The townships of Fayette Co.: Perry Twp. - Spotlight News Article - August 16 2019

"The townships of Fayette Co.: Perry Twp."

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The three cemeteries being maintained by Perry Township Trustees as of August, 2019.: 

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Walnut Creek (Quaker) Cemetery

(Above)
Pvt. William Limes - War of 1812

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(Below)
Harvey Limes

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Cochran Cemetery
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Sugar Grove (Methodist) Cemetery

Spotlightling Cochran Cemetery, Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio - Ohio Historic Inventory Form Finalized!

Sharing the scanned images of the Ohio Historic Inventory Form for the Cochran Cemetery, on the site of the former Cochran Methodist Episcopal Church in Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio.  Cochran Cemetery's Ohio Historic Preservation Office Number is:  FAY0022509.

I had a lot of help with compiling the information to complete these pages! 

Thanking Renee Loyd and Cathy Templin of the Fayette County Recorder's Office for their help with locating deeds for Cochran Cemetery.  

Renee also visited Cochran Cemetery herself and took photographs of the six Smith Family children's broken gravestones that were featured here recently in another post.  All of the children died in 1837 within days of each other from "Milk Sickness".

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Thanking Carol Holliger, Archivist, 

Archives of Ohio United Methodism, Ohio Wesleyan University,

Beeghly Library in Delaware, Ohio for providing me with information about Barnabus AKA Barnabas Cochran and the history of the Cochran Methodist Episcopal Churches (there were 3 of them over the years) on the property where the Cochran Cemetery is located.  

Information from Carol Holliger:

"The history written by John Versteeg in 1963 (History of the Methodist Protestant Church) includes histories of many M.E. churches, including Cochran. I do not know where John got his information but he claims there were three churches, the original log church, the 1851 frame building, and the 1893 brick building.

 

I do not have a closed church file for Cochran, but I did find some information in the Ohio Conference journals. An entry appears in 1931 indicating that the following was authorized:

 

“Sale of Staunton Parsonage, net proceeds to be divided by order of Fayette County Parish Quarterly Conference. Transfer of Cochran Church on Fayette County Parish to trustees of Perry Township, Fayette, County, Ohio, to be used for a cemetery chapel—this in such manner as the civil law provides.” – FYI, the churches in the Fayette County Parish were Good Hope, Sugar Grove, Staunton, Maple Grove, Buena Vista, New Martinsburg, and Cochrans. There is no documentation that the transfer ever took place.

 

Then in 1949, the following authorization appears:

 

“Cochran Church, Good Hope Charge, proceeds to be used by the Chillicothe District. The recommendation was that it be declared abandoned by the Annual Conference and sold.” This authorization appears again in 1950, 1951, and 1952. Again, there is no documentation that a sale ever took place.

 

I have also attached the 1865 list of missionary donations by members of the Staunton Circuit. You can see that Cochran’s is part of this circuit then, and there is a list of those members."

 

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Thanking Susan Tietz:  Susan Tietz | National Register and Inventory Manager, State Historic Preservation Office Ohio History Connection | 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43211

p. 614.298.2000 | f. 614.298.2037 | stietz@ohiohistory.org

With Susan's guidance and patience, she answered all of my questions as I moved along completing each block and section on the form.  

Susan imparted some advice that would aid in completing another OHI form for a cemetery:

"Assimilate the sources of information you have into narratives for the physical description, historical significance and environmental setting, add them to the fillable pdf form and we could just transfer your narrative?  Below is a better explanation of the intent and type of information typically contained in the open text fields.

 

The open text fields have specific functions and are designed to include specific information --the physical description field is typically for describing a building, but can be adjusted to address a cemetery. This field should discuss the topography and physical appearance of the cemetery. Things like—is the ground flat or rolling? Are there mature trees or small shrubs? Sidewalks or walkways? A fence? How are the graves arranged? Large/small/deteriorated/high style/vernacular designs to the gravestones? Are there any distinctive landscape or built features that merit mention?  These are just a few things to think about as you look at the cemetery—there may be others.

 

The historic significance field should include basic information about the history of the cemetery…was it a family or community cemetery? Was there historically a church associated with the cemetery (extant or existing).  What is the date range of the markers? In a sentence or two, say who is buried here? Early community members? Primarily German/English/any specific background? Here, you could mention a couple of the most prominent people that are buried at the cemetery, but we don’t have space to include extended genealogy.

 

The description of environment and outbuildings field should include a narrative that describes the environment in which the cemetery sits—quiet 2 lane country roads? Busy 4 lane county roads? Is it easily accessed on foot? Long gravel driveway? Abuts the road? Set in agricultural fields? Neglected/well kept?

 

The narrative for these fields should be succinct but descriptive and use complete sentences. We don’t necessarily include all of the information discovered through research, the form should provide a road map for future researchers, which is why we include the bibliography. If additional detail is desired by a future researcher, the bibliography shows them where to go for more information."

 

Focusing on the Cochran Cemetery - Past and Present (Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio)

First, I wish to express my gratitude to Renee Loyd for sharing her gravestone photographs that are shown below taken Saturday, August 8th. 

After reading the February 26, 1959 "Record-Herald" (Washington Court House, Fayette County, Ohio) newspaper story about the six Smith Family children who all died from "Milk Sickness" in 1837, Renee was prompted to visit the Cochran Cemetery and photograph their gravesites which are shown in the article when their upright markers were each standing in one piece at the time.

Sadly, as it so often happens at Ohio's cemeteries, the ravages of time and vandalism have taken their toll on the Cochran Cemetery and the gravestones; including those of the John and Eleanor Smith family and their children:  John, Lewis, Harrison, Elizabeth, Sarah J., and Anna which are now lying on the ground in mostly poor condition. 

The newspaper story pages appear above the photographs (Source "Newspaperarchive.com".) 

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Only son John's gravestone is missing from the photographs.   

 

 (Above)
A view of how the row of the John and Eleanor Smith family gravestones look today.

 

(Above)
Father, John Smith's gravestone 

 (Above)
Mother, Eleanor Smith's gravestone, fortunately mostly intact.

 (Above)
Anna Smith's gravestone

 

  (Above two photographs)

Pieces of the Harrison Smith gravestone and a close up photo of the inscription on the top broken portion of the marker.

  (Below)
Elizabeth and Sarah J. Smith -- same marker, mostly intact.

 

 (Below two photographs)
The Lewis Smith gravestone now in two parts and lying on the ground

 

 The young children of John and Eleanor Smith of Fayette County, Ohio have not been forgotten -- neither in 1959 nor today. 

The historic details of their tragic story endures despite the shortened years of their lives.  

Appealing to those responsible for the care at the Cochran Cemetery --

These grave markers deserve to be properly repaired, cleaned, and re-set to truly honor the children's memory.   The inscriptions on their gravestones are worth saving.

Sharing Some Photographs of the Cochran Cemtery in Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio

Sharing some of the cemetery and gravestone photographs taken on July 19, 2015 during a brief stop at the Cochran Cemetery in Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio.  

Additionally, included are a few other scanned documents that pertain to the Cochran Cemetery.  

Also, below is some biographical information about Thomas G. Cockerill and Barnabas (AKA Barnabus) Cochran and his wife, Charlotte (Stites) Cochran:

http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Miscellaneous/FayettePickawayMadison1892P400.htm

“Thomas G. Cockerill was born September 11, 1812, in Virginia, and came' to this locality with his parents when nine yea s of age. His opportunities for obtaining an education were very limited, as at the early age of fifteen years he was obliged to work out in order to help support the large family. When attaining his nineteenth year, our subject started out in life on his own account, and the following year was married to Sylvitha, daughter of Barnabas and Charlotte (Stites) Cochran, natives of New Jersey. Her father for many years was a sailor. Her parents were married in 1799, and, moving to this State in 1806, located on land in Walnut Creek, this township, where the father opened up a farm, and was among the earliest settlers. He died in 1845, when seventy three years of age. His good wife survived him a number of years. and passed away in 1855, at the advanced age of eighty years. They were the parents of seven children, of whom Mrs. Cockerill is the only survivor. They were prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and were active workers and liberal contributors in the same. 

Mr. Cochran gave an acre of ground for a cemetery, and aided in the erection of the first church in this locality. It has long since given way to a more attractive and commodious building, which was named after Mr. Cochran. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, serving under Gen. William Henry Harrison.”