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01/06/2010
Little Nina Craigmiles
There
once lived a little girl, named Nina Craigmiles. She was born on August 5th
in 1864. Her. and her family lived in the downtown district of Cleveland, TN.
Her father was John Hendreson Craigmiles. He was a prominent business man and a
former sea captain. Her grandfather was Dr. Gideon Blackburn Thompson. Both Nina
and her family were well liked and well respected in Cleveland and the
surrounding areas.
One of
Nina’s favorite pastimes was to drive the horse and buggy and when Nina’s
grandfather would let her drive, she would go very fast. On October 18, 1874 her
and her grandfather were out on a ride. She was going, as usual, too fast. Nina
and her grandfather, unfortunately, drove into a fast moving train. Her
grandfather, Gideon, survived. But little Nina, was killed instantly during the
crash.
Shortly
after little Nina’s death, her grandfather was baptized. He and the Craigmiles
family became devout Episcopalians. The Craigmiles family did not have a
church, in the Cleveland area, for them to attend. So Mr. Craigmiles had one
constructed in memory of little Nina, the Saint Lukes Episcopal church. The
church is located on Ocoee Street in the downtown district of Cleveland.
Little Nina, her father, her mother, her brother, who also pass way early in
life from blood poisoning, and her grandfather are resting in a mausoleum which
is located at the north end of Saint Lukes Church. People have said that they
have heard the voice and crying of a little girl coming from the mausoleum.
Popular belief is it is Little Nina crying, wanting to play. To the rear of the
mausoleum there is a garden, which was constructed in Little Nina’s memory.
Inside the garden is a marker, a tombstone if you will. On this marker is an
engraving which reads “Nina’s Little Garden”. People have claimed to have seen a
little girl, dressed in the 1800’s style clothing, playing in the garden and
also to have had their children tell stories of playing with a little girl who
suddenly disappears.
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