William enlisted in the Army April 26, 1898 and was discharged Jan 23, 1899. He served as a Private in Co. L 3rd Regt Illinois Vol Infantry. According to the attached record William had a headstone in the William McKinley Camp Cemetery in Chicago Illinois in Section four. It is located on Arlington Lake Street and Mount Prospect
William had two other sisters
Helen Shaw Chatterton born March 7, 1856 in Brooklyn, NY
Grace Chatterton born October 13, 1867 in Chicago, Illinois
Thank you so much to LostGeneration for his incredible number of memorials he created including William's
Regarding the Elmhurst Camp Cemetery we find an Interesting article from the Chicago Tribune
Ted Gregory, Tribune staff reporter October 15, 2002
William Ralston concedes he was embarrassed at how quickly the mystery he had been investigating for 18 years finally was solved.
The mystery centered on why an estimated 140 Spanish-American War veterans from all over the U.S. were buried in one section at Arlington Cemetery--not the one in Virginia, but a private cemetery in Elmhurst. The vets' graves were tucked away and largely forgotten in a corner of the cemetery between an expressway ramp and the Tri-State.
Ralston had been working on the question with no luck--until Elmhurst Historical Museum archivist Nancy Wilson got involved. That is why Ralston, 80, a World War II veteran and commander of the Elmhurst American Legion Post 187, was a little embarrassed.
"This does not make me look good," the affable Ralston said, chuckling. "Eighteen years of my life, and I couldn't find anything about this, and she takes two days and solves it."Then he turned to Wilson. "You owe me 18 years," he said.
It seems that former soldiers had established a veterans group based in Chicago, known as William McKinley Camp No. 6. As was the practice among some social or fraternal groups, members decided to buy a section of the cemetery so they could be buried close to one another. That had been Wilson's theory when, at Ralston's urging in May 2001, she went to Arlington and saw among the weathered markers a large memorial referring to William McKinley Camp No. 6.
She spent about 100 hours researching without finding an answer, searching records at the cemetery, the National Cemetery Association, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and Illinois State Archives. She spoke with reference librarians at other historical museums without luck.
"I kept saying, 'I'm going to go to the Chicago Historical Society,'" Wilson recalled, "and so I finally just decided to go there."That was Sept. 24. With help from historical society staff, Wilson checked card catalogs for references to William McKinley, U.S. History-Spanish American War and related citations.
She found a pamphlet from the Department of Illinois United Spanish War Veterans that contained a roster of camps from Jan. 1, 1958, including Wm. McKinley Camp No. 6 Chicago.
She found an edition of the William McKinley Camp Bulletin from March 1955, which stated the group met at the Chicago Public Library on the second Tuesday of the month. Although that pamphlet was not definitive evidence that the group bought land at Arlington, Wilson found the pamphlet of another Chicago Spanish-American War veterans' group that referred to its cemetery lot in Arlington. It stated that members of its group were buried in a Camp McKinley section in Arlington.
"I was very happy," Wilson said. "I had no idea what I would find. I didn't have any preliminary information they had anything." After her discovery, she decided "it would be fun" to surprise Ralston by sending him a letter summarizing her findings.
Ralston said he saw the envelope from Wilson and, "I thought, 'Well, she's sending me a little tidbit.' When I opened it up, wow, I couldn't believe it. I am just so elated."
Meanwhile, he has a new title for Wilson.
"I call her my detective," Ralston joked. "I told her I'd hate to have her chasing me as a bill collector. I'd be in jail."
William had two other sisters
Helen Shaw Chatterton born March 7, 1856 in Brooklyn, NY
Grace Chatterton born October 13, 1867 in Chicago, Illinois
Thank you so much to LostGeneration for his incredible number of memorials he created including William's
Regarding the Elmhurst Camp Cemetery we find an Interesting article from the Chicago Tribune
Ted Gregory, Tribune staff reporter October 15, 2002
William Ralston concedes he was embarrassed at how quickly the mystery he had been investigating for 18 years finally was solved.
The mystery centered on why an estimated 140 Spanish-American War veterans from all over the U.S. were buried in one section at Arlington Cemetery--not the one in Virginia, but a private cemetery in Elmhurst. The vets' graves were tucked away and largely forgotten in a corner of the cemetery between an expressway ramp and the Tri-State.
Ralston had been working on the question with no luck--until Elmhurst Historical Museum archivist Nancy Wilson got involved. That is why Ralston, 80, a World War II veteran and commander of the Elmhurst American Legion Post 187, was a little embarrassed.
"This does not make me look good," the affable Ralston said, chuckling. "Eighteen years of my life, and I couldn't find anything about this, and she takes two days and solves it."Then he turned to Wilson. "You owe me 18 years," he said.
It seems that former soldiers had established a veterans group based in Chicago, known as William McKinley Camp No. 6. As was the practice among some social or fraternal groups, members decided to buy a section of the cemetery so they could be buried close to one another. That had been Wilson's theory when, at Ralston's urging in May 2001, she went to Arlington and saw among the weathered markers a large memorial referring to William McKinley Camp No. 6.
She spent about 100 hours researching without finding an answer, searching records at the cemetery, the National Cemetery Association, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and Illinois State Archives. She spoke with reference librarians at other historical museums without luck.
"I kept saying, 'I'm going to go to the Chicago Historical Society,'" Wilson recalled, "and so I finally just decided to go there."That was Sept. 24. With help from historical society staff, Wilson checked card catalogs for references to William McKinley, U.S. History-Spanish American War and related citations.
She found a pamphlet from the Department of Illinois United Spanish War Veterans that contained a roster of camps from Jan. 1, 1958, including Wm. McKinley Camp No. 6 Chicago.
She found an edition of the William McKinley Camp Bulletin from March 1955, which stated the group met at the Chicago Public Library on the second Tuesday of the month. Although that pamphlet was not definitive evidence that the group bought land at Arlington, Wilson found the pamphlet of another Chicago Spanish-American War veterans' group that referred to its cemetery lot in Arlington. It stated that members of its group were buried in a Camp McKinley section in Arlington.
"I was very happy," Wilson said. "I had no idea what I would find. I didn't have any preliminary information they had anything." After her discovery, she decided "it would be fun" to surprise Ralston by sending him a letter summarizing her findings.
Ralston said he saw the envelope from Wilson and, "I thought, 'Well, she's sending me a little tidbit.' When I opened it up, wow, I couldn't believe it. I am just so elated."
Meanwhile, he has a new title for Wilson.
"I call her my detective," Ralston joked. "I told her I'd hate to have her chasing me as a bill collector. I'd be in jail."
William enlisted in the Army April 26, 1898 and was discharged Jan 23, 1899. He served as a Private in Co. L 3rd Regt Illinois Vol Infantry. According to the attached record William had a headstone in the William McKinley Camp Cemetery in Chicago Illinois in Section four. It is located on Arlington Lake Street and Mount Prospect
William had two other sisters
Helen Shaw Chatterton born March 7, 1856 in Brooklyn, NY
Grace Chatterton born October 13, 1867 in Chicago, Illinois
Thank you so much to LostGeneration for his incredible number of memorials he created including William's
Regarding the Elmhurst Camp Cemetery we find an Interesting article from the Chicago Tribune
Ted Gregory, Tribune staff reporter October 15, 2002
William Ralston concedes he was embarrassed at how quickly the mystery he had been investigating for 18 years finally was solved.
The mystery centered on why an estimated 140 Spanish-American War veterans from all over the U.S. were buried in one section at Arlington Cemetery--not the one in Virginia, but a private cemetery in Elmhurst. The vets' graves were tucked away and largely forgotten in a corner of the cemetery between an expressway ramp and the Tri-State.
Ralston had been working on the question with no luck--until Elmhurst Historical Museum archivist Nancy Wilson got involved. That is why Ralston, 80, a World War II veteran and commander of the Elmhurst American Legion Post 187, was a little embarrassed.
"This does not make me look good," the affable Ralston said, chuckling. "Eighteen years of my life, and I couldn't find anything about this, and she takes two days and solves it."Then he turned to Wilson. "You owe me 18 years," he said.
It seems that former soldiers had established a veterans group based in Chicago, known as William McKinley Camp No. 6. As was the practice among some social or fraternal groups, members decided to buy a section of the cemetery so they could be buried close to one another. That had been Wilson's theory when, at Ralston's urging in May 2001, she went to Arlington and saw among the weathered markers a large memorial referring to William McKinley Camp No. 6.
She spent about 100 hours researching without finding an answer, searching records at the cemetery, the National Cemetery Association, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and Illinois State Archives. She spoke with reference librarians at other historical museums without luck.
"I kept saying, 'I'm going to go to the Chicago Historical Society,'" Wilson recalled, "and so I finally just decided to go there."That was Sept. 24. With help from historical society staff, Wilson checked card catalogs for references to William McKinley, U.S. History-Spanish American War and related citations.
She found a pamphlet from the Department of Illinois United Spanish War Veterans that contained a roster of camps from Jan. 1, 1958, including Wm. McKinley Camp No. 6 Chicago.
She found an edition of the William McKinley Camp Bulletin from March 1955, which stated the group met at the Chicago Public Library on the second Tuesday of the month. Although that pamphlet was not definitive evidence that the group bought land at Arlington, Wilson found the pamphlet of another Chicago Spanish-American War veterans' group that referred to its cemetery lot in Arlington. It stated that members of its group were buried in a Camp McKinley section in Arlington.
"I was very happy," Wilson said. "I had no idea what I would find. I didn't have any preliminary information they had anything." After her discovery, she decided "it would be fun" to surprise Ralston by sending him a letter summarizing her findings.
Ralston said he saw the envelope from Wilson and, "I thought, 'Well, she's sending me a little tidbit.' When I opened it up, wow, I couldn't believe it. I am just so elated."
Meanwhile, he has a new title for Wilson.
"I call her my detective," Ralston joked. "I told her I'd hate to have her chasing me as a bill collector. I'd be in jail."
William had two other sisters
Helen Shaw Chatterton born March 7, 1856 in Brooklyn, NY
Grace Chatterton born October 13, 1867 in Chicago, Illinois
Thank you so much to LostGeneration for his incredible number of memorials he created including William's
Regarding the Elmhurst Camp Cemetery we find an Interesting article from the Chicago Tribune
Ted Gregory, Tribune staff reporter October 15, 2002
William Ralston concedes he was embarrassed at how quickly the mystery he had been investigating for 18 years finally was solved.
The mystery centered on why an estimated 140 Spanish-American War veterans from all over the U.S. were buried in one section at Arlington Cemetery--not the one in Virginia, but a private cemetery in Elmhurst. The vets' graves were tucked away and largely forgotten in a corner of the cemetery between an expressway ramp and the Tri-State.
Ralston had been working on the question with no luck--until Elmhurst Historical Museum archivist Nancy Wilson got involved. That is why Ralston, 80, a World War II veteran and commander of the Elmhurst American Legion Post 187, was a little embarrassed.
"This does not make me look good," the affable Ralston said, chuckling. "Eighteen years of my life, and I couldn't find anything about this, and she takes two days and solves it."Then he turned to Wilson. "You owe me 18 years," he said.
It seems that former soldiers had established a veterans group based in Chicago, known as William McKinley Camp No. 6. As was the practice among some social or fraternal groups, members decided to buy a section of the cemetery so they could be buried close to one another. That had been Wilson's theory when, at Ralston's urging in May 2001, she went to Arlington and saw among the weathered markers a large memorial referring to William McKinley Camp No. 6.
She spent about 100 hours researching without finding an answer, searching records at the cemetery, the National Cemetery Association, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and Illinois State Archives. She spoke with reference librarians at other historical museums without luck.
"I kept saying, 'I'm going to go to the Chicago Historical Society,'" Wilson recalled, "and so I finally just decided to go there."That was Sept. 24. With help from historical society staff, Wilson checked card catalogs for references to William McKinley, U.S. History-Spanish American War and related citations.
She found a pamphlet from the Department of Illinois United Spanish War Veterans that contained a roster of camps from Jan. 1, 1958, including Wm. McKinley Camp No. 6 Chicago.
She found an edition of the William McKinley Camp Bulletin from March 1955, which stated the group met at the Chicago Public Library on the second Tuesday of the month. Although that pamphlet was not definitive evidence that the group bought land at Arlington, Wilson found the pamphlet of another Chicago Spanish-American War veterans' group that referred to its cemetery lot in Arlington. It stated that members of its group were buried in a Camp McKinley section in Arlington.
"I was very happy," Wilson said. "I had no idea what I would find. I didn't have any preliminary information they had anything." After her discovery, she decided "it would be fun" to surprise Ralston by sending him a letter summarizing her findings.
Ralston said he saw the envelope from Wilson and, "I thought, 'Well, she's sending me a little tidbit.' When I opened it up, wow, I couldn't believe it. I am just so elated."
Meanwhile, he has a new title for Wilson.
"I call her my detective," Ralston joked. "I told her I'd hate to have her chasing me as a bill collector. I'd be in jail."
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