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, May 19, 2020

Sharing a current report about stalled out preservation efforts to save Lakeside Cemetery in Bay Village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Sharing from "WestLife" a well researched article by Alex Kamczyc describing several setbacks thwarting protective plans from being implemented for securing Bay Village's small, but hugely historic, Lakeside Cemetery.  
Lake Erie is the cemetery's 'neighbor'
to the North.
Only a few yards of disappearing earth and aging boulders down a cliff at lake level stand between the two.  
Thus, conservation measures desperately need to be undertaken soon to curb the advancement of an eroding shoreline that affects the cemetery's stability.
Complicating matters are ongoing property ownership disputes with others and project costs that need resolution first.  
Excerpt from this story.:
"The cemetery was created for Rebecca Johnson Porter and her infant son, David, after the two drowned in April 1814 while returning to their home by boat from Cleveland. Porter’s sister, Sarah Osborn, and her husband, Reuben, donated a portion of their lakefront property next to Rebecca’s home for a public cemetery. Now it’s home to several historical figures including veterans from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I, as well as many names recognizable as Bay Village’s founding families."
The story mentions that there are 270 graves at the Lakeside Cemetery.  
Keeping good thoughts that soon we'll be reading an update offering much better news of plans moving forward that best preserve Bay Village's Lakeside Cemetery!