The Giants of Seville #1-52
Posted by: 
Team RAGAR
N 41° 00.603 W 081° 51.988
17T E 427139 N 4540234
Captain Martin Van Buren Bates and his wife Anna Swan Bates.
Waymark Code: WM5EZ2
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 12/29/2008
Views: 24
Side A : "The Giants of Seville"
Seville's most famous residents, Captain Martin Van Buren Bates (1845-1919) and Anna Swan Bates (1848-1889) settled here in 1873. Their notoriety stemmed from their dramatic stature: Martin, a former Confederate soldier from Kentucky, stood 7 feet 8 inches tall; Anna, a would-be teacher from Nova Scotia, stood 7 feet 11 inches tall. They met on the carnival circuit in New Jersey in 1871 and wedded in England the same year in a ceremony orchestrated by Queen Victoria. (continued on other side)
Side B : Returning to America, Captain and Mrs. Bates bought a farm at the edge of Seville, built and furnished a house (razed in 1948) proportioned for their comfort, and retired to small-town agricultural life. Martin raised blooded stock and draft horses; Anna entertained and taught Sunday school. In 1879, Anna gave birth to a child who weighed a record 23 pounds, but lived only 11 hours. The Bateses and their child are interred in nearby Mound Hill Cemetery. Seville continues to celebrate their symbolic larger-than-life neighbors.
Marker Number: 1-52
County: Medina
Significance of Location: Person
Additional Coordinate: N 41° 00.645 W 081° 51.192
Additional Coordinate description:
Location of their grave at the town cemetery.
Bicentenial Mark: yes
Website address: [Web Link]
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