I didn’t know much about the “residents.”

Next time I visit, I’ll be on the lookout for visions of people in period regalia who aren’t there to raise money for the Vermilion County Museum.



Anna Herkamp is the Danville schools education reporter who now plans to read “Ben Hur” sometime. Contact her at 477-5163 or by e-mail at aherkamp@dancomnews.com.