The Chest in the Ditch: 407 Births Hidden by a Name

The Chest in the Ditch: 407 Births Hidden by a Name

A cedar chest placed deliberately in a drainage ditch held 407 index cards recording births - each with a minute time, weight, date, a name, and the same initials C.P. - yet none of those births appeared in the county record under that name; who was C.P. and why were her records erased?

In this episode, we walk through the chest found in April mud, the forty-one years of uninterrupted cards from June 1948 to September 1989, and the gaps between official certificates and Powell’s ledger - what does the chest tell us about hidden midwifery and structural erasure?

Person: Carol Powell Location: Keswick, Cass County Date range: June 1948-September 1989 Count: 407 index cards Official match: 112 home deliveries listed to Dr. Alvin Peck

- The chest contained 407 index cards, each recording a single birth with name, date, weight, and time noted to the minute. - Every card ended with the same two initials: C.P. - Cards spanned 41 years, beginning June 1948 and ending September 1989. - State archive showed 112 home deliveries attributed to Dr. Alvin Peck during the same period. - Professor Crawford cross-checked 60 cards and found each child existed in official records, but each certificate listed Peck, not C.P.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].