Hartzell Cemetery

Hartzell Cemetery

The Legend of the Snakes

The Hartzell Cemetery has national fame because of the grave that is infested with snakes. This legend still occupies active web sites and a video or two on YouTube. Chester Bedell was buried there in 1908 after making a claim that if there were a God, snakes would infest his grave. While some doubt that he made that claim, there is no doubt that the legend is alive and remains of interest to many. 

Chester claims that a feud with the Presbyterian Church of North Benton started when he married Mary Hartzell. The Hartzell family was quite dismayed and objected to the marriage because they thought Chester might be a Methodist.  However, he was really an atheist. In Chester’s version, this led to his book, The 21 Battles Fought by Chester Belell with Relations and Presbyterian Intolerance. Chester’s claim is that the entire problem with the Hartzell’s was that he would not join the Presbyterian Church.

Chester was an atheist who lived in Berlin Township East and northeast of the old Strong farm. He was a Biblical scholar as well as the wealthiest farmer in the region, as he owned 1700 acres of land while most farmers in the area owned about 100 acres. Most of that land is now flooded by Berlin Lake. His legacy is recorded in a self-published book, Twenty-One Battles fought by Chester Bedell with Relations and Presbyterian Intolerance [self-published in 1897]. [I have a copy of the book.]

The legend of the snakes at his grave brought national attention to the cemetery and North Benton, particularly for Evangelical Christians. I think he published the claim of snakes in his grave in a self-published tract and have a memory of seeing it, but my memory may be faulty, as there are no other reports of it and none were found in family documents. There is no doubt, however, that the legend has endured for over 100 years.

Chester had a full-sized bronze statue of himself installed on a 10 foot pedestal. He is holding a scroll in his right hand that proclaims, “Universal Mental Liberty”. Under his left foot is a book with the inscription “Superstition” on the exposed cover. While the statue was vandalized several times over the years, it remained in the cemetery until the late 1950’s when the family removed it. It is now in the Berlin Center Historical Society building. His grave and statue were moved about 1940 when the dam for Berlin Lake was built, as the old grave was near the high-water mark.

In the old location, Chester’s grave faced the old road near the old cemetery entrance. A small stream and an old limestone quarry was to the west. There would have been an abundance of snakes in and around the area. Boys in the 1920’s and early 1930’s who were bored on Sundays, allegedly supplied an abundant supply of snakes on the grave. As the legend grew, it is claimed that the Santees, who ran owned a nearby restaurant, gas station and tourist cabins in North Benton actually paid some boys to toss snake onto the grave. I was never give this option as it was before my time. However, the Santees did print postcards promoting the gravesite, hoping to increase their business.

In 1938, the famous war time writer, Ernie Pyle, wrote one or two items in the popular weekly Sunday supplement, The American Weekly, promoting the grave site. Additional publicity given came from two or more prominently known evangelical preachers who visited the site. The cemetery became a very popular tourist attraction for those looking for the grave with the snakes.

I know of no local people who ever saw snakes on or near the grave site. I personally have never seen any. The caretaker in that era was a man named Bundy. He his quoted by a reporter as not seeing any unusual number of snakes at the grave site. He is also quoted by the evangelical preachers as having to jump out of the grave because of the snakes. The preacher insists he saw black snakes, garter snakes and copperheads although there were no copperhead snakes in that area at that time. I think Bundy was fully capable of telling the preachers what they wanted to hear as he was a bit of a character and was known as an alcoholic. I do not remember him well, because my mother always insisted that I stay away from him.

Chester’s lengthy obituary in the Alliance Review was quite complementary and did not mention snakes or the legend. There does not seem to be any record of local people claiming to see any unusual number of snakes at the grave site. There was no mention of snakes when they opened the grave and moved old Chester in 1942. Additionally, the workers who moved the cemeteries residents always came to our door to fill their water bottles, so it is likely that poor old Chester was parked in our driveway at that time. He left no snakes behind.

The source of Chester Bedell’s wealth was always in interesting speculation. He was born in New Jersey and moved to Berlin Center in the mid 19th century. Stories circulated that he acquired he wealth when he found a saddlebag containing $10,000 which was dropped by a courier.  In his self-published book he claims that he bought up farms one at a time as he grew his estate. In any event, he left an estate of 1700 acres in trust, from which his son and grandson were required to lease for farming and logging. The trust accumulated considerable wealth and provided full education for members of the family, but was broken up when the government condemned the land for Berlin Lake construction.  

A rash of barn burnings occurred in the area in late 1800’s. First, was Chester Bedell’s, and then, many others, some of which became associated with a feud between Simon Hartzell and Chester Bedell. One version of the feud is that Chester had paid a substitute to take his place in the Civil War draft. Later, a collection was taken for a fund that would exempt all of Berlin Township from the draft. It was claimed that Chester thought he should have been reimbursed for funds he paid for his substitute. The fund was raised by none other than Simon Hartzell, the brother-in-law Presbyterian, the focus of the feud. Chester’s version contradicts this version as published in, Twenty-one Battles with Relations and Presbyterian Intolerance. In his version, he did not ask for the return of any funds and he claims this was not a cause for disharmony.

My great grandfather Alonzo Strong’s barn was one of those that burned, and Chester Bedell was indicted and tried for the arson. He was exonerated, as he proved he was in Salem at the time of the crime. Simon Hartzell’s had three barns burned. There were 2 convictions for perjury and one suicide were associated with the arson and the court cases that resulted.

Continued, next Column

Hartzell Cemetery (Cont)

 

In another incident, Simon Hartzell’s barn was vandalized on a Saturday night and the harness was slashed along with other damage. Simon routinely took his sister Mary, Chester’s wife, to church in his buggy, so presumably Chester had had slashed the harness, preventing his wife from attending church. Chester was charged with the destruction, was found guilty and was assessed damages in the amount of $800. In a letter to the Youngstown Vindicator Chester explained that he was convicted because of the testimony of three men claiming to see him in the area. However, two of the men were convicted perjurers and the other committed suicide. These were the same 3 men who were mentioned in the arson cases.

Chester was a self-study Biblical scholar, traveled extensively with trips to the Holy Land to verify his beliefs. On some Sundays, he was known to set in the front pews to question the preachers. According to his obituary, many local preachers visited him at his home for intellectual conversations about Christianity.

So, the Hartzell Cemetery, managed by the township of Deerfield has some interesting stories. The cemetery is the final resting place for many extended families who are related, the Strongs, Henry’s Mulmsbery’s, Ales’ Hartzells, Lazarus’ and others. It was made famous by Chester Bedell, but from my observation, you do not need to watch out for the snakes when visiting.

The book Twenty-One Battles Fought by Chester Bedell with Relations and Presbyterian Intolerance”, written by Himself (1897) is in our collection. Here is the preface from the book.

Preface to Twenty-One Battles Fought by Chester Bedell with Relations and Presbyterian Intolerance, by Himself.

Preface
Through life I have based all my actions on the principles laid down by the founders of our government, that all men were created free and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and I have believed that these ends are attained through reason, a better guide than faith. Reason told me that “to believe or be damned” was downright fraud and had no place in the scale of reason. I adopted the principle that the time to be happy was now and the place to be happy was here. Reason taught me that the place to be happy, removed to a place no one knows where, was not reason. I married into a Presbyterian family and all things moved along pleasantly till we had two children born. Then I was notified by my father-in-law that I must join the church and have my children baptized if I expected any consideration from him. I told him we were getting along nicely, outside the church. He told me I had no right to raise a family outside the church and unbaptized. He sent his preacher, by the name of Robinson to baptize our children. I told the preacher he might baptize as much as he pleased, it would do no good or harm. Church matters waxed warmer. I could not brook the idea of being a slave and compelled to do what my reason told me was wrong.
I will say here that at different times Presbyterian deacons, John Hartzell, Stephen Miller, Wm. Miller and Frederick Hartzell with their teachers, admonished me that Henry Hartzell, my father-in-law was very indignant because he had taken great pains to bring up his daughter under Presbyterian faith, and she was being led astray by me. I told them that myself and family had no trouble. My religious views were strictly my own. Thus matters passed on till Simon Hartzell put on the war paint and feathers, and with hatchet raised, employed two detectives to hunt up something for an excuse to tomahawk Bedell. In this he was backed by his father and others, and behold! On the twenty-second of August 1882, the story was developed that they saw C. Bedell and his son Henry Bedell passing along the road in the night by the light of the moon. The Almanac of that date says there was no moon. They also testified that they were paid detectives of Hartzell’s and did not tell Hartzell of the occurrence for about 10 months after, giving the reason that they were afraid they would be shot. Three of these witnesses were indicted for perjury, and one, rather than face the music shot himself. J. O. Eckis served a term in prison at Columbus. Another chapter: Frederick Helsel, an adopted son of Simon Hartzell, was occupying a barn and it was burned down. Simon Hartzell telegraphed to John R Cantwell, chief of police at Youngstown, to come. He came, questioned F. Helsel abut the burning and if he saw anybody around. He said he saw no one. Helsel went before the grand jury and made oath that he saw Chester Bedell set fire to the barn and ran way from the fire. I will say right here that Frederick Helsel is serving a term in prison, and that Simon Hartzell kept the hatchet raised till about all his warriors were dead or in prison and bankrupt. I will say farther that Frederick Helsel and Henry Hartzell persuaded Cumpfert Bowman to interfere in the exercise of a person’s own choice, but failed, as did all the rest of them. I mention these things to show the dangerous element in religious intolerance.
So much for relation and religious war, which was very annoying and costly, but the victory was complete. I am fully paid and there is demonstrated clearly the fact that right will not down if a man id properly defended

 

Obituary for Chester Bedell, Alliance Review:

https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=hartzell&id=I5785

YouTube video on the Hartzell Cemetery

https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=hartzell&id=I5785

Internet site for Evangelical Christian’s visit to Hartzell Cemetery

http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/Snakes_infest_an_atheist%27s_grave

The Hartzell Cemetery

the family cemetery of Strong’s, Henry’s, Hartzell’s , Lazarus’, Malmsberry’s, Aile’s  and many other North Benton Families.  

The families listed above are related and many family members are buried in the cemetery.  The cemetery has tombs that date to the early 1800’s.