Walking With the Spirits 2026

It was a dark and dreary night (not really) when the Clear Lake Historical Society and Clear Lake Library led a Spirts Tour in the Clear Lake Cemetery. The Tour hear stories of Clear Lake and some of our past residents at their final resting place.

The tour visited the Lincoln Monument and heard from Beth Ann Schumacher about the Town of Livonia and Tom Howard. The tour then visited the final resting places and learned about their residents from Beth Ebaugh about Nan and Ida Clack; John Barlow about Chester Van Horn; Cindy Richardson about Red Burzette and his Gang; and Bruce and Diane Rich about the Clausen Family.
There is much to learn about these past Clear Lake residents and events.

Tim Potter presented the history and folklore of the Vegors Cemetery.

Click on the title of these summaries of each of the tour stops for a full description of the people and the events of their lives.

From 1855 to 1857, three Clear Lake settlements were established; Clear Lake City near today’s State Park established by Joseph Hewitt, Village of Clear lake around the current City Park established by James Dickirson and the Village of Livonia around the current Clear Lake Cemetery established by Marcus Tuttle. Clear Lake City grew slowly and was incorporated into the Village of Clear Lake, Livonia had a short but interesting existence.

Lt. Tom Howard commanded Company B of the 32 nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. He was killed in the Battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana in April 1864, the highest ranking Clear Lake Union soldier to die. Edwin Nichols, a member of Company B describes the events surrounding Lt. Howard’s death. The Lincoln Memorial and an adjacent monument were dedicated in 1918 to honor Clear Lake’s Civil War veterans.

Two remarkable Clear Lake women who had a life of service, independence and community involvement. Daughters of Dr William Clack, an early noted dentist, they were college graduates who had professional careers in dentistry and public health and community roles with the Public Library and the Public Schools. They never married, lived together next to their childhood home and were active until their deaths at 90 and 93 years.

Chester Van Horn was a local farmer who died under unusual circumstances. The investigation of his wife Charlotte led to a very public trial The trial had to decide first whether the death was by suicide or by murder. And if by murder, who was the culprit. The trial captured public interest from 1914 to 1915.

The Burzette family members displayed complete disregard of the law. Most notably, Donald “Red” Burzette who captured the interest of the nation with a crime spree in the 1920’s along a gang of colorful characters. Their crimes progressed from thievery, to bootlegging, and then murder. They repeated the cycle of crimes, capture, incarceration, escape, then more crimes, across the Midwest.

The three generations of the Clausen family have been prominent members of the business, civil and/or cultural communities of Clear Lake. Samuel Clausen and his family arrived in Clear Lake in 1882 to own and operate the grain elevator. He was active in city and school governance and the establishment of other major businesses. His sons followed his role model in business while his wife and daughters were active in the fabric of the community. His grandchildren left family legacy property to the community that ties the past to the present.

The Vegors Family Cemetery, established in 1849 is located at Stratford, Hamilton County, Iowa near the Des Moines River. The cemetery was established on top of ancient Native American mounds. A monument honors the mound builders and describes their culture. The cemetery also has a monument to the Lott family, early settlers of the area. The actions of John Lott precipitated the Spirit Lake Massacre of 1857.

Learn More at:

https://www.destinationstratford.net/vegorscemetery.html