Back in the early 1900s there was a traveling salesman who would frequent the town of Prescott Arkansas. He was well known by the community but everyone just knew him as Old Mike. Although he was quite popular people really didn’t know much about him at all including where he was from, if you had a family, or even his last name.
On April 12, 1911, the Old Mike was found laying in the middle of a park in Prescott under a tree dead. The official diagnosis was that he passed away from stroke or heart attack during the night. The townspeople were unsure if his family or friends would come looking for him. Not know who to contact they brought him to the local Funeral Home where they
embalm his body.
The story doesn’t end here for Old Mike. It costs a lot of money to bury someone and because Old Mike was “unclaimed” they sat him in front of the cemetery in hopes that someone passing by would know who he was and financially take care of his final Arrangements.
Unfortunately for Mike nobody came and the townspeople let him sit in front of the Cornish Funeral Home for over 60 years before they laid his body to rest. All that is known about Old Mike is that he would visit Prescott about once a month to office supplies and other goods to businesses and homes that were located near the railroad. He would stay overnight and be on the train the next morning.
Can you imagine the type of pictures you would find on social media if this would happen today? It is absolutely crazy to think that you could find a man dead in a park, drag him to a local funeral home, embalm him and sit him in front of the building on display for everyone to see for 60 years! Some say he haunts the town of Prescott to this day and I don’t blame him. People claim to see his body sitting in front of the Cornish Funeral Home waiting for his family to come get him to this day.
If you are ever in Prescott near the Cornish Funeral and feel like you’re being followed just remember that Old Mike may we trying to reach out to you.
Rest in peace Old Mike