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VAILE MANSION -
MAUSOLEUM MYSTERY?
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THREE CASKETS?
During a regular tour of Vaile Mansion with my family, we asked the tour
guide where we could find the Vailes' mausoleum. It was cool day outside, and we thought it might be interesting
to see Harvey and Sophie's final resting place. Our tour guide advised us that the mausoleum is in Woodland Cemetery
in Independence, Missouri. But then he told us about a mystery. Our tour guide reminded us that the Vailes had
never had children...but then told us that there was a third casket in the mausoleum. |
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Making the mystery even more compelling, the tour guide said that the third casket
was shorter than normal. We drove over to Woodland Cemetery, and took these pictures of the mausoleum.
Later, one of our Ghost Vigil Members began looking into who was buried within the Vaile Mausoleum. In internet
records Barbara found the following entry:
Harvey Merrick Vaile
Colonel, Division 1, Section 1, Block 5, Lot 7.
But there were no internet records of anyone else buried there. So Barbara contacted an employee of the Woodland
Cemetery, and he seemed curious about the mystery as well. He promised to look into it and get back with us.
We meet some of the nicest people when doing research on historic locations. I'm not sure what we'd do without
them.
We didn't have to wait very long.... |
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The cemetery employee stated that it was "rumored" that Harvey Vaile is
not even buried in the mausoleum. It is said that he is actually buried in the grass to the north of it and that
there is no stone or anything else to mark the grave. The cemetery employee could not locate any other information
to confirm or deny this rumor.
He also said about 10 years ago someone put copper plating on the windows and doors. He assumed this was to keep
vandals out, but was not certain. He stated that there is a living relative of the Vailes that visits each Memorial
Day. |
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The cemetery employee said that the security measures on the mausoleum were well
beyond what would normally be taken. The extra security hampers the cemetery's efforts to inspect and maintain
the mausoleum in the ways in which they are required.
One can understand why someone related to a family as famous as the Vailes in Jackson County would want to take
extra security measures. But it was interesting to hear that there are living family members that visit the mausoleum. |
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The rumor that Harvey Vaile is not buried in his own mausoleum, seems to be little
more than a rumor. The mausoleum was built by the same architect (Asa Cross) that built Vaile Mansion for Mr.
Vaile, and without some sort of confirmation of the rumor, it just does not seem likely that Harvey Vaile would
not be buried in his own mausoleum.
But getting back to the mystery that drew us to Woodland Cemetery in the first place...is there a third casket
in the mausoleum...and who is in the third casket? |
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Barbara called the mansion and spoke with some of the volunteers there, asking if
any of them knew who was in the third casket. While this is also unconfirmed, Barbara was told that it was Mrs.
Vaile's mother that was in the mausoleum with Mr. and Mrs. Vaile.
Mrs. Vaile's mother died around the same time as her daughter,
and she was placed in the mausoleum with her.
While Woodland Cemetery was unable to confirm this information, this seems like a fairly likely and satisfying
answer to the mystery. |
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During our visit to the Mausoleum I found the north window's covering laying on the
ground, exposing a thick glass window into the mausoleum. The glass appeared to be an inch thick and was bubbled
and cloudy, preventing a clear view into the interior.
But it did make me wonder if this glass window had led to the tired old legend that Mr. Vaile had buried Mrs. Vaile
in his yard at Vaile Mansion, and had placed her in a glass-topped casket so he could view her forever in her repose....
-Mark Stinson |
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