The Nankin Township Historical Society

Detroit Free Press , May 24, 1893 I almost gave up on my many Romulus searches based solely upon it not being Nankin specific and had I done so would have missed out on this very important article concerning a place which is meaningful to many of us, William Ganong Cemetery. During a tornado outbreak on May 23, 1893 the farm of Frederick Kugath was hit by a heavy windstorm and he was struck by a board blown from one of the buildings and died from his injuries. Also damaged was the early skeleton of the newly built Henry Sustedt Furniture store Weston Building which was completely destroyed though eventually rebuilt. The barn of S. R. Kingsley was blown from its foundation with windows blown out and fruit and forest trees damaged. Other locations hit with damage were Dexter, which was slammed by a tornado, Howell, Ypsilanti, Jackson, Holly, Fenton, Benton Harbor, Lapeer, Adrian and Rogers City.

Plymouth Mail , June 22, 1888 Even though they spelled James Kuebaugh's name wrong they gave us some of the intimate details of his unfortunate death. He passed from tuberculosis at the home of John Wallace of Wayne at the age of 30. The funeral took place from the Congregational Church.

Plymouth Mail , October 21, 1887 It's a good thing that I randomly searched some cabinet card photographer's names tonight because they led me to this clipping concerning the death of Hiram Sackett as well as the setting of his stone at Ganong Cemetery. Hiram was a brakeman on the railroad and died on the job. That his father Alonzo erected a fine monument is an understatement. This is a bittersweet clipping but one I'd rather have than not.

Detroit Free Press , March 4, 1899 I doubt that this is a new revelation to anybody who has a deep knowledge of the Wayne County Asylum & Eloise but it took me many years of researching the institution before I finally made this connection. That being, William Ganong, he of the cemetery fame, was the uncle of the owner of the Black Horse Tavern which became part of the Wayne County Poorhouse. Known as Uncle Jerry, he was a successful farmer and business owner that fell on hard times and ended up at the Poorhouse where he died in 1899. He and his wife Lavina Ganong Townsend are both buried at the William Ganong Cemetery in unmarked or degraded graves. Which is more proof that Eloise and Ganong Cemetery are and were inextricably connected.