Thirteen Tally Marks: The Mill That Keeps Counting Children

Thirteen Tally Marks: The Mill That Keeps Counting Children

There is a cold, meticulous counting that has lasted almost a century on a ridge above Aldwell Creek: thirteen tally marks carved into fieldstone beneath the initials H. M., and a fresh sheet of paper with pencil lines reading "ONE FOR THE COLD, TWO FOR THE CLAY" left atop it - why is someone still adding to a memorial that points to thirteen children who died in March 1873?

In this episode, we follow how a surveyor's photograph, a folklorist's notebook, and a parish burial register connect a stone, a verse, and a cluster of deaths across sixteen days, asking who carved the letters H. M., who keeps depositing the paper, and what the counting is meant to hide.

Person: Reverend Harold Marsh
Date: March 7-22, 1873
Location: Haller's Mill, Brackett Township on Aldwell Creek ridge
Event: Thirteen child deaths recorded in parish burial register
Topic: Tally marks and verse connected to repeated memorial deposits

- Thirteen tally marks are chiseled into the fieldstone in groups of five, five, and three.
- The parish burial register lists thirteen child deaths aged two through nine between March 7 and March 22, 1873.
- The deaths are recorded with cause "febris scarlatina" (scarlet fever) and cluster into five households: two Gault, two Pelham, one Voss.
- The stone bears two chiseled letters: H and M, matching Reverend Harold Marsh's initials who served 1868-1879.
- A modern ruled sheet of paper with pencil block letters reading "ONE FOR THE COLD, TWO FOR THE CLAY" was found dry and uncreased atop the stone in spring 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.