Saturday, August 08, 2009

POtW: Private Driveway

Today's picture is a slightly weird one. It's a photo of a private driveway on SE 101st Street in Shawnee County. The reason I took a picture of it was because when I first saw the road, the little statue and the retaining rock wall, I originally thought it was a cemetery.
Private Driveway
The cemetery I was looking for is the L.J. Beam Cemetery. According to "The Complete Tombstone Census of Douglas County, Kansas" the cemetery lies just over the Douglas-Shawnee County line east of Richland, which is about where this is.

Beam was a Second Lieutenant in command of the Kansas Fourteenth and was away on business in Leavenworth when Quantrill attacked Lawrence. Only 5 of his 22 men were able to escape. Beam always regretted not being there for his men but quickly recruited other men to begin the Kansas Fifteenth. Beam was promoted several times until he became a Major in the regiment.

According the Tombstone Census Book:
L.J. Beam buried three children and his wife on his own land on a bluff south of their home. The cemetery is enclosed by a 4 foot high native stone wall with a black iron gate. Three 6 foot spire tombstones mark the graves; one for Major Beam, one for his wife Sarah and one for their children. The cemetery itself is neglected, with brush and trees overshadowing stones and wall alike. Although the markers are all in excellent condition and standing completely upright.

The Beam home is still where it sat on the Beam property in the 1860s, complete with History and Memories.
Copied from stones November 14, 1987.
Major L.J. Beam died Mar. 24, 1901, aged 62 years - A Noble Life
Sarah F. Beam, Mar. 27, 1844-Apr. 3, 1898 - A Pure Life
M. Florence dau. of L.J. & S.F., B: May 14, 1878-D: Nov. 13, 1886
Freddie son of L.J. & S.F., B: & D: Dec. 10, 1876
Willie son of L.J. & S.F., B: & D: Aug. 19, 1867


I am still searching for the cemetery.