December 2021 • Nebraskaland 23
visitors at one point.
On Sept. 27, 1937, at the age of 80,
McDowell was killed when a car he
was riding in was struck by a Union
Pacific train at a crossing in Fairbury.
The engineer of the train reported
that the car came to a complete stop
and then suddenly darted forward
into his path. The driver, Charles
Hansen, also was injured, but could
not remember details of the crash.
Witnesses speculate the car was still
in gear when he stopped and, when
he released the clutch, it moved onto
the tracks.
McDowell would not be buried in
the tomb he created: Some reports
McDowell hired a Fairbury tombstone carver to put the fi nishing touches on
his creation. He carved "Mausoleum" above the arched doorway, and added
inscriptions that include "Lookout Mountain" on the cliff nearby. Modern-day
carvers, including Joe, have left their own marks.
