BELLVILLE — A band of volunteers wandered through the Bellville Cemetery Thursday night, following a printed map towards the grave of Lorenzo D. Long. It was the dress rehearsal for this weekend’s Cemetery Walk.
James Michalovich, a teacher and theater advisor at Clear Fork Middle School, perched on the edge of Long’s monument. He wore a straw farmer’s hat and held a book in hand.
“I was what we call a tenant farmer,” Michalovich said. “I was sitting here taking a break from my work and I was reading this here book that was actually written by grandson.”
Michalovich will portray Long, who lived from 1856 to 1936, in Saturday’s Bellville Cemetery Walk.
Organizer Lynn Fox of the Bellville-Jefferson Township Historical Society founded the event in 2017 after attending a similar event in Johnsville.
Each year’s cemetery walk includes different people from Bellville’s history.
“It’s a fun way to learn about people who lived in Bellville,” Fox said. “I’ve never had trouble finding interesting people.”
This year’s event features seven actors, each depicting a real-life resident buried in the cemetery. The walk takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 144 Church Street.
Meet the Bellville residents from this year’s Cemetery Walk
Maude Marie Greene, 1898-1982, was a caregiver for people and animals alike. She carried a basket of games and treats for the children she babysat. She once nursed a crow with a broken beak and taught it to talk. Greene is portrayed by retired teacher Judy Coppersmith.
Dr. W. Melville Cox Keith M.D., 1835-1903, ran a natural tuberculosis sanitarium in Bellville with his wife Jenny, who was also a doctor. Their methods were considered unusual, but people came from all over to try his health regiment. Dr. Keith had strict ideas about what promoted health, including walking barefoot on the earth, even during winter. Keith is portrayed by John Andra, manager of the Bellville Branch of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library.
Eliza Snavely Norris, 1841-1928, was convinced her husband Amos had supernatural powers. After their son died in 1901, she accused Amos of being a wizard and sued him for divorce hearing drew a crowd and became quite the scandal. Norris is portrayed by Rinda Samson, curator of the Bellville Jefferson Township Historical Society Museum.
Lorenzo D. Long was a friend of Dan Fox, whom some historians believe killed his brother John Fox in 1882. John’s murder remains unsolved but is explored in the book Convicted by Rumor, written by Long’s grandson Roger.
Scott Hardesty, 1870-1944, played shortstop for the New York Giants in 1899. He played one year of major league baseball and nine of minor league baseball. His athletic career was cut short by a crippling accident. He worked locally as a grocer and operated a pool hall in Fostoria. Hardesty is portrayed by Jeff Mandeville, a historian and museum activist known for his authentic costumes.
Daniel McFarland Cook, 1820-1897, is not buried in the Bellville Cemetery, but visits his daughter Aerie Cook Rist there this Saturday. Cook is the namesake of Cook Road in Mansfield. Known during his lifetime as “crazy Cook,” he was an inventor who attempted to build a flying machine about 50 years before the Wright Brothers. Cook is best known for his sugar evaporator, which is still used today in maple syrup production. Cook is portrayed by Kate Peters, a retired teacher and member of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library board.
Barbara Stofer Talbott, 1892-1976, was the second daughter of Dr. Eli Stofer. She was known in Bellville as a popular elocutionist and went on to study oratory. She became the head of a college oratory department in California. After getting married, Talbott and her husband settled in New Jersey. Talbott is portrayed by historical researcher Rhonda Bletner.
