Sharing from the Urbana Daily Citizen - Oak Dale Cemetery tours are Oct. 21-22 = 2022 - Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio

Oak Dale Cemetery tours are Oct. 21-22

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Oak Dale Cemetery on Find A Grave

"CCPA to host 2021 Cemetery Tour - Champaign County, Ohio" from the Urbana Daily Citizen

CCPA to host 2021 Cemetery Tour

Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio. 

Spotlighting Pvt. Royal J. Winder buried at the Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana, Ohio

Sharing photographs from July 7, 2018 taken at Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio of the Winder / Gump monument.  

Pvt. Royal J. Winder was only 43 years old when he passed away unexpectedly leaving his wife, Louise Gump Winder, and daughter Nellie behind.   His mother, Adaline D. Limes Winder Ballenger Dailey also survived him. 

 

 

 

Thanking Sally L. Johnson of Urbana, Ohio for her Encouragement & Support Extended to Me and on Behalf of Cemetery Preservation in Ohio.

Thanking my friend, Sally L. Johnson of Urbana, Ohio, for her kind ongoing encouragement and support of my outreach for cemetery preservation improvements, particularly here in Ohio.
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 I wanted to re-share what Sally so kindly shared with me this week.

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 The short story Sally shared below is one that reflects the feelings many of us have regarding our ancestors and how our desire to honor them guides us toward taking steps to preserve their gravesites; and thus honor their memory and show our respect that we care.  

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Excerpts from Sally: 

"Here’s the Wendell Berry piece I spoke about.  He’s one of my favorite authors and this is an excerpt from the first of a small book of his short stories. It is set in an area of small farms around a fictional village of Port William, Kentucky. The farmers are poor, working the acreages wrested from the heavily-wooded hillsides generations ago by their ancestors.  Berry’s middle-aged character Andy is musing about the death of his beloved grandfather twenty-five years before": 

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Sharing quotations from Wendell Berry and his book 

"Fidelity - Five Stories" -- from the first story entitled : "Pray Without Ceasing." 

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“Mat Feltner was my grandfather on my mother’s side.  Saying it thus, I force myself to reckon again with the strangeness of the verb was.  The man of whom I once was pleased to say ‘He is my grandfather,’ has become the dead man who was my grandfather.  He was, and is no more. And this is a part of the great mystery we call time.

    But, the past is present also.  And this, I think, is a part of the greater mystery we call eternity…when my grandfather was dying, I was not thinking about the past.  My grandfather was still a man I knew, but as he subsided day by day, he was ceasing to be the man I had known.  I was experiencing consciously for the first time that transformation in which the living, by dying, pass into the living…this man who was my grandfather is present in me, as I felt always his father to be present in him.

     But even the unknown past is present in us, its silence as persistent as a ringing in the ears. When I stand in the road that passes through Port William, I am standing on the strata of my history that go down through the known past into the unknown; the blacktop rests on state gravel, which rests on county gravel, which rests on the creek rock and cinders laid down by the town when it was still mostly beyond the reach of the county; and under the creek rock and cinders is the dirt track of the town’s beginning, the buffalo trace that was the way we came.

     You work your way down, or not so much down as within, into the interior of the present, until finally you come to that beginning in which all things, the world and the light itself, at a word welled up into being out of their absence.  And, nothing is here that we are beyond the reach of merely because we do not know about it.”

From Sally:

    " Linda, you have preserved much of the “interior of the present” by your attention to the markers and the lives of those we did not know, but who are yet present in us. You have encouraged preservation of their tangible tributes and the stories they tell." 

   

Sally is quite active with a number of civic affairs activities in Urbana, Ohio. 

    

See blog posts of:

 May 13, 2014:

Remembering the Old Graveyard in Urbana, Ohio -- Ohio Historical Marker Dedication - Saturday, June 7, 2014 in Urbana, Ohio

June 10, 2014:

Sharing a News Story with Photographs of the Dedication of the Ohio Historical Marker at Urbana's Historic Old Graveyard

Sharing Photographs of the Ohio Historical Marker for Urbana's Old Grave Yard & Update on Ordering the Commemorative Paperweight

For anyone desiring to purchase the commemorative paperweight shown below: 

"The markers (small wood marker shown below) are 15 dollars each and 6 dollars each for a shipping charge - total 21 dollars."

 

Dick Virts

 

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Thanking Sally Johnson of Urbana, Ohio for taking and sharing the photographs of each side of the newly installed Ohio Historical Marker at the site of the Old Grave Yard in Urbana, Ohio.  

Below:  

Photographs of both sides of the marker - "Old Grave Yard" and "War Council of 1812"

The Unique History of the Paperweight of the Old GraveYard in Urbana, Ohio

Sharing a News Story with Photographs of the Dedication of the Ohio Historical Marker at Urbana's Historic Old Graveyard

Click Here to read the front page story written by Casey Elliott and published today in the "Urbana Daily Citizen" newspaper describing some of the details of the dedication of the new Ohio Historical Marker that was installed on Saturday, June 7, 2014 at the site of the Old Graveyard in Urbana, Ohio.

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Below are some photographs shared by Champaign County Historical Society volunteer, Sally Johnson, who received them from Dan Walter, also a CCHS member.  

Three of the photos appeared on the front page of the "Urbana Daily Citizen" today.

Special Message from Sally Johnson regarding the old oak mini-tombstone paperweight shown below: 
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"Little oak paperweights were designed and handmade especially for this event.  They were sold at the reception to help commemorate the site and underwrite future markers. 

The story in brief: The mementos were made from the wood of the massive,175-year-old burr oak tree that once stood at the corner of the burial grounds. It was uprooted in a storm in 2013 and the roots brought with them human remains which confirmed the belief that the site still contained graves of early settlers. 

This gave renewed impetus to the project and validated the significance of the appeal to the Ohio's Historic Marker administrators. They soon agreed that the site was worthy and approved the application. Thus, the little wood artifacts---part of the tree that revealed the truth about the site---bear an intriguing story of their own."

"There are still some available. I think they are $15." 

Click Here for contact information for the Champaign County Historical Society in Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio.

 

Reminder: Ohio Historical Society Marker Dedication for the Old Graveyard in Urbana, Ohio - Saturday, June 7, 2014 - 1:00p.m. in Urbana, Ohio

Champaign County Historical Society and Museum

809 East Lawn Avenue

Urbana, Ohio 43078

937-653-6721

champhistmus@ctcn.net

 June 2, 2014

HIGHLIGHTS OF JUNE 7

MARKER DEDICATION  

"URBANA, OHIO……… An impressive assembly of presenters from an Eagle Scout to the Grand Chief of the Wyandot of Anderdon Nation will take part in the June 7, dedication of a historic marker at Urbana’s first burial ground at Ward and Kenton Streets and the nearby site of the War Council of 1812.

         Historians, representatives of Seneca, Shawnee, Wyandot and Mingo Native American tribes; members of Ohio and Champaign County Historical Societies, descendants of frontiersman Simon Kenton and Urbana City administration will make up the platform party, escorted by an Ohio Militia honor guard.

          Historic re-enactors in period dress, the solemn drama of Native Americans in full authentic regalia, performing traditional tribal drumming ceremonies, and John Linigle’s Company of Ohio Militia, armed and uniformed as its 1812 counterpart, will add to the significance of the occasion.

         At 1 p.m., Joe Rizzutti, Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS) trustee and chair of the historic marker event, will open the program with Eagle Scout Daniel Evilsizor, Troop24/Crew 258 Tecumseh Council, Boy Scouts of America, leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

         An invocation by Rev. Tim West, Chaplain of the Urbana Fire Department, and a welcome by CCHS president Janice Coates will be followed by a proclamation from Urbana Mayor Bill Bean, read by Audra Bean.

         Barbara Lehmann of Urbana, Head Elder and Historian for Piqua Shawnee Tribe, serving as proxy for Principal Chief Gary Hunt, will introduce Native Americans Ted Roll, Grand Chief of the Wyandot of Anderdon Nation; Anita Pennington, Piqua Tribal Mother; Kevin Everhart, Piqua Shawnee War Chief and the Piqua Shawnee Tribal Drummers: Chuck Franz, Head Drummer, Trent Everhart, Firekeeper and Josh Runyon, Drummer. Vocalist Jan Frand will accompany the drummers.

          Before the program continues, Roll, Pennington and Everhart will invoke the blessing of the burial grounds, very sacred in Native American culture.  This will be followed by an interlude of traditional tribal drumming, conveying honor to the warriors, during which the drum rests on a buffalo hide, not touching consecrated ground.

          Barbara Lehmann will introduce descendants of Simon Kenton, whose 8-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, is one of those still interred in the Old Grave Yard.  Speaking for the Kenton Kin Association will be Barbara White, President and fourth great-granddaughter of Kenton, and Jay Noble, Vice President, fifth great-grandson of the intrepid frontiersman.

          Descendants of other pioneers buried in the Old Grave Yard will also be in attendance.

          The honor of the marker unveiling was awarded to the event committee, Joe Rizzutti, Mark Gaver and Dan Walter, for whom this occasion is the culmination of personal hopes and years of research. Assisting will be event sponsor Wayne Smith, Walter & Smith Funeral Home, and Laura Herron, Marker Specialist, AmeriCorps Member, which administers the historic marker program.    

          Walter will present the history of the Old Graveyard, as displayed on the marker. Mark Gaver will give the account of the War Council of 1812, as it appears on the second side of the marker.

          Final remarks by Richard Virts, curator of the CCHS Museum will be followed by Retirement of the Colors and Musketry Salute by John Linigle’s Company of Ohio Militia, 1812.

         At the conclusion of the formal program, the Champaign County Historical Society will host a reception at the museum, 809 East Lawn Avenue.

         Both the program site and the museum are handicapped accessible. Boy Scout Troop/Crew 258 will be on hand at the historic marker location to assist those with limited mobility.

          Free parking will be available at the former St. Mary School parking lot on Washington Ave. and, if that is filled, the west side of St. Mary Church’s parking area may be used. Ward Street will be blocked to traffic from Kenton to Lynn Streets.

         For additional information, contact the Historical Society by phone, 653-6721 or email, champhistmus@ctcn.net."

Urbana's Old Graveyard is Remembered with an Ohio Historical Marker - June 7, 2014 at 1:00p.m.

Champaign County Historical Society809 East Lawn Avenue Urbana, Ohio 43078937-653-6721champhistmus@ctcn.net
 
May 15, 2014

URBANA’S OLD GRAVE YARD TO RECEIVE HISTORIC MARKER URBANA, OHIO

A spacious, grassy plot at the northeast corner of the intersection of Ward and Kenton Streets in Urbana has witnessed pick-up ball games, flyers of kites, builders of snowmen, picnickers, youngsters school bound and neighborhood families out for a stroll.

It is doubtful that any of them realized the significance of this little park, established in 1805 as the first burial grounds for the Urbana settlement.

For nearly two centuries, this quiet spot has fulfilled its assignment as a final resting place for pioneer ancestors, but with nary a headstone, a monument, a flag or a flower to tell its story to passersby. That will soon be remedied.

June 7 at 1 p.m., the Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS), in collaboration with the Ohio Historical Society, will unveil a historic marker at the site of what is known as the Old Grave Yard at the corner of Ward and Kenton Streets, once the north and east boundaries of Urbana, explaining the reason for this little clearing in the midst of a residential neighborhood.

In addition to the Champaign County and Ohio Historical Societies, the event is being sponsored by the Walter Smith Funeral Home and the City of Urbana and was organized by the CCHC Historic Marker Committee, Joe Rizzutti, chair, Mark Gaver and Dan Walter.

The text of the marker acknowledges the location as the county’s original burial ground, dedicated in 1805 and in use until 1856, and honors those still interred, one of which is believed to be a young daughter of Simon Kenton.

The reverse side of the marker commemorates the 202nd anniversary of the War Council of 1812, a gathering of local settlers and representatives of the Wyandot and Shawnee tribes held in 1812 about a hundred yards southwest of the Old Grave Yard.

The War Council was called by Ohio Governor Meigs to assure the Native Americans that should General William Hull’s troops, then encamped in Urbana, be deployed to Detroit through tribal lands, the terms of the Treaty of Greenville would be upheld, and to confirm that the Native Americans would stand as our allies against the British.

The June 7 program will include dedicatory remarks by sponsors and project researchers. Some of the Kenton Kin, descendants of Simon Kenton, will be introduced as will members of the Shawnee, Seneca, Mingo and Wyandot Nations. Historic re-enactors in period costume will be on hand and a Native American Drumming Ceremony will be featured.

Following the on-site formalities, the Champaign County Historical Society will host a reception at the Museum.

Rizzutti notes that city records, maps, county histories, biographies and newspaper articles contributed to the information for the marker application, but some of what is told of the property and those buried there is rooted in oral history and is difficult to verify.

Rizzutti adds that it took an act of nature to give impetus to the ongoing investigation and finally secure the Ohio Historical Society’s approval for a historic marker.

While ground-penetrating radar, a technology suggested by Society member Greg Shipley, was being used to search for more graves, the only tree on the burial site, a massive burr oak estimated to be 179 years old, was torn from the ground during a violent storm, bringing to the surface a tangle of roots and human bones, certifying that more graves did, indeed, exist.

One of the burials of record, believed to still be interred in the Old Grave Yard, is that of Elizabeth Kenton, eight-year-old daughter of celebrated pioneer scout Simon Kenton.

Also, some early settlers of the area; unidentified soldiers from the War of 1812; Captain Arthur Thomas and his son who died at the hands of Native Americans, and four children of a Bell family, killed in a tornado, are thought to be still buried there.

Desirous of providing a lasting memento of the marker unveiling and to honor those for whom the Old Grave Yard remains a final resting place, CCHC commissioned woodworker Doug Dill to design and handcraft a limited number of commemorative paperweights of wood salvaged from the uprooted oak, faithful sentinel of the burial grounds for almost 200 years.

Dill said the paperweights will be replicas of 19th century headstones with engraved brass plates bearing the memorial text. They will be sold for $15 each at the marker ceremonies. Paperweights can be reserved by calling the Historical Society Museum, 937-653-6721.
 
In case of rain, the marker ceremonies will be moved to the Historical Society Museum, 809 East Lawn Avenue.

                                  COMPLETE TEXT OF THE HISTORIC MARKERS
Side one:
                                  OLD GRAVE YARD
 

In 1805, a burial ground was dedicated to Champaign County at the intersection of Ward and Kenton Streets, which was then at Urbana’s town limits. It remained open until 1856. 

Among those interred there was Elizabeth Kenton, eight-year-old daughter of Simon Kenton. 

When she died in 1810, Kenton, the county jailer, was forbidden from crossing out of the town limits due to his unpaid debts. After following the funeral procession as far as he could, he watched Elizabeth’s burial from across the street. Also buried there were unknown soldiers from the War of 1812, Captain Arthur Thomas and son who were killed by Native Americans in August, 1813, four Bell children, who died in the tornado of March 22, 1830, and numerous early settlers of Champaign County. Many, but not all, were reinterred and rest in Oak Dale Cemetery.

Side two:

                                  WAR COUNCIL OF 1812

To confirm that the Treaty of Greenville would be upheld, Ohio Governor Return J. Meigs called a council with Native Americans June 6-9, 1812. He sought approval to cross native land when marching to Canada and to ensure their alliance with the United States against the British.

Among the tribes and chiefs credited for attending were the Shawnee (Black Hoof, Captain Lewis), Wyandot (Tarhe, Roundhead), Seneca (Civil John), and Mingo. General William Hull, Colonels
MacArthur, Cass and Findley, the Wyandot interpreter Isaac and Simon Kenton are also thought to have attended. Blockhouses were erected along Hull’s Trace for storage and the protection of local settlers. The actual location of the gathering was on the rise about 100 yards southwest of the Old Grave Yard.

Spotlighting Champaign County, Ohio's Upcoming "Tombstone Trail" Cemetery Tours - Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 1:00p.m. and 2:30p.m. and The Historic Walking Tour of Urbana's Oak Dale Cemetery on Saturday, October 27, 2012

Click on title to link to the "Urbana Daily Citizen" newspaper story published on October 8, 2012 about The Champaign County Preservation Alliance's upcoming "Tombstone Trail" Cemetery Tour.

Excerpts below from the this well written story by Sherry Virts of the Champaign County Preservation Alliance:

"The objectives of the Tombstone Trail project are many. We want to preserve our county’s contribution to history by retelling it. We want to draw attention to the upkeep of our cemeteries. We want to raise funds to help restore grave markers and other CCPA projects. We want to increase tourism in our county so as to show off the beautiful place we live. We also want to connect with cemetery tours moving into Ohio from Indiana. 

To purchase a copy of the CCPA’s first self-guided cemetery tour booklet, Champaign County’s Tombstone Trail 2012, please contact the CCPA at (800) 791-6010. 

After the kick-off guided tours, the self-guided cemetery tour booklet will be available for purchase at the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce or by leaving a message at (800) 791-6010. Call soon to reserve yours." 

***And,***

"Some of the stories in the 2012 CCPA Tombstone Trail booklet of Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana will be incorporated into the evening Historic Halloween Walking Tour in Oak Dale Saturday Oct. 27. The Soroptimist International will partner with the CCPA to once again bring the Historic Halloween Walking Tour through Urbana’s Oak Dale Cemetery. Historian John Bry will return to lead participants on a tour of the cemetery, recalling stories of some of Champaign County’s historical figures buried there, including some of the stories from the Tombstone Trail.

More information is to come regarding times and details of this evening cemetery tour. Everyone is welcome for a little non-scary pre-Halloween fun with this tour. 

The Spring Grove Cemetery tour in the booklet will be strictly self-guided because of limited parking space in the older part of the cemetery. Oak Dale Cemetery gravestones and stories will also be strictly self-guided except for those included in the evening Halloween Walking Tour."

Please read the whole online news article for full details. 

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Currently, on "Find A Grave", the interments at the Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana number 15,034.  

Also, on "Find A Grave", interments at the Spring Grove Cemetery in St. Paris in Champaign County are presently listed at 2,326. 

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Oak Dale Cemetery (City of Urbana website)

"Tombstone Trail" - Champaign County Preservation Alliance 

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 121 Champaign County Cemeteries are represented with interment information on "Find A Grave."  Something to keep in mind for future visits to Champaign County, Ohio!

Royal J. Winder of Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio

Click on Title to link to the biography of Royal J. Winder on "Findagrave.com"