Kids & Family

Ross Township Founder's Descendant Returns Grave Marker

The grave marker of Casper Reel, first thought stolen, was actually in the care of his great-great-great-great-grandson.

After residing near the 18th green of the former Highland Country Club for decades, the grave marker of Ross Township's founding father is moving to a new home.

Tuesday evening at the Ross Municipal Center, Reel's great-great-great-great-grandson, John Reel, handed the roughly 50 lbs marker over to John Schalcosky, President of the Ross Township Historical Society.

Sometime over the Memorial Day weekend, John Reel removed the marker from the former golf course. Schalcosky initially thought it had been stolen.

"I was afraid someone would take it," Reel said. "With the all the plans for new homes here, I thought I should protect it, until a permanent place could be found."

"The marker was actually placed there by the daughters of the American Revolution in 1933," said Schalcosky. "And when they learned a relative had it, they offered to put it in a safe place."

So this weekend, Schalcosky, on behalf of the Reel family, will present the marker to the Kuskkushkee Trail Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

"They will store it, keep it safe, until we can figure out where on the old Highland Country Club property, to place it," Schalcosky said.

Reel died in 1824. He, and 6 members of his family, were believed to be buried near the 18th hole of the former Highland Country Club. The new owners, who want to build 167 townhomes and 134 single-family homes on the property,  had promised to preserve the area and the markers.

As for the exact location of Reel's grave, Schalcosky promises to keep looking.

"We have evidence which indicates he was buried on that property, the problem is, we don't know exactly where," he said. "We hope to do some testing and try to find out."

Who was Casper Reel?
Reel and his wife Elizabeth Wise acquired land in Pine Township (present-day Ross Township and West View Borough), where he built a cabin in 1792. He became a successful farmer, fruit culturist, constable, and the first tax collector north of the Allegheny River,” according to the Reel papers, which are part of the collection of the University of Pittsburgh Historical website, and the Historical society of western Pennsylvania

Reel prospered as his family grew. He and his wife had 10 children.  Reel owned over 800 acres in what eventually became Ross Township. He was also instrumental in the founding of Hiland Presbyterian Church in Perrysville. 

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