South Ridge Cemetery + Geocaching

Last weekend a friend of mine asked if I wanted to do anything. Every winter I go through the struggle of being completely bored but also not wanting to leave my bed and venture out into the cold. (Really, how did I survive in Russia for two years). I decided I should just suck it up and do something, but then came the decision of what to actually do. We have been wanting to go to Lake View Cemetery again, but it was too cold to spend more than 20 minutes outside. I then remembered this small cemetery I wanted to take pictures of, and it was small enough that we could get out for a few minutes and then get in and go to a warm coffee shop. My cousins also told me there was a geocache inside. I knew I had to try to find it because I had yet to find one in all the times I've searched.

South Ridge Cemetery, also known as Pioneer Cemetery, has an interesting history. The land was originally owned by Silas Antisdel from Norwich, CT who settled there in 1812. However, Elijah and Mary Hanks sold it to the town of Madison for $30. The oldest headstone belongs to Silas A'Tisdel Jr. who died on March 22, 1813. He was only 23 years old. We were really surprised how many people buried there were in their 20s or younger. One man buried there, Deacon Jesse Ladd, who died in 1816, was a veteran from the American Revolution! While many of the stones still hold their old charm, the cemetery was being cared for by a former neighbor. Some of the old stones have been replaced with new ones as well. This article has more interesting history on the cemetery.

Not only did we take pictures, but I knew it was my chance to finally find a geocache. We spent some time looking for it, but it was so cold that I was about to give up when my friend looked in the center of an old trees trunk and found the container. We had a little bit of trouble trying to open it - a mix of having cold hands and not being sure if it should be opened like a pill bottle or not (hint: open it like a pill bottle). Inside contained paper with a list of names of people who had found it previously, a little army guy (not pictured), some spider rings, and a little toy. We didn't take anything except a picture for memories. I'm so glad we found it and it rekindled my desire to find more.