FOREWORD
This book was written out of a desire to
prevent the feeling of frustration experienced by researchers when they
learn that an old graveyard and its records no longer exist. I have
experienced this with regard to early graveyards elsewhere, in
Philadelphia and Houston, for example, and I hope that this effort will
mitigate the feeling to some extent among those researching ancestors who
lived in Columbus. My goal has been to replace such lacking official
records and history for the graveyards owned by the City of Columbus,
primarily the North and East Graveyards. The Franklinton Graveyard, which
is now owned by the City, and the South Graveyard, which was owned by
Franklin County but in which the City of Columbus had burial rights, are
also included. The "Colored" graveyard in Franklin Township is also
briefly discussed, since it was owned and used by residents of the city
and it was established at least in part because of the treatment which
black residents received from the city. The old Catholic and Jewish
graveyards are excluded because they were privately owned and have been
adequately discussed elsewhere. (See Raphael and Schlegel in the
bibliography.)
In replacing a portion of the missing
graveyard records, greatest thanks are due to the Green Lawn Cemetery
Association, which through the years has kept one of the best sets of
interment records known (a fact acknowledged by researchers as far away as
New Jersey). The Association kindly allowed me to search through several
of its books for notes of removals from the city graveyards. The
Association is also to be commended for their care of the old tombstones
and monuments which were moved into Green Lawn from the City graveyards
over a century ago.
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Various other sources of newspaper notices
and miscellaneous records and historical data, as noted in the
Bibliography and Sources, were supplied by the Ohio Historical Society,
the Franklin County Genealogical Society, the Public Library of Columbus
and Franklin County, the County Recorder's Office, County Engineer's
Office, the Franklin County Clerk of Courts, the City of Columbus
Engineering and Construction Office, and former Clerk of Council Vince
Tumeo.
It was possible to identify some 2,210
interments in the North, East, Franklinton, and Colored graveyards, broken
down approximately as follows: 440 known and 550 probable at the North
Graveyard; 110 known and 335 probable at the East Graveyard; 135 known and
40 probable at Franklinton; 25 probable at the Colored graveyard; 575
probably interred at the North or East graveyards, but which one cannot be
determined. In addition, names of 59 lot owners at the North and 12 at the
East Graveyard were found. Even after many hours and much effort, this
total is a small fraction, perhaps one-quarter to one-third, of all of the
interments in the City graveyards. It is unfortunate that none of the
sexton's records (or even John Graham's report of lot owners at the North
Graveyard) could be found for use in this compilation. None would be
happier than the author if the publication of this work would cause the
private holder of some of these missing records to come forward and share
them with researchers, even though too late to be included
here.
- - - - - - -
On the evening of Friday, December 2, 1881,
while the last removals were being completed in the Kerr tract of the old
North Graveyard, a boy watching the workmen was observed to pick up
something from the dirt and quickly put it in his pocket. Subsequently, he
cautiously pulled his hand partly out of his pocket and a gentleman saw a
heavy gold ring in his hand. One of the workmen, suspecting that the boy
had found something of value, spoke to him, but the lad pretended not to
hear and a minute or two later ran off as fast as his legs could carry
him.
Those who delve into the past are, like the
boy, searching for a treasure, an experience or lesson to make their own
life easier or more meaningful, but without the suffering which may have
accompanied the original experience. May each find his or her own "gold
ring."
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