Riverside Cemetery

A stone said to have fallen from the sky rests among the graves of Riverside Cemetery, but it may not be the strangest presence found here. Stretching across both Branch and Calhoun counties, this active cemetery has approximately 6,500 permanent residents and an oldest recorded burial dating to 1837. Its weathered headstones preserve the stories of abolitionists, artists, soldiers, inventors and other figures from Union City’s past. According to those who have walked these grounds, however, a few of Riverside’s residents may still be making themselves known.

Another restless presence is said to be connected to the 1914 murder of Fannie Parks Lathrop, whose grave can be found at Riverside. Her death became part of the story behind one of Union City’s most ominously named landmarks: Dead Man’s Hollow. According to local lore, the spirit of the man responsible for Fannie’s murder remains unable to find peace, lingering near the cemetery where she was laid to rest. Dead Man’s Hollow has inspired its own collection of unsettling stories over the years, including reports of strange sensations and an unexplained uneasiness that settles over those who pass through.

Riverside also holds the graves of Carrie Krull and her daughter, whose deaths followed a tragic poisoning. According to local history, Carrie accidentally used arsenic while making biscuits for her family. Several family members became ill after eating them, and both Carrie and her daughter died.

The strange stone introduced at the beginning of Riverside’s story can be found within the Gaw family plot. Said to be a meteor that crashed onto the family farm, the unusual monument inspired Union City author Patricia Polacco’s 1987 children’s book Meteor. The story recounts the night the object fell from the sky and transformed the quiet farm into a carnival-like gathering place. Visitors now come from across the country to see and touch the mysterious stone for themselves. Is it truly a visitor from outer space—or simply another legend that has found a permanent home at Riverside?

From a woman who disappears among the oldest graves to a restless spirit tied to one of Union City’s darkest chapters, Riverside Cemetery is filled with stories that refuse to be forgotten…