Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of Ohio

Dedicated to cemetery preservation in the great state of Ohio


"A cemetery may be considered as abandoned when all or practically all of the bodies have been Removed therefrom and no bodies have been buried therein for a great many years, and the cemetery has been so long neglected as entirely to lose its identity as such, and is no longer known, recognized and respected by the public as a cemetery. 1953 OAG 2978."

Thursday, May 15, 2025

The Ashland County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps have been added to the right sidebar of the Blog.

 The Ashland County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps have been added to the right sidebar of the blog.

The original paper map pages are in a hard cover book at the office of the Ashland County Recorder. Erin Beebe is the Recorder and she has photographed them in their original condition.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sharing this example.:

Selser Cemetery in Milton Township, Ashland County, Ohio.: 

The "Ohio Genealogy Express" lists his name as Frederick Sultzer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Unlike most W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Map collections in other Ohio counties, Ashland County's cemetery map pages containing multiple cemeteries on one page are all of the same township. Thus there are no "Multiple Townships / Smaller Cemeteries" category in their collection. 

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

A new volunteer work session announced for the Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Highland County, Ohio.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adding a few photos from Linda's collection from a 2016 visit to the Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Ohio! :


"2024 marked the completion of our mapping of the cemetery. By working in 50'x50' sections we identified the burials in each section, took pictures of the gravestones and updated the Billion Graves website and our Master List of Burials and Working List.

map was also created showing the individual sections that we created.

Mike Anderson and John King looked over the cemetery in late April to see if winter had caused any damage, etc. There is plenty of work ahead of us for 2025. We will have a "Cleaning Session" to improve the looks of the gravestones of military veterans prior to Memorial Day.

So on Friday, May 23rd, 1:00 p.m., we hope many of you will join us in this effort to honor our military veterans whose final resting place is in The Old Burying Ground. 

The work will not be difficult. We will just use water and soft bristle brushes to clean the stones."
********************
"If you think you can join us on May 23, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., please email to let us know. You can stay as long as you want." 
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As mentioned in our April email, The Old Burying Ground was recognized by Scenic Ohio as one of the recipients of this year's Scenic Ohio Award. 
 
Scenic Ohio's awards program recognizes the work of organizations, agencies, and individuals that conserve, restore, maintain and manage Ohio's scenic places.  
 
Our Historic Cemeteries are treasures to be honored as true "Gardens for the Living".  The restoration work at Old Burying Ground Cemetery is exemplary and an important example of what many historic cemeteries need. The work of restoration, preservation and maintenance of historic cemeteries is work of the highest order and to be encouraged throughout Ohio. 

Six other cemeteries in Ohio were awarded:

  1.  Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland
  2.  Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus
  3.  Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati
  4.  Ferncliff Cemetery, Springfield
  5.  Mt. Tabor Cemetery, Mingo, Champaign County
  6.  Old Burying Ground, Highland County
  7.  Stratford Cemetery, Delaware County

Thank you all for being supporters and volunteers to help make this happen!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Spotlighting Lorain's Elmwood Cemetery - its history with snapshots of various markers and monuments that grace its grounds.

 Lorain, Ohio's Elmwood Cemetery from the City of Lorain's website.:
About Lorain Elmwood Cemetery

"Established in 1900, Elmwood Cemetery is the oldest active cemetery in Lorain, Ohio. Encompassing 326 acres, it is a classic example of a garden cemetery, featuring a park-like setting with sweeping vistas, shady knolls, large stands of ancient trees, and magnificent monuments. Elmwood Cemetery is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, rabbits, and squirrels, and is a popular spot for birdwatching and photography. Many notable people are buried at Elmwood Cemetery, including veterans, politicians, and business leaders. It is also a member of the National Register of Historic Places."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~