" A Walking Tour in Local History " - Evergreen Cemetery

Evergreen Cemetery is the older of Painesville's two burial grounds.  Dating back to 1859, the cemetery began as 24 acres situated on the corner of Casement and Main.  In 1897, the second cemetery known as The Old Burying Ground was chosen as the site for a school (the former Harvey High School).  The buried were relocated to Evergreen.  An expansion in 1938 allowed the cemetery to grow to 34 acres.  Nine sextons ( superintendents) oversaw the cemetery grounds in its history.  Japanese Maple trees, Hickory trees, and Oaks made the cemetery a focal point of Painesville.  Weekend strolls were popular at the turn of the 19th century.  The cemetery's Monument Row became a local point of interest.  By 1953, space limitations necessitated the opening of a new cemetery on Riverside Drive. As of 2007, 18,740 burials had been duly recorded at Evergreen.  The registry includes Revolutionary War participants, Civil War veterans, a Medal of Honor winner, leading industrialists, and notable State of Ohio officials. Evergreen Cemetery is definitely a walk through American history and another hidden gem in the local lore of Lake County.

Evergreen Cemetery Notables:

Division 4

Abraham Skinner - Revolutionary War hero who marched to Lexington in 1775 and became one of the first to answer the call for patriots.

Division 3

Samuel Huntington - 1804  Chief Justice for the State of Ohio

                                       1808  Second Governor of Ohio

Division 17

Thomas Harvey - noted educator, author, school superintendent, and founder-pioneer of N.E.O.T.A.

Division 18

Charles Eledge - member of the 101st Infantry, one of two black Civil War veterans buried in Evergreen.

Division 18

Gladys Gibson - remained in hospital to assist during 1929 Cleveland Clinic Fire Tragedy.

Division 7

Edward Whiten - served in the 29th US Regiment Coloured Troops, second black Civil War veteran buried in Evergreen.

Monument Row

Pratt Family - dry goods industrialist

Milton Canfield - Judge

Catherine Roddick- newspaper reporter, United Way philanthropist

Joseph Adams Potter - Civil War veteran

Howell Burr Treat - Civil War veteran and Medal of Honor winner

James and Frances Casement -  James was a Civil War veteran and Frances was a Women's Suffrage pioneer.  Their stories are for another day's blog.