If These Stones Could Talk

01/13/2020

Adam Crosswhite was portrayed in last year’s If These Stones Could Talk.

If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Crosswhite’s story, this is a good read.

In the 1840s, a black family fleeing slavery found refuge in Marshall, Michigan. Only a few years later, after settling into their new home, relatives of

10/14/2019

Thank you all who attended If These Stones Could Talk on Saturday evening! We had a wonderful turnout with an audience of 222 people! Ticket money raised will be used to repair, restore and clean grave sites at Oakridge Cemetery.

We would also like to thank our actors and volunteers for their time and talent in helping make this event such a success. We couldn't have done it without them!

10/09/2019

The Dibble family shaped the city of Marshall from its very start. Arriving from NY in the 1830s, Charles Philo Dibble became the village's first mayor, served as treasurer of the Marshall and Coldwater railroad, and built the Dibble Block. He named his home "Oaklawn," and it was eventually donated by his grandson, also Charles Dibble, to become Marshall's hospital. On Oct. 12th, come hear two of the Dibble children, Ben and Mary Louise (portrayed by local actors Remee Morse and Eliza MacQuaig), describe their father's legacy.

Visit or call the Marshall Welcome Center for tickets to If These Stones Could Talk, a unique local history cemetery walk, held at Oakridge cemetery. $15 in advance, $20 at the event.

10/07/2019

"For years I was the most talked about woman in town - and I liked it that way."

Between 1907 and 1988, L. Alta Brooks (portrayed by local actor Joan Saber) made quite a name for herself in this small, Midwestern town. Come hear her side of the story on Oct 12th at Oakridge Cemetery.

Visit or call the Marshall Welcome Center for tickets to If These Stones Could Talk, a unique local history cemetery walk. $15 in advance, $20 at the event.

10/01/2019

What do Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir have in common? They have all performed The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, which was penned in 1911 at Albion College and remains one of the most beloved and enduring fraternity songs in the U.S. On Oct 12th, come hear the story of F. Dudleigh Vernor (portrayed by local actor and musician Paul Rauth), the organist who wrote the melody for this college classic.

🎶 The blue of her eyes and the gold of her hair / Are a blend of the western sky / And the moonlight beams / On the girl of my dreams / She's the sweetheart of Sigma Chi 🎶

Visit or call the Marshall Welcome Center for tickets to If These Stones Could Talk, a unique local history cemetery walk. $15 in advance, $20 at the event.

09/27/2019

You, there! Have you heard the news of the Electro-Voltaic Belt? Why, it's the grandest discovery of the Nineteenth Century and is sure to cure what ails you! Invented and sold right here in Marshall, Michigan - the star of our booming patent-medicine scene. Martin "Cap" Wagner (portrayed by local actor Duane Dupee) will be happy to tell you all about it on Oct. 12th.

Visit or call the Marshall Welcome Center for tickets to If These Stones Could Talk, a unique local history cemetery walk, held at Oakridge Cemetery. $15 in advance, $20 at the event.

09/24/2019

As a child, Mary Stallings Coleman dreamed of becoming a lawyer, just like her parents. As an adult, she fought for the fair treatment of juvenile offenders as a juvenile court judge and became the first woman to serve as a Chief Justice on Michigan's Supreme Court. On Oct. 12th, come hear the Honorable Mary Stallings Coleman (portrayed by local actor Elinor Marsh) describe her rise to our state's highest bench.

Visit the Marshall Welcome Center for tickets to If These Stones Could Talk, a unique local history cemetery walk, held at Oakridge Cemetery. $15 in advance, $20 at the event.

09/20/2019

Abner Pratt was an imposing figure in early Marshall society - a Michigan legislator; a lawyer for the slaveholders in the Crosswhite case; a Chief Justice; and later, U.S. Consul to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), which inspired him to build the Honolulu House. Come hear Pratt (portrayed by local actor and magician John Sherwood) argue his case on October 12th at Oakridge Cemetery.

Visit the Marshall Welcome Center for tickets to If These Stones Could Talk, a unique local history cemetery walk. $15 in advance, $20 at the event.