Treasures Revealed
Do you know where soldiers of the War of 1812 are buried? Or who Ebenezer Roseberry was? What is the Aye conglomerate? How did Black Bill escape? What happens at the John Green Cemetery once a year?
Answers to these questions (and much, much more) can be found in a book of over 300 pages published by Judge Charlton Myers in 1996. Its title, Tales from the Sage of Salt Rock, stems from fifty Sunday afternoon programs on Marion radio station, WMRN during 1960. Madge Cooper Guthery, program director, encouraged him to air the stories that she had heard him telling at social gatherings.
Judge Myers agreed and created the program known as the “Salt Rock Township Historical and Marching Society” named for the area where he lived. It had only one member—Charlton Myers. Using county histories that had been long out of print, and reminiscences of his many friends, he made a new generation aware of their heritage of Marion County history. Soon the radio staff was calling him “The Sage of Salt Rock.”
The programs were introduced with a fife and drum duo playing The Spirit of ’76. Each program covered several topics and usually a guest who had stories to tell. One guest revealed a new site in Marion County of the Underground Railroad. Another provided a recipe to cure drunkenness. The improper use of the word “leg” wad discussed. There was an on-going discussion as to the location of “Jacob’s Well.”
The Marion County Historical Society was an indirect result of these radio programs through the Adult Education classes that Judge Myers taught for two years. Members of those classes saw that an organization was needed to collect, preserve and present local history. On February 19,1969 an organizational meeting was held at the Women’s Club home. Judge Myers was elected the first president.
On the 25th anniversary of the Marion County Historical Society all former presidents gave gifts to the Society. Judge Myers choose to publish the scripts of his radio programs in the book, Tales from the Sage of Salt Rock. It is available through the MCHS Web site, in the gift shop at Heritage Hall, home of MCHS, and at the Marion Area Conventions and Visitors Bureau on Mount Vernon Avenue. As you read you can learn how to butcher a hog, what Indian tribes frequented the area, about old time bands and autos, and where Gospel Hill is located.
And you will learn that the Aye Rock is in the Claridon Cemetery.
Trella H. Romine
November 29, 2009