Granite Revolving Ball

This bit of trivia is somewhat strange in several ways. It involves a tombstone located in the eastern section of the Marion Cemetery, across the road from the Harding Memorial. The local Merchant family commissioned a monument for their family plot in 1896. For the most part, there is nothing spectacular about the monument, except for the large granite ball that sits on top of the modest pedestal with the family name etched in the base. What is special is the ball: a 5,200 pound polished granite ball.

Within 2 years of it being installed on the family plot, somebody noticed that the ball had moved, or more precisely, rotated from it's original location. When it was created, the entire ball was polished smooth, except for a small disc at the base. This of course, was placed down where no one would ever see it. However, now that disc could be seen. The ball had rotated on it's pedestal. The concerned family called in the original installation crew to check out the ball and re-set the ball into its original location. Before long though, the ball had moved once again.

Since that time, there has been no scientific explanation of why the ball is moving or what is happening-- not that there has been a big scientific investigation into the monument. There hasn't. In 1929, the ball was featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not which spawned people from around the world to come check it out. For more than 100 years, the 5,200 pound ball of polished black granite continues to rotate on its pedestal in the Marion Cemetery.

Note: When visiting the cemetery, remember, it is a cemetery and not an amusement park. Also, don't go there and expect to see a big revolving granite ball. It doesn't turn, at least not that you can see it. You'll have to look for the marker. It's near the center of the cemetery, and surround by a larger circle of considerably smaller globes set in the lawn.