Tales Of Ogle   Page 01
-- Fossett search
-- Beautification Of Grounds Around The Grave Of Thomas Ogle
-- Tales of Old England - might even be true

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 Son hopes Fossett search will solve mystery of missing Dad

Sep 11, 2007  -  By ALICE WALLACE  -  Sun staff writer

More than 40 years have passed since Gainesville resident William Ogle last saw his father.

Ogle's father, Charles, a recreational pilot, set out from Oakland, Calif., to attend a business meeting in Reno, Nev., in his private Cessna 210 in August 1964 - and that was the last time anyone ever saw him.

William Ogle, says he hopes for answers to his dad's fate.

Searches for Charles Ogle, who was 41 when he disappeared over the Sierra Nevadas, produced no signs of the pilot.

"It's important to our family, since we have had to wonder and think about this for so long. We'd like to see some closure," said William Ogle, 47, who was only 4 when his father disappeared. Ogle moved to Gainesville two years ago and works as an assistant professor in the department of biomedical engineering at the University of Florida.

As dozens of search planes have scanned an area spanning 17,000 square miles in the effort to find Fossett, searchers have discovered the wreckage of at least eight other aircraft that might have crashed years or even decades ago, rekindling the family's hope that they might find out if "Chazzie" did indeed perish in a plane crash.

When William Ogle's aunt learned of the additional wrecks being discovered, she called her nephew and he, in turn, called the Civil Air Patrol Nevada Wing to see if it's possible one of the wrecks could be his father's.

But it could be some time before Ogle learns whether his father's plane is among those found.

Officials have told the Ogle family that although eight wrecked planes have been discovered, investigators will not focus on those crashes until the search for Fossett is over.

"I anticipate it's going to be a couple months, at least," Ogle said.

Officials told him that once the Fossett search ends, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will be doing complete investigations into each of the other crashes.

"There'll be full-blown FAA investigations as if (the crashes) happened yesterday," he said.

Ogle said it wasn't until 1985 that his family even learned where Charles Ogle had been headed when he took off in 1964. Ogle said his parents were in the midst of a divorce during that time, and Charles' mistress was the last to see him before he left.

Decades later, William Ogle and his sister were contacted by their half-sister, who connected the Ogles with their father's mistress.

The woman told them that Charles Ogle, a successful businessman and developer in the San Francisco Bay area, had been headed to Reno for a business trip when he disappeared.

"We knew he took off in a plane, but he didn't file a flight plan, so we didn't know where he was going," Ogle said.

When Charles Ogle never returned from his trip, searchers simply combed a grid around the airport looking for wreckage since the pilot did not file a flight plan specifying which direction he was headed.

Ogle said his father's route would have been slightly farther north than the area where Fossett's plane is expected to be, but since searchers are hunting such a large area, it's possible that his father's plane could be within that area.

He also said officials with the Civil Air Patrol Nevada Wing have told him that one of the wrecked planes could be from a crash dating back to the 1960s.

Ogle said it has been an emotional week since finding out that his family might finally learn what happened to Charles Ogle. "I was full of hope last week, but now I'm starting to worry they won't find his plane," Ogle said.
Alice Wallace can be reached at 352-338-3109 or alice.wallace@gvillesun.com.   Copyright © The Gainesville Sun
Maj. Cynthia Ryan of the Civil Air Patrol said investigating the old wrecks will have to wait until the search for Fossett is done. Then, she said, "we can pull resources and go into some of these rather treacherous areas and really comb through that wreckage, find some serial numbers, run it through manufacturers and find out who the buyer was."

 --  Reprinted here with permission of The Gainesville Sun.
Young Charles Charles Ogle - Navy Charles Ogle Charles and William
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 Beautification Of Grounds Around The Grave Of Thomas Ogle
The 227-year-old gravesite of Thomas Ogle (1705-1771), founder of Ogletown, Delaware, with its distinctive capstone containing Thomas’ personal epitaph carved in old-font letters, was a pitiful, deteriorating sight in early 1998.
The once elegant grave and capstone of the grandson of the immigrant John Ogle (1664/65-1684) had badly endured the ravages of time and the elements. Too many debilitating expansions and contractions during too many freezing winters and hot summers had cracked the tough capstone, forcing removal and storage of most of the broken pieces. Too many years of acid rain, corrosive carbon monoxide, and old-timer’s disease had eroded and practically destroyed this carefully selected, once lovely, final resting site of an important early Ogle Colonialist.
Uncut grass, ubiquitous weeds, poison ivy, and matted leaves collected about the crumbling foundation. Assorted debris blown by ill winds from the adjacent busy intersection further degraded the sanctity of this pastoral retreat so carefully and thoughtfully selected by Thomas.

Many Delaware historians, researchers, citizens, and even O/OFA members, long aware of pioneer Thomas Ogle and the unsightly condition of his grave, had become complacent. The gravesite might well have continued in a state of disrepair and disregard had not the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) decided in 1998 to correct the deteriorating situation.


(Photo by James H. Donalson)

Before proceeding with this story of the restoration and beautification of his gravesite, let us first take a closer look at Thomas Ogle, the man.
 


Thomas Ogle (1705-1771)

Thomas Ogle (b. 1705 in Del., d. 23 Dec. 1771 in New Castle Co., Del., possibly married three times and with nine known children), was the son of Thomas Ogle (b. 1666/72 in Del., d. between 30 July and 18 Sep. 1734 in New Castle Co., Del.) and Mary Crawford. He was the grandson of the immigrant John Ogle (b. 1648/49 – d.1684) and Elizabeth, whose maiden name has not been irrefutably identified.
Thomas (b. 1705) became a wealthy and influential businessman and planter in New Castle County. He owned three mills and a wharf at Christiana Bridge, hundreds of acres of agricultural and forested land in New Castle Co., and many additional investments.
Thomas built a stylish, two-story, brick house in 1739 at the northeast corner of a junction of three important roads: present day Del. 273, which extended from Christiana Bridge to Nottingham in Penn.; Del. 4 (Chestnut Hill Rd.) from Stanton through Newark (Del.) to the Elk River in Maryland; and Red Mill Road, which ran north from the intersection of 273 and 4 to Comer Ketch. All these roads were significant transportation arteries by 1750 and have remained important for 250 years. A fourth highway, Salem Church Rd., was constructed in 1827 in a southerly direction from the intersection.
Thomas Ogle’s various businesses, large land holdings, and community influence led to the sizable area around his home being named Ogle Town (later Ogletown) sometime before 1762. The stately house, which Thomas also operated as an inn, survived for 216 years. Thomas was buried near the historic house and a reasonable distance from the then narrow, dirt roads that formed the crossroads.

Delaware Department Of Transportation Restores Thomas Ogle Grave

In 1955, when the Delaware Department of Transportation widened the roads, the Thomas Ogle house got in the way of progress. The State purchased the land containing Thomas Ogle’s house and gravesite. Delaware donated the historic house to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), which agreed to move it.

Unfortunately, the DAR’s plans were never carried out and the historic house was destroyed.

The original grave marker, a flat, stone slab inscribed with Thomas Ogle’s epitaph, had been placed over a slightly raised base. Some 200-plus years later, after various expansions of the roads, Thomas’ burial site was very close to the eastbound State Road (SR) 273 overpass, at the northwest intersection ramps of SR 273 and SR 4.

The capstone slab cracked badly through the years. Sixteen pieces (large and small) were removed in the late 1980s when the intersection was widened and greatly expanded. The broken sections, some with illegible or missing words, are being preserved at the University of Delaware’s Center for Archeological Research. During this period the gravesite became overgrown and unsightly.

Recognizing the need for a safer and smother highway mixing bowl, Delaware Department of Transportation built a new interchange around Del. 273 and Chestnut Hill Rd. New surfaces were aligned to avoid the frequent flooding of the underpass and to give Thomas’ grave more resting room. While building the new interchange The Delaware Department of Transportation fulfilled its historic and cultural responsibility to the gravesite. The new SR 273 construction avoided the grave area as the ramp connection and intersection were shifted away from the grave. Carefully and professionally, The Delaware Department of Transportation provided for the excellent restoration of Thomas Ogle’s burial plot, spending several thousand dollars in the process.

Using proven archeological techniques, The Delaware Department of Transportation expertly and respectfully confirmed that Thomas Ogle’s remains were still at the original location. Without disturbing the remains, The Delaware Department of Transportation prepared new concrete footings on which a new brick mausoleum/base was constructed to support the capstone. The 4”, red brick wall is backed with 4”, solid blocks to establish an overall 8” masonry wall 6’ 6” long by 3’ 6” wide, by 20” high.
The Delaware Department of Transportation purchased a new, 600-pound, granite, replacement capstone, which, on August 12, 1998, was placed on top of the short mausoleum base and sealed. The inscription on the new capstone artfully matches the original design details, old-fashioned, engravement font, and wording (insofar as The Delaware Department of Transportation and the Center for Archeological Research were able to determine):
Here lies the Body of
THOMAS OGLE
Who departed this Life
The 23 of December 1771
Aged 66 Years

Glass is run my Work is done
Dead I lie under Ground
Entombed in Clay until the Day
I hear the Trumpet sound
At a cost of $445 (funds provided by Del. State Representative Richard DiLiberto), The Delaware Department of Transportation installed on the brick burial wall under the capstone, a 20" by 10" permanent, bronze plaque that reads:
Thomas Ogle II Gravesite

Originally a cross-roads, farming and gathering community,
Thomas Ogle II and Ogle family generations have lived in the
Area for over 250 years. This plaque commemorates Ogletown
Area and the Ogle family influence.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (logo)
Although The Delaware Department of Transportation did not install any parking spaces off the busy intersection, visitors can park nearby and walk a short distance to the gravesite that is easily visible from the traffic flow. Large, circular, colored, stepping-stones were evenly spaced from Ogletown Rd. to the gravesite for visitors to use during wet conditions.

A writer for the Wilmington News Journal in 1998 said it well, “Thomas Ogle’s grave is the last vestige of a town that was founded before the American Revolution and has been virtually under siege ever since.” Large office buildings, condos, apartments, sub-divisions, shopping centers, and highways and streets have long since replaced the pastoral setting of Thomas’ days.

Up to this point, restoration of the grave had been a coordinated effort among a few state agencies and facilities. The Delaware Department of Transportation had provided most of the funds for the project while then Senior Transportation Planner Michael C. Hahn provided the leadership and supervision.

The Ogle/Ogles Family Association became involved after learning that The Delaware Department of Transportation was short of funds and was seeking financial assistance to help beautify the grounds around the grave.

O/OFA Finances Beautification of Area Around Thomas Ogle’s Grave

The O/OFA leadership quickly grasped the opportunity and privilege and approved a grant dedicating $1,000 to landscape the immediate area around the grave and $500 for a commemorative bronze plaque. After all, Thomas Ogle was a notable, Ogle Colonial ancestor, the progenitor of thousands of Ogles in America, and only two generations removed from the immigrant John Ogle, who, very likely was the first Ogle to relocate to America from England.

Working closely with Jennifer Hannum, a talented The Delaware Department of Transportation Environmental Planner, O/OFA selected a landscape proposal from a firm in Smyrna, Del. On Nov. 5, 1999, the landscaper deposited eight yards of topsoil at the gravesite and planted Bradford Pear trees, assorted perennial flowers, Rhododendron bushes and other shrubbery and ground cover.

A December 1999 view of the landscaping at Thomas Ogle’s gravesite.
The bronze plaque purchased by the Ogle/Ogles Family Association
Was affixed to this side of the grave wall in January 2000. Someone had left a nice Christmas wreath and a small American flag. (photo by The Delaware Department of Transportation)

Also the landscaper installed a plastic liner for weed control, one ton of white marble chips, and steel edging to form an attractive, all-weather, sloping walkway around the gravesite. The plants, trees and walkway are complemented by two mature trees that have grown close enough to the grave through the years to serve as loyal sentinels providing shade and companionship for Thomas Ogle and any summer visitors to his gravesite.
Additionally, O/OFA purchased a bronze plaque 18” wide by 15” tall which was installed in Jan. 2000 on the brick wall of the mausoleum/base of the grave, opposite the side where the Delaware Department of Transportation plaque is installed. The wording on our plaque is:
1999

The Ogle/Ogles Family Association, Inc.,
a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the
preservation of the history and genealogy of
the Ogle and Ogles Families of North America,
helped beautify this gravesite and honor the
memory of a Colonial ancestor,

Thomas Ogle
(b. 1705 – d. 1771)
Founder of Ogletown
By beautifying the area around Thomas’ grave and installing the commemorative, bronze plaque on the brick base of the grave, O/OFA has done a good thing! Our members can take justifiable pride in recognizing and honoring the memory of one of our earliest Ogle ancestors in the Colonies—one who made a difference during his lifetime.
Members are encouraged to visit Thomas Ogle’s gravesite in Ogletown if ever in the area. Enjoy the trees, bushes, flowers and atmosphere surrounding the site. Read the plaque and relate to the words. You helped make it all possible!
Printed here with Permissions:
Text: by George W. Ogles, President, The Ogle/Ogles Family Association, Inc., 1999
Photos: by James H. Donalson, Member OOFA, 1999.

All volumes of The Ogle Genealogist can still be purchased from the association.
 
 The following is either truth or fiction.

Regardless, it makes a good story and provides perhaps some interesting trivia.

LIFE IN THE 1500's? ... interesting info below if true:

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some puported facts about the 1500s...

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and, finally, the children. Last of all, the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw - piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor."

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying, "a thresh hold."

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, Peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the Pot, nine days old."

Sometimes they could obtain pork which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could "Bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and, "Chew the fat."

Those with money had plates made of pewter. F ood with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust."

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding "a wake".

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a Bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 Coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the ....graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell," or was considered a "dead ringer!"
 
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