Cemetery Preservation Committee Update from the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve - Homer Taft, Committee Chair

 "Cemetery Preservation Committee"

by Homer Taft, Committee Chair

"The Cemetery Preservation Committee has inventoried all the available old records at West Park Cemetery and is planning the inventory of those stored at Highland Park.  

There are both alphabetical indexes and lot books of the original grave interment locations that have never been scanned and have additional burials and other valuable information.   

We are developing a plan in cooperation with the Cleveland Public Library Digital Lab to scan over 100 volumes of material, approximately 10,000 pages, and file drawers full of record cards and maps.  

We will need hundreds of volunteer hours to accomplish this task. To volunteer, please email Homer Taft at hstaft@yahoo.com.



We are also trying to build awareness and resources to locate buried monuments, re-set and restore monuments, and better maintain all our cemeteries. Our primary focus initially will be preserving records and documenting monuments and markers on Find A Grave. 

Longer term, we hope to assist local groups to organize to take responsibility for stewardship of local cemeteries and involve descendants of the interred, cemetery neighbors, and history groups to preserve and maintain the cemeteries."

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The website of the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve

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West Park Cemetery on Find A Grave

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Highland Park Cemetery on Find A Grave

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Sharing this story from Cleveland19.com in commemoration of Juneteenth 2021

 2021 is the first year for the official National Holiday of Juneteenth.  

In honor of this significant day in American History and what it meant in 1865 and what it means now, I share this wonderful heartfelt news story that comes from TV Channel 19 in Cleveland.  

"A former slave died a free man in Lakewood. More than a century later, he's honored with a grave marker."   This feature story is by reporter Sia Nyorkor.  

Mr. Ross Bassett, Vice President of the West Park Historical Society, provided a 15 minute presentation commemorating the life of Henry Wright that can be viewed at the end of this spotlight story.

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This wonderful story offers us a unique opportunity to learn about Henry Wright who died at age 108 - and lived in three centuries - but whose gravesite, sadly, had been unmarked; that is until now!   

Sharing a video from Cleveland 19 News Reporter Paul Orlousky about the West Park Cemetery in Cleveland

Sharing a short video that was broadcast today (April 25, 2018) about the West Park Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.  

"Cemetery Needs Repairs" 

by Reporter Paul Orlousky

This is not a long video, but there is an interview with a cemetery visitor who has family buried at the West Park Cemetery.  

There is enough video footage to give us a good look at several markers that are sitting under water surrounded by large areas of muddy water; and tracks of thick mud left from equipment that had been driven through the cemetery and over the markers.  

I hope the reporter does a follow-up video and story before the end of May so we can learn if indeed some of the problems shown in this video that he said he was promised would be corrected actually were corrected.  I feel it is probably going to take longer, however, to repair and put back up some of the larger monuments.