Seville in Medina County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
"The Giants of Seville"
Photographed by Duane Hall, May 24, 2010
1. The Giants of Seville Marker
(Front Side)
Seville's most famous residents, Captain Martin Van Buren Bates (1845-1919) and Anna Swan Bates (1848-1889) settled here in 1873. Their notoriety stemmed from their dramatic stature: Martin, a former Confederate soldier from Kentucky, stood 7 feet 8 inches tall; Anna, a would-be teacher from Nova Scotia, stood 7 feet 11 1/2 inches tall. They met on the carnival circuit in New Jersey in 1871 and wedded in England the same year in a ceremony orchestrated by Queen Victoria.
(Continued on other side)
(Back Side)
(Continued from other side)
Returning to America, Captain and Mrs. Bates bought a farm at the edge of Seville, built and furnished a house (razed in 1948) proportioned for their comfort, and retired to small-town agricultural life. Martin raised blooded stock and draft horses; Anna entertained and taught Sunday school. In 1879, Anna gave birth to a child who weighed a record 23 3/4 pounds, but lived only 11 hours. The Bateses and their child are interred in nearby Mound Hill Cemetery. Seville continues to celebrate their symbolic larger-than-life neighbors.
Erected 2000 by The Ohio Bicentennial
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Education • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #08 Martin Van Buren, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1873.
Location. 41° 0.601′ N, 81° 51.98′ W. Marker is in Seville, Ohio, in Medina County. It is at the intersection of W. Main St and Pleasant St, on the left when traveling west on W. Main St. Marker is located in Stanhope Park, a triangular piece of land between W. Main Street, Pleasant Street, and High Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Seville OH 44273, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest and in the
Photographed by Duane Hall, May 24, 2010
2. The Giants of Seville Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Seville (within shouting distance of this marker); This Flagpole (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Seville (approx. 0.7 miles away); Capt. M. V. Bates - Wife Anna Swan Bates - Infant Boy (approx. 0.7 miles away); Veterans, Members, and Friends of Sky Park (approx. 3.6 miles away); Skypark (approx. 3.7 miles away); Birth of Skypark (approx. 3.7 miles away); General Elijah Wadsworth (approx. 7.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Seville.
Regarding "The Giants of Seville". The 2012 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records notes Martin Van Buren Bates and Anna Hanen Swan as the World's Tallest Married Couple Ever. Martin is listed at 7 feet, 2.5 inches (2.20 m) and Anna is listed at 7 feet, 5.5 inches
Photographed by Duane Hall, May 24, 2010
3. The Giants of Seville Marker in Stanhope Park
Also see . . .
1. Martin Van Buren Bates - Wikipedia. (Submitted on December 21, 2012, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)
2. The Giant of the Hills - Martin Van Buren Bates. (Submitted on December 21, 2012, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)
Photographed by Duane Hall, May 24, 2010
4. Gravesites of the Bates in Mound Hill Cemetery
Photographed by Duane Hall, May 24, 2010
5. Metal Tablet at Bates Gravesites
Born in Kentucky in 1845, died 1919 in Seville
7' 9" tall, weight 470 lbs.
WIFE ANNA SWAN BATES
Born in Nova Scotia in 1848, died 1889 in Seville
7' 11" tall, weight 413 lbs.
INFANT BOY
Born in Seville on January 18, 1879. Lived 11 hours.
30" long, weight 23 3/4 lbs.
Photographed by Duane Hall, May 24, 2010
6. Mound Hill Cemetery
Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 18, 2012, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 4,167 times since then and 198 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 18, 2012, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. 5, 6. submitted on January 21, 2014, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
