HERMITS ....sechandler 8 24 14
 
What is a hermit?  Usually it is someone who chooses to close themselves off from society as much as they can.  Only associating with people to buy necessities. 

Today in my local paper there was an article about two Hermits that lived near by my town, They lived in Plymouth Ohio even today it's a small sleepy country town with not much action. Except when the flyer comes out on Tuesdays for the local grocery store then the pick ups and vans line the parking lot to pick up supplies. But that's not what I'm writing about today,
 
The two hermits she wrote about made their homes in two different small caves near Plymouth.  Each also had a small lean-to cabin built at the entrance where they could have a fire place to keep warm in winter.  The years were the 1830-1850. 
 
It was well known that Bill, was from a wealthy Boston family and they came to Plymouth twice to try to get him to return home.  He would not listen and lived in his cave for over 20 years. There are historic descriptions about Crazy Bill in some of the history records of the town

 He was unusually tall. Way over 6 foot and very skinny.  He made money by trapping and hunting selling the pelts or trading them for flour sugar and such things a person cannot find in the wild or make on their own.  Bill could talk, but most of the time a silent man He knew the Bible forward and backwards but did not often share a word with anyone.  He would come in pay for his wares and then walk with very long strides out the 4 or 5 miles to his cave.  One day someone noticed that Bill had not been to town all winter so someone rode out to his cave where they found him wrapped in a blanket dead for some time.  The comment was also made in the county record that Bill was much like a woman in many ways.  More likely Bill was gay and not being accepted either in Boston or in early Ohio he choose to be a hermit. 

They also found 10,000 dollars in gold coins in 3 fence posts.  Old Bill had hollowed out those fence posts and put a slit in the top in which he dropped the coins.  He left a letter leaving the 10,000 to take care of poor women in the township single ladies, and widows who found themselves in dire straights, paupers when they need someone to help them out.
Bill was not a bad character I would say misunderstood and probablly a lonely man forced by his nature to not fit in with society.  I am glad things have changed in our present world but it took way to long for it to happen.  
I will with in the next few days share the story of the 2nd Hermit from Plymouth.

Tags: History Gay Alone Loner Etcentric Tales Of Life