Where Silas Sleeps

“Where Silas Sleeps” is an original oil painting of Hudson, WI as seen from above. I was standing next to a gravestone in Prospect Park when I painted this scene. In fact, that’s how I came up with the title, “Where Silas Sleeps.” I took a tour with the Hudson Trolley Company, since the owner is a member of the Historical Society, she adds historical facts to her tours. She said that Silas died a young man and was one of the first white settlers to the area. While still alive, he had looked up from the boat where he was working on the river and noticed this bluff. He pointed the spot out to Captain Page, mentioning what a great spot it would be to be buried. When the young man died early, the Captain remembered his wishes and had his body buried here. It is the only gravesite in the park. And it has quite a view! If you look at the background of the painting carefully, you can see features of Bayport, MN (the power plant, beach, marina and brand new bridge). The mid-ground of the painting shows buildings of the north side of Hudson peeking up between the trees. The white steeple that shows prominently is Vine Street Baptist Church.