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."

Sunday, August 11, 2019

John Wildman Winder - Daguerreotypist and Photographer - His Stereoviews of Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati document some important features of this grand cemetery's earliest history

I research the Quaker (Friends) Cemetery in North Lewisburg, Champaign County, Ohio primarily because my 3rd great-grandfather, Harmon Limes, Jr., is buried there.  
His daughter, Adaline D. Limes, was married 4 times during her lifetime. Her first two marriages were to Winder brothers Aaron (1st) and Thomas (2nd). 
Thus, I studied some of the Winder family history and learned who their children were. 
Aaron and Adaline were buried at the nearby Walnut Grove Cemetery (better known as the "Butcher" Cemetery) in North Lewisburg. 
Thomas Winder, who was older than Aaron, was buried with his first wife, Hannah Wildman Winder, at the Quaker (Friends) Cemetery in North Lewisburg
Thomas and Hannah's oldest child was John Wildman Winder who left the North Lewisburg area and led a remarkable and productive life. His photographic work, particularly in Cincinnati, produced images of unparalleled historical significance; some of which survive today.  
His stereoviews give us a good glimpse of the grandeur of 1860's - 1870's life in Ohio's "Queen City." 
John Wildman Winder died April 9, 1900, at age 71, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was buried in the Old Uvalde Cemetery in Uvalde, Texas.
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The book:  "Artists in Ohio 1787 1900 A Biographical Dictionary"- 2000; by Jeffrey Weidman - Project Director; John Wildman Winder is listed as a daguerreotype artist and photographer born in Ohio about 1828 and active in Cincinnati Hamilton from 1855 to 1873, as proprietor of Winder's Great Western Ambrotype and Melainotype Gallery."

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Scroll down to:
1866  CINCINNATI  BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW
   "The following section is of a rarely seen panorama of Cincinnati that was taken in 1866. This is the earliest panoramic photograph showing the details of the heart of the city. Of course the 1848 daguerreotype, seen on the Panoramas Page, of the waterfront was the first. J. W. Winder, a local photographer, took these photographs from the top of Mozart Hall which was just south of Sixth and Vine Streets (where later the Grand Theater would stand). The panorama was first seen at Winder's Fourth Street Studio on July 28, 1866. The map below shows what area each photograph is viewing. The explanations that accompany each image was written 30-40 years ago so the buildings that are mentioned, for the most part, no longer stand. You will have to insert today's structures into the explanation. There is no easy way to show this panorama but this was the best I could come up with. I believe the trouble you will have will be worth it." 
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 (Scroll further down to view images of the 10 sections with descriptions)
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(Above)
1850 Census - Zane Township, Logan County, Ohio

 
 (Above two images)
1870 Census - Cincinnati, Ohio
 Family of John Wildman Winder and his wife Martha Adams Winder. Their children appear on the next page.
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Second Edition 
Below are references to John Wildman Winder 
(AKA John W. Winder or J. W. Winder
from the 
above-referenced publication:
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Circa 1865, 1867-1869
142 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati, O.
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 Above
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"Between 1853 and 1867 the entrance buildings were erected at the principal gateway to the grounds, on the southern boundary, at Spring Grove avenue. They are from designs of Mr. James K. Wilson, in the Norman-Gothic style, one hundred and fifty feet long, and cost something over fifty thousand dollars. They include, besides apartments for the use of the directors and the superintendent, a large waiting-room for visitors. The commodious receiving vault, situated in the centre of the grounds, was considerably enlarged in the year 1859."
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