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"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."

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

"107 names added to Cleveland’s iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument"

"107 names added to Cleveland’s iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument"

The above link is to the WKYC-TV Channel 3 station in Cleveland and their report covering the event today of the addition of 107 names added to the Soliders' and Sailors' monument in downtown Cleveland. 
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From the media press release about this event.:

"The Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, which commemorates the Civil War and honors the citizens of Cuyahoga County who fought and worked for the Union will hold a special ceremony on Wednesday, June 19 at 11 a.m. 

At that time, the Monument Commission will announce the addition of 107 names of United States Colored Troop Veterans to the Monument’s Roll of Honor to the 9,000 names already enshrined. All 107 were from, or enlisted, in Cuyahoga County and more than 100 of these were African-American veterans. The name of each newly added honoree will be read aloud at the ceremony. 

The date June 19 was specifically chosen as it is also known as Juneteenth – or Juneteenth Independence Day, or Freedom Day – a holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. state of Texas, and more generally, the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederate States of America.

Today’s significant addition to the Monument’s Roll of Honor is the result of nearly 20 years of painstaking historical research and verification work using modern methods. It began in 2002 with high school history teacher Paul LaRue of Washington Court House, Ohio and Mr. LaRue’s Advanced Placement History Class students. 

One of the Class’s projects involved research on seven USCT veterans buried in a Washington Court House cemetery. Their work led to new government issued military headstones to be installed on the graves, rightfully honoring those who fought for our country. This success led the Class to continue its research on burials of other USCT veterans within the State of Ohio. 

Their work came to the attention of the Governor’s office, which issued an executive order to provide copies of Ohio Civil War enlistment records to the Class. 

As the Class continued its work, the names of several veterans from Cuyahoga County were uncovered. Jerry Young – a Monument volunteer at the time (and now a Commissioner of the Monument) – learned of the Class’s work in 2009. Mr. LaRue graciously offered the use of the microfilmed records to the Monument for continued research. 

The Monument formed a committee for this work. For nearly a decade, Mr. Young; Committee Chair Jon Silvis, and Executive Director Tim Daley have conducted extensive research on behalf of the Monument Commission that has included factchecking; verification and re-verification. 

Today’s ceremony is the culmination of the many years of hard work and dedication of an educator; his students; the Monument’s historians and Commission; the State of Ohio and Cuyahoga County. Today we add the names of 107 American heroes to their rightful place on the Roll of Honor of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument."
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Links about Mr. Paul LaRue:
Advisory Council on Hisoric Preservation