Musings of a 19th Century American Historian: East Tenn. marble stone depicts Knoxvillian's "Last Lap" at Indy

We shall push this one a bit in terms of 19th century; however, the subject, A.J. "Pete" Kreis, was indeed born in 1900. Although I have lived in Knoxville nearly 14 years, I never knew until the other day that Knoxville has a connection, albeit a tragic one, with the Indianapolis 500. For a brief account of Kreis and his tragic racing accident at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he prepared for the 1934 running of the Indy 500, please see the stories of my good friend, Mark Aubrey and Bill Dockery. I am, however, more fascinated with the beautiful 9-ton slab of East Tennessee marble quarried at the Appalachian Marble Quarry Company near the Forks of the River, a quarry owned by Pete's own father, John Kreis, and his family.

Kreis' 9-ton marble headstone shines on a sunny East TN afternoon. Courtesy of Find A Grave's website

Thompson Digital Collection

The Thompson photographic collection held at the McClung Historical Collection includes a photograph of the Kreis monument ordered in August 1935 and carved by Knoxville sculptor Albert Milani, who included the driver and the race starter, surrounded by the "Brickyard," a time when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was paved completely in bricks. Kreis's race car, carved also out of the slab of marble, is seen topping the wall in turn 1, where he and Bob Hahn, his ride-along mechanic, left the track at nearly 100 mph and was cut into two when it hit a tree. Kreis died instantly, his mechanic succumbed to his injuries moments after being removed from the wreckage.

So on this dreary day, after "base ball" practice in a driving downpour, one of my Holstons' teammates and I ventured over to Asbury Cemetery to see Kreis and his last lap at Indy. With some minor exceptions, notably the car itself, the marble stone has been maintained in excellent shape.