Epilogue

The summer after Amy and I graduated from high school, Mitch, Amy, and I took a long drive to Dawsonville, Ohio. We were curious about the monument that MM had told us about. We didn't think the monument would still be there. After all, it was erected over 80 years ago. First, we drove to the town square, but there was no monument there. It was a gravel parking lot. We then drove by a park near the Ohio River, and sure enough, right there where we boarded the ferry was a well-manicured park.

There stood the beautiful, well-maintained monument depicting big Ben carrying four children under his burnt arms. Standing behind him were three children.

Mitch said, "There we are, Joe!" We stood and stared at it for a long time. It gave us goose bumps. The plaque read: The Fire of the Ferry Anna This monument is dedicated to the memory of Ben Washington for his courageous efforts and sacrifice of his own life to save the life of his daughter, Nancy, and three other children, Kaylin and Keegan Campbell and Vivian Sullivan. The fire of the Ferry Anna was ignited by a dog that knocked over a kerosene lantern as the ferry was returning to this shore on August 21, 1885. The three unidentified children, behind Ben, were also killed in the tragic fire.

Amy took some pictures of us standing by the monument.

We even asked a passer-by to take one of all three of us.