His log cabin gravestone was carved from one single 15 ton piece of granite (except for the chimney). There is "Woodman of the World" insignia on the backside of the cabin, of which Henry C Severs was a member. (Usually the Woodmen markers are of tree stumps).

The approximate dimensions of the log cabin are 7'2" wide, 4'1" deep, 7'0" to the eaves, 8'4" to the ridgeline, and 10'6" to the top of the chimney. One article I read suggested that the monument came from Mt. Airy, NC and was transporter to Charlotte, NC on a flatbed railroad car.

Henry C Severs was born to German immigrant parents, Henry (Heinrich) & (Matte) Marie Bruns Severs, while they were aboard ship crossing the Atlantic from Bremen Germany in 1842. Once arriving in the US, the Severs settled at Bulls Island, Charleston SC a few years before moving to Charlotte NC in 1850. Later Mr Henry Severs (the father) acquired a large tract of land west of the city in which the suburb of Seversville, was named for this family.

When Squire Henry C Severs was a young man, he went to Salisbury NC to enter as an apprentice at a machine shop. He was employed there shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War and the need for volunteers was called.

Squire Henry C Severs enlisted in the Rowan Rifle Guards for the Confederacy on June 26th, 1861 at Dr. Long's office in Salisbury NC. At that time the company was at Fort Fisher and ordered to Garyburg, near Weldon, NC to be formed into the 4th North Carolina Regiment, State Troops.

The company was ordered to report at Richmond VA on or about July 15th 1861. The soldiers were taken there in old box cars. The regiment camped on a ranch, near Richmond, called the Rocket, waiting orders to go to Manassas junction (Bull Run). The regiment left Richmond on July 20th, 1861 and between there and Manassas the train was stopped and on the 21st were ordered on to Manassas where they were already fighting. The regiment was then on picket duty. The last of September they were ordered in to winter quarters in a large woods 1 1/2 miles from Manassas. The regiment built large log houses for the winter.

Accoroding to a newspaper article, Severs was slightly wounded in the leg on May 31st, 1862 at the Battle of Seven Pines (Chickahominy River).

Upon his post-war return to Charlotte, Henry C Severs married Mary R Primm (Severs) from Mecklenburg County. She was from an old-time family of Scotch ancestry. Henry & Mary Severs had 5 children: William, Lawrence, Fred, Mamie, and Raisteen.

Henry C Severs built his family a home on Severs Avenue in Seversville. It was a large two-story frame structure. On the grounds of the Severs place, there were 3 flowing springs which furnished the supply of drinking water to the Severs family and a number of others in the vicinity as well.

Henry Severs became a successful real estate developer. By the end of his life, Severs had built 70 houses and was one of the most successful businessmen in the city.

After the war, many newspapers note that Squire Henry C Severs enjoyed telling war stories. He attended many Confederate Unions, as well as the Gettysburg 50th anniversary reunion that was held for both Union and Confederate soldiers.

Another newspaper article tells about Henry C Severs receiving a letter from Mr. C.B. Heffley of Pittsburgh PA, a veteran of the union army, asking him to be sure to visit him at his Pittsburg home after they have enjoyed the celebration together. Mr. Heffley, a Union soldier, had been captured during the battles around Atlanta and brought to Salisbury to be placed in the Confederate prison camp. Mr. Heffley had escaped and hid in the wilderness of the area in the thickets of Mountain Island in the Catawba river about ten miles from Charlotte for a period of 4-5 five weeks during the war. Mr. Heffley had came to Charlotte 2 years prior to the Gettysburg bi-centenial to re-visit the scenes of his escape and hiding. It was at that time that he and Squire Henry C Severs got acquainted. Severs who took Mr. Heffley to Salisbury to retrace his route and take him to the places he had hidden. The two men became friends and continued correspondence.

Squire Henry C Severs is said to have been looked upon a repository of historical lore. He loved old things and antiquities. He built a building at his home just for a museum that held a large amount of antiques and relics. One of his most notable collections in the museum was of Confederate currency. He also had a collection of old guns, pistols, rifles, and swords from the Civil War. Henry C Severs had visited numerous battlefields after the war and collected cannon balls, shells, and other articles of soldiers equipment to add to his museum. His museum also had old letters, copies of legal documents, books, badges, emblems and other items Severs collected at Confederate reunions.

For many years, Squire Henry C. Severs had been a magistrate. At various times he had been a tax collector and tax accessor for Charlotte Township. He owned alot of real estate and had expanded the city of Charlotte westward by purchasing land and building houses. When he passed away, he left 70 homes (which made up the section of Charlotte known as "Seversville") to his family and descendants.

Squire Henry C Severs had planned a trip to Richmond VA to obtain more relics for his museum, when tragedy struck.

The life of Squire Henry C Severs came to a tragic end on Wednesday night of November 24th, 1915 at 9:40pm, while he was aboard the Richmond Special Train. The Richmond Special train had just made a stop at the Salisbury station. Shortly after, the Southern Train No. 38 ran into rear Pullman of the Richmond Special, where Squire Henry C Severs was in the smoking room convening with Mr. BE Smith (barber of Charlotte).

The Southern Train No 38 plowed 1/3 of the way thru the wooden Pullman of the Richmond Special. Charles Edwin Hall of Charlotte was also killed. 22 others were injured. Squire Henry C Severs was killed instantly. Newspaper articles say his neck was broken and his body was crushed. "He did not utter a word after the accident and it is believed that his death was Instantaneous".

Henry C Server's Death Certificate lists cause of death as: "Killed in accident of RR Train".

A jury held that the death of Henry C Severs & CE Hall in the train accident were due to Clyde Wilson, a flagman, being grossly negligent in failure to display the proper signals to protect his train against the other train. Also that A. Tankersley on train No. 38, was negligent in disregarding signals at block and not bringing his train under control as per rules of the railway company. Also that Arthur Kelly, fireman, was guilty of contributory negligence in failing to observe and notify the engineer of the displayed signals on rear of train second No. 32.

The body of Squire Henry C Severs was brought to back Charlotte on Saturday afternoon at 5:30 o'clock and taken to his home in Seversville. His funeral was held the next evening at 4 o'clock. Among those in attendence were the members of the Mecklenburg Camp United Confederate Veterans, of which Severs was a member. The service was conducted by Col. EA Osborne, and Rev. WF Elliott, pastor of Seversville Methodist Church. (Though born and reared Methodist, Severs had been a member of St Andrew's Episcopal Church in Seversvile, since it was founded).

Squire Henry C Severs did not leave a Will. A newspaper article states that his estate was worth $45,000 in 1915. (That would be $1,144,933. in today's time).

Squire Henry C Severs was also a member of the Woodmen of the World organization, which is best known for its gravestones.

The Wooden of the World (WOW) is a national fraternal benefit society founded on 6 June 1890 by Joseph Root. One of the death benefits of members, was a grave monument. Founder of WOW, Joseph Root believed passionately that no member of his order should be buried in an unmarked grave. He wanted to provide decent burials and gravestones for all members.

For 10 years, the Woodmen gave its members grave markers in the shape of tree stumps, inspired by the Victorian Rustic movement. (For another two decades, the members put down $100 apiece to reserve theirs.) By the mid-20's, the organization had discontinued the grave marker benefit due to the increased cost of the stones.

The WOW gravestones were originally meant to have a uniform look, but over the decades that changed. According to some accounts, some 45,000 Woodmen monuments in all shapes and sizes can be seen marking the graves of members in every part of the United States.

Henry C Severs' cabin sits at the top of a small hill in Elmwood Cemetery and is the centerpiece for the Severs family plot. The rope door handle is also unique and maybe a symbols that Severs door was never locked, but open to all.

Thank you to Contributor: Jennifer McGinnis (49721237) for the above biography contribution for this memorial.