Captain Fairbanks Church III buried at the Huron Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio and the vandalism that most likely destroyed his one of a kind grave marker.

First, thanking Mr. Matthew J. Weisman, well-known Great Lakes ship builder historian, author, and public program presenter for so kindly alerting me to the unfortunate disappearance of this uniquely carved sidewheel steamboat grave marker for Captain Fairbanks Church III who was laid to rest in 1843 at the Huron Cemetery - Huron Township in Erie County, Ohio. 

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Taking the opportunity to share here also details of the upcoming January 24, 2024, 7:00p.m. Zoom Meeting offered by the Lorain County Historical Society to be presented by Mr. Weisman.: 
Bicentennial Speaker Series:

200 Years of Ship Building, Industry and Commerce on the Black River  

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Sadly, information provided by some Huron (Erie County, Ohio) area residents who have personal knowledge of the Huron Cemetery, state there are several downed and sinking markers, while others are stacked up elsewhere at the cemetery.  

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Thus, it is quite possible that this once intact grave marker, that for so long stood prominently at the Huron Cemetery, fell victim to a vicious vandalism attack after this photo of it was taken in August of 1963. 

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I do feel it is befitting to also offer some biographical information about the life and shipbuilding career of

 Captain Fairbanks Church III as shared to me by

Matthew J. Weisman:

Excerpts:

“ADZ, CAULK, AND RIVETS”
A History of Ship Building Along
Ohio's Northern Shore
A Thesis
Presented to
The Graduate Faculty of the University of Akron
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
Richard J. Wright
August, 1963

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"FAIRBANKS CHURCH"

(1791-1843)

 “Fairbanks Church was born about 1791. 
His place of birth is unknown.
Church was a master carpenter for James Day
 in Black River, Ohio.

The yard was located on the west bank of the Black River. 
In 1819, he built the General Huntington
along with James, Day, Augustus Jones 
and Enoch Murdock. 
The schooners Ann (1819) and Young Amaranth (1825)
were also built there by Church and Day. 
He later relocated to Huron, Ohio
where he established a shipyard.
 The schooner Marengo (1831) appears to be the first vessel built by Church in Huron. 
The steamer George Washington was built
 there in 1833 by Church and Captain Augustus Walker. 
She ran for the Huron Steam Boat Company with Captain Walker as her Master. 
Church and Walker also partnered in the building of the Sheldon Thompson (1833). 
Church was well-known for building side-wheel steamer in the 1830s. 
The United States (1834), DeWitt Clinton (1836), Cleveland (1837), Great Western(1838)
 and General Scott (1839) were all side-wheelers built by Church in Huron. 
The steamer Sandusky (1834) appears to be
his only build at Sandusky.
 The James Monroe, a side-wheel steamer, was built in Monroe, Michigan by Church in 1834. 
In 1841, Church and Joseph Keating built the Toledo,
also a side-wheel steamer, in Toledo, Ohio. 

The name Toledo was changed to Indiana before going into service.
Fairbanks Church launched a small steamer on June 13, 1839 which was described as "the greatest little boat ever built on these or any other waters." 

She was named the General Scott. 
This was the last steamer built by Church. 

In 1841 he built the schooner Woodbridge, and in

1842 the schooner Rebecca and the brig Henry Clay.

Fairbanks Church was a well-known and respected shipbuilder who had built vessels with many of the top builders of his day. 

He also was the mentor of Cleveland shipbuilder Luther Moses. 

Church died in 1843 at the age of 52. 

He is buried in Main Street Cemetery.

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It is fitting that a side-wheeler steamer is carved into the top of his grave stone and that “Master Shipbuilder” is inscribed under his name.”
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Sharing a link to Captain Fairbanks Church III's memorial on 

Find a Grave 

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 Now, returning to the subject of the disappearance of Captain Fairbanks Church III's grave marker. 

After further research, it was learned that a violent vandalism attack did occur on August 14, 1975 per reports published at the time in "The Journal" - the newspaper for Lorain, Ohio.:

From the Sandusky Register newspaper:

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No one can put a price tag on lost respect and dignity for the cemetery itself as well as for all of the damaged and destroyed grave markers on its landscape.  Too much history has already been lost and those who caused such destruction should receive penalties that match the severity of their crime.

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Ohio Revised Code  Section 1721.14 effective January 9, 1961 - Cemetery Policemen 

Ohio Revised Code 2909.05 - Vandalism - September 30, 2011 - 

(C) No person, without privilege to do so, shall knowingly cause serious physical harm to any tomb, monument, gravestone, or other similar structure that is used as a memorial for the dead; to any fence, railing, curb, or other property that is used to protect, enclose, or ornament any cemetery; or to a cemetery.

(D) No person, without privilege to do so, shall knowingly cause physical harm to a place of burial by breaking and entering into a tomb, crypt, casket, or other structure that is used as a memorial for the dead or as an enclosure for the dead.

(E) Whoever violates this section is guilty of vandalism. Except as otherwise provided in this division, vandalism is a felony of the fifth degree that is punishable by a fine of up to two thousand five hundred dollars in addition to the penalties specified for a felony of the fifth degree in sections 2929.11 to 2929.18 of the Revised Code. If the value of the property or the amount of physical harm involved is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more but less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, vandalism is a felony of the fourth degree. If the value of the property or the amount of physical harm involved is one hundred fifty thousand dollars or more, vandalism is a felony of the third degree.

(F) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Cemetery" means any place of burial and includes burial sites that contain American Indian burial objects placed with or containing American Indian human remains.

(2) "Serious physical harm" means physical harm to property that results in loss to the value of the property of one thousand dollars or more.