Ohio WPA Cemetery Plat Maps -- Where Are They Now?

The Works Progress Administration (later renamed in 1939 as the "Works Projects Administration") -- is often abbreviated and known simply as the "WPA" -- was created and existed during the years of the Great Depression to help put Americans back to work.  

"Interment.net" provides a comprehensive historical account of the  Works Progress Administration; its purpose, timeline, and list of accomplishments that gives the researcher a good start in understanding the types of records we have today because of these programs.  

A critical element to be aware of that impacts a search for Ohio's WPA Cemetery Plat Maps is that after they were drawn and completed, the maps were then deposited at each Ohio County Recorder's Office for their individual county.  Over the decades, unfortunately, due to space constraints and other issues, these maps in many Ohio counties now are kept elsewhere; so the question is:  "Where are They Now?" 

The WPA Cemetery Plat Map pages are larger size and were bound in heavy volumes making them difficult to handle and store.  In Allen County, for example, there are over 100 pages of WPA Cemetery plat maps.  There could be two or even three cemetery maps on one page if the cemeteries are small.  Conversely, for larger cemeteries, several map pages would be required to be drawn to illustrate the sections of the cemetery.  Also, the names of the veterans buried at a cemetery were included on the map page. A key was included on the map page that explains the number code by the veteran's name to identify his burial location at the cemetery and the name of the war he served in, if known.     

So it is that I have been working since July of 2013 to locate the WPA Cemetery Plat Maps for each Ohio County.  As most of us know Ohio has 88 counties so it required contacting each county individually; and in some counties, calling and/or emailing several county government offices (i.e. - Recorder, Engineer, Tax Map, Veterans' Office, County Archives if there is one) and/or libraries, historical, and genealogical societies, before it is discovered where a county's WPA Cemetery Plat Maps are now located.  

Unfortunately, however, in thirteen counties (see listing below) the location where their WPA Cemetery Plat Maps are located today still remains a mystery even after exhausting all of the logical contact choices mentioned above.  It doesn't necessarily mean the cemetery maps don't exist; it just means I haven't found them yet! 

During my investigations, I learned also that there is no one repository that holds all of the WPA Cemetery Plat Maps for each of Ohio's Counties. For example, Ohio Historical Society just recently acquired the Franklin County WPA Cemetery Plat Maps.     

*****

On a related issue,  many of you may know, as a companion to the WPA Cemetery Plat Maps, the Veterans' Graves Registration Cards were created for individual veterans.  Today, these individual veteran's grave cards can still be foundat most Ohio Recorder's Offices and/or county veterans' offices.  

The Ohio Historical Society does have the veterans graves registration cards in their collection.  A wonderful website for these graves registration cards is in its beginning stages to be online accessible through the Ohio Memory Project.  Click here to access  their "Graves Registration Cards" collection.  A paragraph entitled:  "About this Collection" also explains Ohio-specific details.   Currently, this online collection is only up to the letter "B", however.  

"The Graves Registration Cards Collection is made up of digitized versions of the graves registration cards from State Archives Series 183 at the Ohio Historical Society. This series, created by the Ohio Adjutant General's Department, includes records of soldiers in every war from the Revolutionary War until World War II."   

Below is a sample veteran's grave registration card for Samuel Crooks who was buried at the Limes Cemetery AKA Sheep Pen or Gustin Cemetery: 

*****

Please note, the alphabetical listing by county of the WPA Cemetery Plat Maps and contact information regarding them, if known, for their current location, is now shown on this blog on its own Page entitled:  

"Ohio WPA Cemetery Plat Maps - Location of Maps Listed Alphabetically by County Name".  

The PAGES heading is on the blog's right-hand column.  

*****

The counties where the location of their WPA Cemetery Plat Maps remain missing are listed below:

ADAMS COUNTY OHIO

CARROLL COUNTY OHIO

GALLIA COUNTY OHIO

HIGHLAND COUNTY OHIO

JACKSON COUNTY OHIO 

MAHONING COUNTY OHIO

MEIGS COUNTY OHIO

MONTGOMERY COUNTY OHIO

NOBLE COUNTY OHIO

OTTAWA COUNTY OHIO

PREBLE COUNTY OHIO

PUTNAM COUNTY OHIO

SENECA COUNTY OHIO

*****

Below is the title page for the "Veterans Graves Registration" project.  Also, below the title page is the WPA Cemetery Plat Map page of the Auglaize Cemetery in Auglaize Township, Allen County, Ohio to help illustrate what a typical WPA Cemetery Plat Map page looks like.

Sharing a Quiet Winter Scene at the Greenfield Cemetery in Greenfield, Highland County, Ohio

Thanking Scott and Venus Andersen for sharing their photograph taken today of a portion of the Greenfield Cemetery in Greenfield, Ohio. 

We see the windswept snow hugging the bases of the taller monuments.  A white landscape of peace and quiet prevails; reflected in a glint of sun spotlighting the stones from a distance.

Sharing My Poem -- "There Is No Tombstone Time Machine" -- to Help You Take the Time You Need to Become Knowledgeable and Learn Best Practices before Cleaning and Repairing Your Ancestors' Tombstones

Please take the following issues into consideration before visiting the cemetery to clean and repair the tombstones of your ancestors: 

 

The type of tools and products you will use:

 

--  Power tools with plastic wheels that rotate at high speeds that are pressed against the stone's surface remove its outer layer of marble.  The "marble dust" residue seen lying on the ground around a gravestone was created after this type of  a procedure had been done and is evidence that such aggressive measures were used.  Hand tools used to remove lichens, etc., on the other hand, do not remove layers of marble or stone, therefore do not leave such residue.  Thus, hand tools are less invasive and harmful to the stone's surface, and preserve its depth and thickness.  "Grinding away" on a tombstone can cause long term ill effects on it -- some that we may not even realize.  Once it's done, it cannot be undone. 

 

--  The type of cleaning products you choose -- Please check MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheets - before purchasing cleaning products and applying them.  Read reviews and consult with professionals if they use certain products and what is their assessment of them.  Always be sure to obtain more than one opinion.  Unfortunately, even 'before and after' gravestone photographs may not tell the whole story if a product applied to it has done or will do irreparable harm.  There can be lingering adverse effects evident only months or years later.  

 

This blog has several links to websites offering products. Also, listed are some gravestone conservation professionals; both Ohio based and outside of Ohio.  

 

Please take the time you need to read and ask questions before purchasing and using products and/or hiring professionals to conduct cleaning and repairing of your ancestors' gravestones.  Please remember that the long-term future of our ancestors' gravestones is at stake. The results will reflect the decisions we make and the paths we choose to take. 

 

 ALSO,

 

To help you with your decisions, please consult with well respected organizations that promote the safest known practices for gravestone conservation and preservation.  

 

They include:  

 

The Association of Gravestone Studies, and

 

 "The National Park Service National Center for PreservationTechnology and Training" --"Best Practice Recommendations for Cleaning Government Issued Headstones"

 

******

I'm confident that the time you take to review your options will lead you to make the best decisions possible for your tombstone preservation work.    

 

I leave you with my short poem as a reminder that mistakes made while cleaning and repairing tombstones can be irreversible. 

“THERE IS NO TOMBSTONE TIME MACHINE”

By Linda Jean Limes Ellis

January 23, 2014

An old tombstone cannot be made new again,

No matter how hard we try.

There is no Tombstone Time Machine to turn back the clock,

So please don’t believe the lie.

We scrape and scrub the stone’s eroded epitaph,

Then rinse it well and pat the surface dry.

We see their names, ages, birth and death dates are now more clear.

But wait, before we take our photographs, is that their voices that we hear?

A moment is spent to bid our respectful goodbye, before we turn and depart,

Knowing that wherever we are the tombstone will always hold a piece of our heart.

We will return to that lonely tombstone because we just can’t stay away,

And bring with us more tools to work again on another day.

The tombstone belongs to another time,

Though it's standing in our sight.

Please treat it as your own,

Mindful to always strive to preserve it right!