"LONG REST" was the name Charlie Crosson chose for the grave he dug for himself overlooking the valley where he grew up. He enclosed the area in a fence laid up from rocks gathered in the vicinity. It is located one mile east and three and one-half miles south of the US-81 and KS-41 intersection. It sits about one quarter mile west of the road.
Private Charles Elliott Crosson served under Col. Frederick Funston in the Twentieth Kansas Regiment during the Philippine Insurrection of 1898-99. According to the official record, Private Crosson was wounded on February 4, 1898, the day before the fighting officially began. His wound, however, was so slight it was not reported. Nevertheless, Charlie made the most of his Philippine experience to serve him the rest of his life.
Returning from the Philippines, Charlie tried to become a gentleman farmer until the cost of hiring help exceeded the farm's profits. He sold the farm and moved to Minneapolis. Charlie became adept at whittling and carving. His carved designs on wood products included walking sticks and the stocks of his gun collection. Later he built and carved a walnut casket for himself. Wearing his military uniform, he displayed his coffin, guns, and other handicrafts at county fairs.
Later he purchased the plot of land on top of the hill overlooking the valley of his boyhood home. Here he build a concrete vault for his grave, added a cannon engraved with his autobiography, and a stone fence border with various stone towers. Born March 2, 1871, Charlie's exercise in building the grave site helped to prolong his life to 80 years before he was laid to rest in his grave.
Everyone who knew Charlie remember that he carried a binocular case on his side. At the sound of an airplane he would whip out his binoculars and search the sky. His interest in airplanes stemmed from the flying exploits of his niece, Marval Crosson, and nephew, Joe Crosson, both famous pilots.
Born a few miles south of Charlie's home, Marval and Joe moved with their parents to California when they were young. Both Marval and Joe took an early interest in flying. At the time of her death, Marval held the women's altitude record. In 1929 while competing in the first cross-country Women's Air Derby with the top women flyers including Amelia Earhart, Marval was killed when bailing out too low from her stricken airplane. Some people believed they saw evidence that someone had sabotaged her airplane. In any case this was the end of an active woman pilot.
Joe became a hero for numerous missions as a bush pilot in Alaska. In 1929 he discovered the body of the famous Arctic flyer, Carl Ben Eiellson. In 1931 he flew a mercy mission to an Eskimo village with flu serum. In 1935 he had the grievous task of flying the bodies of his friends, Will Rogers and Wiley Post, back to Seattle after their crash off Point Barrow, Alaska.
Joe was instrumental in forming an Alaskan airline. We know it today as Northwest Airlines.
"The Fighting Twentieth," History and Official Souvenir of the Twentieth Kansas Regiment, (Topeka, KS, 1899) p. 71
Private Charles Elliott Crosson served under Col. Frederick Funston in the Twentieth Kansas Regiment during the Philippine Insurrection of 1898-99. According to the official record, Private Crosson was wounded on February 4, 1898, the day before the fighting officially began. His wound, however, was so slight it was not reported. Nevertheless, Charlie made the most of his Philippine experience to serve him the rest of his life.
Returning from the Philippines, Charlie tried to become a gentleman farmer until the cost of hiring help exceeded the farm's profits. He sold the farm and moved to Minneapolis. Charlie became adept at whittling and carving. His carved designs on wood products included walking sticks and the stocks of his gun collection. Later he built and carved a walnut casket for himself. Wearing his military uniform, he displayed his coffin, guns, and other handicrafts at county fairs.
Later he purchased the plot of land on top of the hill overlooking the valley of his boyhood home. Here he build a concrete vault for his grave, added a cannon engraved with his autobiography, and a stone fence border with various stone towers. Born March 2, 1871, Charlie's exercise in building the grave site helped to prolong his life to 80 years before he was laid to rest in his grave.
Everyone who knew Charlie remember that he carried a binocular case on his side. At the sound of an airplane he would whip out his binoculars and search the sky. His interest in airplanes stemmed from the flying exploits of his niece, Marval Crosson, and nephew, Joe Crosson, both famous pilots.
Born a few miles south of Charlie's home, Marval and Joe moved with their parents to California when they were young. Both Marval and Joe took an early interest in flying. At the time of her death, Marval held the women's altitude record. In 1929 while competing in the first cross-country Women's Air Derby with the top women flyers including Amelia Earhart, Marval was killed when bailing out too low from her stricken airplane. Some people believed they saw evidence that someone had sabotaged her airplane. In any case this was the end of an active woman pilot.
Joe became a hero for numerous missions as a bush pilot in Alaska. In 1929 he discovered the body of the famous Arctic flyer, Carl Ben Eiellson. In 1931 he flew a mercy mission to an Eskimo village with flu serum. In 1935 he had the grievous task of flying the bodies of his friends, Will Rogers and Wiley Post, back to Seattle after their crash off Point Barrow, Alaska.
Joe was instrumental in forming an Alaskan airline. We know it today as Northwest Airlines.
"The Fighting Twentieth," History and Official Souvenir of the Twentieth Kansas Regiment, (Topeka, KS, 1899) p. 71
"LONG REST" was the name Charlie Crosson chose for the grave he dug for himself overlooking the valley where he grew up. He enclosed the area in a fence laid up from rocks gathered in the vicinity. It is located one mile east and three and one-half miles south of the US-81 and KS-41 intersection. It sits about one quarter mile west of the road.
Private Charles Elliott Crosson served under Col. Frederick Funston in the Twentieth Kansas Regiment during the Philippine Insurrection of 1898-99. According to the official record, Private Crosson was wounded on February 4, 1898, the day before the fighting officially began. His wound, however, was so slight it was not reported. Nevertheless, Charlie made the most of his Philippine experience to serve him the rest of his life.
Returning from the Philippines, Charlie tried to become a gentleman farmer until the cost of hiring help exceeded the farm's profits. He sold the farm and moved to Minneapolis. Charlie became adept at whittling and carving. His carved designs on wood products included walking sticks and the stocks of his gun collection. Later he built and carved a walnut casket for himself. Wearing his military uniform, he displayed his coffin, guns, and other handicrafts at county fairs.
Later he purchased the plot of land on top of the hill overlooking the valley of his boyhood home. Here he build a concrete vault for his grave, added a cannon engraved with his autobiography, and a stone fence border with various stone towers. Born March 2, 1871, Charlie's exercise in building the grave site helped to prolong his life to 80 years before he was laid to rest in his grave.
Everyone who knew Charlie remember that he carried a binocular case on his side. At the sound of an airplane he would whip out his binoculars and search the sky. His interest in airplanes stemmed from the flying exploits of his niece, Marval Crosson, and nephew, Joe Crosson, both famous pilots.
Born a few miles south of Charlie's home, Marval and Joe moved with their parents to California when they were young. Both Marval and Joe took an early interest in flying. At the time of her death, Marval held the women's altitude record. In 1929 while competing in the first cross-country Women's Air Derby with the top women flyers including Amelia Earhart, Marval was killed when bailing out too low from her stricken airplane. Some people believed they saw evidence that someone had sabotaged her airplane. In any case this was the end of an active woman pilot.
Joe became a hero for numerous missions as a bush pilot in Alaska. In 1929 he discovered the body of the famous Arctic flyer, Carl Ben Eiellson. In 1931 he flew a mercy mission to an Eskimo village with flu serum. In 1935 he had the grievous task of flying the bodies of his friends, Will Rogers and Wiley Post, back to Seattle after their crash off Point Barrow, Alaska.
Joe was instrumental in forming an Alaskan airline. We know it today as Northwest Airlines.
"The Fighting Twentieth," History and Official Souvenir of the Twentieth Kansas Regiment, (Topeka, KS, 1899) p. 71
Private Charles Elliott Crosson served under Col. Frederick Funston in the Twentieth Kansas Regiment during the Philippine Insurrection of 1898-99. According to the official record, Private Crosson was wounded on February 4, 1898, the day before the fighting officially began. His wound, however, was so slight it was not reported. Nevertheless, Charlie made the most of his Philippine experience to serve him the rest of his life.
Returning from the Philippines, Charlie tried to become a gentleman farmer until the cost of hiring help exceeded the farm's profits. He sold the farm and moved to Minneapolis. Charlie became adept at whittling and carving. His carved designs on wood products included walking sticks and the stocks of his gun collection. Later he built and carved a walnut casket for himself. Wearing his military uniform, he displayed his coffin, guns, and other handicrafts at county fairs.
Later he purchased the plot of land on top of the hill overlooking the valley of his boyhood home. Here he build a concrete vault for his grave, added a cannon engraved with his autobiography, and a stone fence border with various stone towers. Born March 2, 1871, Charlie's exercise in building the grave site helped to prolong his life to 80 years before he was laid to rest in his grave.
Everyone who knew Charlie remember that he carried a binocular case on his side. At the sound of an airplane he would whip out his binoculars and search the sky. His interest in airplanes stemmed from the flying exploits of his niece, Marval Crosson, and nephew, Joe Crosson, both famous pilots.
Born a few miles south of Charlie's home, Marval and Joe moved with their parents to California when they were young. Both Marval and Joe took an early interest in flying. At the time of her death, Marval held the women's altitude record. In 1929 while competing in the first cross-country Women's Air Derby with the top women flyers including Amelia Earhart, Marval was killed when bailing out too low from her stricken airplane. Some people believed they saw evidence that someone had sabotaged her airplane. In any case this was the end of an active woman pilot.
Joe became a hero for numerous missions as a bush pilot in Alaska. In 1929 he discovered the body of the famous Arctic flyer, Carl Ben Eiellson. In 1931 he flew a mercy mission to an Eskimo village with flu serum. In 1935 he had the grievous task of flying the bodies of his friends, Will Rogers and Wiley Post, back to Seattle after their crash off Point Barrow, Alaska.
Joe was instrumental in forming an Alaskan airline. We know it today as Northwest Airlines.
"The Fighting Twentieth," History and Official Souvenir of the Twentieth Kansas Regiment, (Topeka, KS, 1899) p. 71
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