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."

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Spotlighting American Revolutionary War Veteran Lieut. Samuel Eldred, and his son Moses Eldred, buried at the Ridgeville Cemetery in North Ridgeville, Lorain County, Ohio

Thanking Frank Schmidt for sharing his biographical information about Lieutenant Samuel Eldred, Revolutionary War veteran, who rests in peace at the Ridgeville Cemetery in North Ridgeville, Ohio.  
Also, Samuel Eldred's son, Moses Eldred who was a War of 1812 veteran, and his wife Martha (DeWitt) Eldred (Marthy is inscribed on her marker), who are both buried by him. 
   Sharing from Frank Schmidt: 
"The attached photo is the headstone of my wife's 4th great grandfather, Lieutenant Samuel Eldred who is buried in North Ridgeville cemetery near Elyria, Ohio. Samuel answered the Lexington Alarm on April 19, 1775; crossed the Delaware with General Washington; was at Valley Forge until he was taken prisoner and held for 3+ years, and was at Yorktown for the surrender of Cornwallis.

Just several years ago, my father passed away, and I started documenting in Ancestry what I knew about his family and then started doing my wife's as her 3rd great grandfather was Joseph Cahoon who founded Bay Village. 

As I started to document family members, all these hints started popping up, one of them being Samuel Eldred. So, we contacted the local DAR and provided all the documentation, and she was admitted to the DAR with Samuel as her ancestor.

One really fantastic find as we were preparing her application was that Samuel took part in the Whitemarsh Encampment.  I had never heard of this, so decided to do more research. Here, the Whitemarsh Encampment took place less than 1/2 mile from where we currently live. Just to think, he may have walked on the very land we now live on."
"Here is a more detailed listing of what Samuel Eldred participated in.": 

Answered the Lexington Alarm on April 19, 1775
Siege of Boston
Battle of Long Island
Crossed the Delaware with Washington's troops

Battle of Trenton
Siege of Fort Ticonderoga
Battle of Saratoga
Whitemarsh Encampment
Valley Forge Encampment
POW from December 28, 1777 to January 28, 1781 
Surrender at Yorktown

"Resigned June 3, 1783 after serving for 8+ years (from what I understand, this is unusual for someone to have served this long.  I believe the typical enlistments were originally 1-3 years.)"
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 More information about Moses Eldred:
"Moses Eldred was the first postmaster of Ridgeville from 1815 to 1828. He was elected as an associate judge for Lorain County in 1824, and in 1816 owned an inn/hotel in Ridgeville."
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(Photos below) 
by Linda Ellis - January 15, 2017
  
(Above)
(Above)
War of 1812 Marker for Private Moses Eldred
"Roster of Ohio Soldiers of the War of 1812"
The Adjutant General of Ohio
Page 93
"Roll of Captain Harvey Murray's Company"
Served from August 21 until September 20, 1812
  (Above)
wife of Moses Eldred
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(Above)
WPA Cemetery Plat Map for the Ridgeville Cemetery.
The gravesites for Samuel Eldred and Moses Eldred underlined in red.
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(Above)
Linda Ellis with a"This Place Matters"sign for the gravesites
of Samuel Eldred, his son Moses Eldred, and Moses Eldred's wife, Martha (Dewitt) Eldred (Inscribed as "Marthy" on her gravestone.) 
#ThisPlaceMatters
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