Tomb Builders 2

2 Where R. R. Haynes’ tombstone was designed and carved is not known. On the day construction was to begin, after a good deal of planning and preparation, railroad flat cars carrying timbers, tools and the heavy marble elements of the tomb were pulled onto the railroad spur alongside the cemetery.

Press Freeman is shown in the center standing on the car with his hat slightly tilted back. The view is to the north with the hillside on which Stimpson Street was later built in the upper left background. It appears that all that remains on the car is the stone skirting of the memorial foundation base. The cemetery contained very few graves at that time, and employee gardens were located in the area to the left. There appears to be a house at the top of the hill and a couple of outbuildings or structures. Most of the arduous tasks of moving the monuments to the grave site were probably done by hand as none of the pictures show any draft animals or motorized machinery. A temporary ramp was constructed by “cribbing” lumber beams approximately the size of railroad ties. The flooring of the ramp was laid atop of the cribbed beams to form a gentle uphill slope to the grave site. Wooden rollers, pry bars, jimmy sticks and huge block and tackle components were used to lever the pieces to their destination.