A History Mystery Solved!
(Photos below article)
Since 1893, the tall marble angel has stood close to the entrance of Prairie City Cemetery at the southwest corner of Baldwin City. The history of this marker and its owner had been lost to time. The cemetery’s early records were destroyed by fire in the 1930’s. The last member of the deceased’s immediate family passed away almost 50 years ago. Recently, however, the mystery of this marker was revealed!
This beautiful marble monument marks the final resting place of Bryon Edgar Chollar, Jr. (Pronounced Shollar – rhymes with collar). He passed away in 1892 at age 19 from blood poisoning. The statue originally cost over $1500, which would be over $33,000 today. It was made in Italy, then installed atop Bryon’s grave marker. The March 17, 1893, Baldwin Ledger noted that the cemetery was filled with “crowds of Baldwin people every pretty Sunday…admiring the beautiful work of art.”
Prairie City Cemetery (PCC) was established in 1855 in Kansas Territory by the town of Prairie City. It is still in use today. John Jackson is a fourth-generation descendant of one of the original Prairie City pioneer families. He grew up on the family homestead southwest of Baldwin City. Jackson is the president of the Prairie City Cemetery Association (PCCA), which owns and operates the cemetery. PCCA volunteers work diligently to weed the gravesites, clean, and repair the grave markers.
Jackson explains that PCC was recently approved to complete the process to be listed on the National and State Registers of Historical Places because of the historical significance of the interred. PCCA is researching and compiling the histories of the older “residents” to preserve their memories and the history of the area.
The histories of many resting at PCC are well-documented. The first burial in PCC was Mechlin Lobingier who passed away on August 2, 1856. Lobingier and two children came to Kansas to “prove up” 160 acres south of Prairie City in the summer of 1856. When Mrs. Lobingier and the remaining eight children arrived in September 1856, they found the cabin completed, but Mechlin had died of malaria. The Lobingiers stayed in the area and became leaders in Wellsville and Franklin County.
Other interred include Luther Hayden Taylor (1875-1958) and Joseph Spurgeon (1864 – 1940). Taylor was a deaf professional baseball player. He was a pitcher for the NY Giants in the early 1900s. He and his team used sign language to communicate with each other. Spurgeon was the architect and contractor responsible for many beautiful homes and buildings in Baldwin City.
Other interesting history has been discovered as the mysteries of PCC have been uncovered. Reverend Mace Richard Clough was a Methodist minister who helped protect Lawrence from Border Ruffians during several conflicts before and during the Civil War. The Ashby brothers came to Prairie City in 1856 and 1857. They operated a sawmill east of current E. 1400 Road that provided the wood for many early Prairie City homes and businesses. They and several other interred served in the Kansas Militia in 1864 and fought Major General Sterling Price during the Battle of Westport. These Militia members assisted in preventing Missouri from being recovered by the Confederacy.
Some of PCC’s mysteries will probably remain unsolved. One marker is a petrified piece of wood. No writing or carving can be seen on it. Another marker is an actual stone (piece of rock) with the initials “FC LP” hand-etched onto its face. Since the early records of the cemetery do not exist, and with few clues to go on, unraveling the mysteries of these markers will be difficult indeed.
Come visit the beautiful, historic PCC at 207 E. 1600 Road (NW corner of N. 200 and E 1600 Roads) in Baldwin City. To see photos, learn more about the cemetery history, markers, interred and its qualifications for the Historical Registers, go to https://santafetraildouglas.org/prairie-city-cemetery/
— M. Jardon, May 2023, Updated Jan. 2025
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- First printed in The Maple magazine (part of the Baldwin weekly newspaper family).
- Reprinted with permission.
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Photos
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Bryon Edgar Chollar Jr. monument at Prairie City Cemetery
