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Tom Silver, Nathan Greene, and Dick Silver (l to r) have the Civil War grave marker of Michael Silver between them as they watch the video produced by Wooster High School teacher Nathan Greene and three of his students about the Silver brothers distant relative Michael Silver.
Tom Silver, Nathan Greene, and Dick Silver (l to r) have the Civil War grave marker of Michael Silver between them as they watch the video produced by Wooster High School teacher Nathan Greene and three of his students on the Silver brothers distant relative Michael Silver.
On October 11, 2012 researcher, S. Zimmerman, published a story on the historical society website on the local Civil War casualty Michael T. Silver after stumbling across an old newspaper article from the Wooster Daily Republican dated April 11, 1918. On page six it told how the 60th O.V.I. Co. B. 1st Sargeant Michael Silver was killed in action during the battle at Marys Bridge on the Nye River in Virginia. After Harry S. Mykrantz died on March 25, 2012, his family decided to auction the contents of Mykrantz’s historic Plain Township farm located 3 miles west of Wooster along Old Rt. 30. While emptying out a barn in preparation for the sale an usual artifact was found: a long wooden plank painted white with a decoratively molded edge that had the words, “M. Silver, Co. B. 60 Ohio, Killed May 1864, Wooster, O.” painted near the top.

After realizing it was a grave marker from the Civil War era the Mykrantz family donated the marker to the Wayne County Historical Society of Ohio. There are reports that it was brought back from Virginia along with his body after the war ended. It could have also been used in the local cemetery where Michael Silver is buried as a temporary grave marker until the more permanent stone marker was put in place that can be seen today. The old wood marker likely ended up on the Mykrantz farm because one of Michael Silver’s sisters married a Mykrantz long ago.

The historical society, grateful to have such an extraordinary artifact in it’s collection, decided to put together a history video that could be utilized in local schools and online to help educate local people about interesting Wayne County history. The society contacted Nathan Greene, a computer science instructor at Wooster High School, who also teaches digital film production and TV production at the school to see if they could help tell the story of Michael Silver through digital film production. Over two months Greene and a trio of students worked to create an 8-minute video bringing to life the story of Michael Silver and his grave marker. It is available for purchase on DVD from the historical society and can be viewed online on the society’s YouTube channel. Or watch the video here embedded below:

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