John Grimm's grave.

Roadside Grave Of A Man Killed By A Tree

Field review by the editors.

Marion, Ohio

This ancient American roadside attraction has puzzled passersby for over 170 years. John Grimm, age 52, was killed by a falling tree here on October 6, 1833. The white marble slab, set flush with the ground, is now right on the edge of this peaceful back road.

It's so old that its inscriptions have been re-chiseled, and now even those re-chiselings are almost worn away with time. The grave is protected by upright limestone slabs, loosely bolted together with rusted bars, forming a box.

To ensure that no tree will ever fall on John Grimm again?

Some readers may consider this a fairly lame tourist attraction, and we admit that its importance to our "Trees That Kill" category grew in direct proportion to how many times we crisscrossed little county roads trying to find it.

John Grimm's deteriorating gravestone.

If it's any consolation, there's an assortment of worthwhile oddities to inspect in nearby Marion, including Napoleon's Horse, the Popcorn Museum, and a Mysterious Moving Tombstone.

Roadside Grave Of A Man Killed By A Tree

Address:
Cardington Rd, Marion, OH
Directions:
Southeast of town. Hwy 98 south, cross Hwy 529, then first left (east) onto C-148/Firsten-Berger Rd. Third right onto C-153/East River Rd. First left onto C-154/Cardington Rd. Limestone box is on the right road shoulder about 1/4 mile.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
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May 22, 2013

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