Whetstone Gravestones

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Whetstone Gravestones

WANTED: Locations of Hindostan Whetstone Grave Markers

Slabs for some early grave markers in southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois were produced from about 1814 to 1860 as a product of the Hindostan whetstone industry in Orange County, Indiana. Fine-grained siltstone was quarried as early as 1795 in that area for use as a whetstone—a slab of stone used to sharpen knives and other implements. Whetstone grave markers were among the very first commercial tombstones used in Indiana. Nearly 1,800 Hindostan whetstone markers (headstones, ledgers, and false crypts) have been found in 221 cemeteries in 30 counties in southern Indiana and 5 counties in southeastern Illinois (fig. 1).

Figure 1. Map showing location of cemeteries visited and occurrence of whetstone gravestones in Indiana and surrounding states.

Background

The production of whetstone grave markers peaked during the 1840s and dropped off rapidly in the early 1850s. The drop in production can be tied to improvements in transportation in southern Indiana. The establishment of regional railroad lines opened Indiana to white marble from places like Tennessee, Georgia, and Vermont. The Indiana limestone industry also began to produce and market commercial gravestones. The lighter colors of these later monuments were preferred. Unfortunately, the marble and limestone markers were much more susceptible to weathering and deteriorated rapidly. During the late 1800s they were eventually displaced by monuments of igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granite or, for a short period of time in the 1890s, by metal monuments. The whetstone tombstone industry was by then largely forgotten.

Whetstone Identification

Whetstone is cream to brown in color, which is in contrast to contemporary white marble, or gray limestone markers.
The layering (bedding) is visible on the edges of the markers (fig. 2). The siltstone layers represent tidal deposits and are called "rhythmites." Rhythmites consist of thick and thin sets or couplets. A couplet reflects the deposition of sediments during a daily high and low tide. The number of couplets included in the edge of a headstone 2¼ inches thick ranges from 7 to 16, consisting of 14 to 32 individual layers.
The whetstone slabs were quarried from horizontal- to slightly wavy-bedded siltstones (grains not discernable) in contrast to some markers of similar color made of sandstone (grains obvious).
Their shapes are typical of the pre-Civil War era (fig. 3).
More information on identifying whetstone gravestones.

Figure 2. Edge view of a Hindostan gravestone. The thick-thin pairing of the lamina identifies it as Hindostan whetstone.

Figure 3. Nearly two dozen general tombstone styles have been classified; approximately 60 variations on these styles have been identified in Indiana and surrounding states.

Help Us Locate More Whetstones

IGS research affiliate Richard Powell is searching for locations of graveyards or burial sites that contain whetstone tombstones, sarcophagi, and vaults. They may be found in graveyards along navigable waterways, canals, freight roads, and early railways. It is entirely possible that these stones were transported as far south as New Orleans, Louisiana. Some think a greater volume of whetstone was produced for tombstones than for sharpening stones during the early and middle nineteenth century.

Additional Information

To report a Hindostan gravestone or request additional information, contact:

Richard Powell
(812)332-7180
rlpowell@indiana.edu

OR

Indiana Geological Survey
(812) 855-7636
611 N. Walnut Grove
Bloomington, IN 47405
igsinfo@indiana.edu.