Bill Moose Commemorative Collage

This collage was created to commemorate the life of Bill Moose, known as "the last of the Wyandots". He was born in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, but became familiar with central Ohio in his youth when he traveled with his parents to the burial site of Wyandot Chief Leatherlips (Chief Shateyaronyah) to pay their respects. They would spend time in the area making sugar at encampments between the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers. Bill became particularly fond of the Elmwood (Linworth) area through these experiences and eventually moved to central Ohio, living for a number of years in a cabin built for him a few miles south of Worthington. Leonard Insley, publisher of the Worthington News and Mayor of Worthington printed a card containing Bill's picture on one side and brief biography on the other, which Bill would sell to folks who would visit his cabin. Bill Moose died in 1937, and was laid to rest in full tribal costume. He lay in state at Rutherford Funeral Home at 2383 N. High Street in Columbus from July 13-18, 1937, where over 1,600 people came to pay their respects. Thousands of people attended his funeral, which was arranged by a committee comprised of P. E. Rutherford, Leonard Insley, F. E. Thompson, Dr. Howard Miller, and J. F. Hill. An elaborate ceremony followed a procession to the grave site at Wyandot Hill, located at Riverside Drive and Lane Road. Thousands of people attended.

The image in the center of the Bill Moose Commemorative Collage is a painting by Artist Hal Sherman, "Last of the Wyandots C. 1860". Beneath it is a caption "At sugar making time Bill Moose is honoring Chief Leatherlips by sprinkling tobacco on his grave. His parents along with Joseph Thompson and his son, Samuel, are looking on." Along the left had side of the collage are; (top) a photograph dated ca. 1925 of Bill Moose and visiting children at his cabin south of Worthington near Morse Road and the Pennsylvania/New York Central Railroad tracks; (middle) members of Linworth United Methodist Church youth group, Extreme Impact at the Bill Moose burial site during a field trip to honor his memory; (bottom) the inscription on Bill Moose's burial site which reads "Bill Moose Last of the Wyandots Born in 1837 and whose death in 1937 marks the passing of the Indians from this territory". Images along the right hand side of the collage are; (top) Bill Moose's souvenir card that he would sell to visitor of his cabin, printed by Leonard Insley; (middle) Rutherford Funeral Home, where Bill Moose lay in state; (bottom) Wyandot Hill, Burial site of Bill Moose July 18, 1937. The original collage is now located at Rutherford Funeral Home.