Bill Moose Memorial

Bill Moose Memorial. . , As the sun set on Sunday, July 18, 1937, Bill Moose's casket was lifted from the catafalque (wooden framework pictured middle) while the sounds of a tom-tom and a tribal chant marked the beginning of his gravesite service here at Wyandot Park., Who Was Bill Moose? , Reported to be the last of the full-blooded Wyandot Indians to live in Ohio, Bill Moose was born September 9, 1837 just north of Upper Sandusky. His family was one of the few who refused to move when the Wyandot Indians were relocated further west., After travelling for many years with the Sells Brothers Circus starting in 1878, Bill returned to central Ohio and by 1920 had taken up residence in a shack by railroad tracks near Morse Road. He was known to stand outside his cabin in full headdress selling trinkets and posing for pictures. He spent the final years of his life in the Franklin County Home where he died on July 12, 1937 at the age of 99., Why Is He Buried Here? , Several years prior to Bill Moose's death, the Columbus City Council donated these grounds to be his final resting place, referring to the site as 'Wyandot Hill.' The Civic Committee members whose names are engraved here were instrumental in obtaining the land, arranging the funeral and securing the funds to create this striking monument. This area was annexed by Upper Arlington in 1972., Upon His Death , Bill Moose's body was wrapped in an Indian blanket and adorned with a necklace of eagle claws and an eagle feather between his hands., After he lay in repose for several days at the Rutherford Funeral Home, a procession for Bill Moose began at 8 am on July 18, 1937, with state, county and local officials wending their way to this site. It is estimated that well over 10,000 people attended the viewing days and funeral proceedings., The Memorial , This granite teepee monument was dedicated during a ceremony on Sunday, October 17, 1937. The 39 boulders comprising the over nine foot-tall structure were sourced from the banks of the Scioto River.