Collecting signatures of as many attendees as she could, Anita Dial estimated there were over 90 people at Monday’s Silent City—double the number as last year. And one of the event’s biggest crowds, period.
“We estimated with our sign-in sheet and the people we saw who weren’t on the sign-in sheet that we had at least 90,” organizer Mike Watson stated. “Now some years, we have had 50. I think we broke 100 once.”
Silent City is an annual tradition that spans back to 2007 when the Adair County Genealogical Society collaborated with the public library to bring to life characters from Adair County’s history. Actors would don period-appropriate attire and relay the stories of those buried in the Adair County Cemetery to a crowd.
This year, the actors who inhabited the spirit of those interred at the cemetery were Richard Phelps, LeeAnn Jessee, Ellen and JD Zornes, Dave Thomas, and Mike Watson. Respectively, the presenters portrayed J.B. “Buck” Barbee (former mail carrier, innkeeper, and moonshine smuggler), Georgia Reed Shelton (first female superintendent of Adair County), Martha Morrison Gaither and Dr. Nathan Gaither (United States Representative and early recipient of the smallpox vaccine), Marshall H. Marcum (hotel owner), and John N. Page (druggist).
Each of the stories not only told the life story of the individual in question but also provided history of the area. In his presentation as Mr. Page, Watson described the history of how “druggists” evolved into pharmacists. Phelps’s presentation relayed how a stagecoach from Adair County found its way via John Wayne into a San Francisco bank.
When it comes to researching these figures, Watson described the process as, “What it comes down to for most people is we read their obituary and if it’s lengthy then we can spread out and find lots of information… We like to base everything on cold hard facts, but sometimes we have to bridge the gap… Like the Gaithers, we have facts on the Gaithers. But since she died in 1860 and he died 1862, we don’t have a lot of written material, so we go back to the genealogy and pull from there.”
This year, a wrench was thrown into the performances when the mic and speaker used by the presenters did not properly amplify their voices.
“The speaker box needs to be within about three feet of the microphone. Though, when we tested it in (the Genealogy Center), I came to the front window and they were in the backroom and they could hear me… We’re gonna use it on the square for (Oct. 25’s) Shot and Stabbed, so…” Watson crossed his fingers.
Still, Silent City’s 2024 tour through the cemetery experienced near-record turnout. Watson attributes the 90-plus sized crowd to who is being presented.
“This year, we had a great slate,” Watson said. “Sometimes we hope it will be Woodstock and we have more people than we could possibly deal with… Had it been five or 10 degrees warmer we may have had an even larger crowd. Since we started in 2007, we’ve had it so warm everyone was in short sleeves and shirts, and the performers were sweating buckets. We’ve had it spitting snow… but we’ve never cancelled.”
By Kenley Godby
kenley@adairvoice.com