cemetery
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. It is the city's oldest existing cemetery.
History
The cemetery was established in 1826 at what was then the edge of the city, taking its name from East 9th Street's original name. It was the city's first permanent cemetery, replacing a community burial ground just south of
Public Square
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
. Many of Cleveland's earliest pioneers and leaders are buried there, including
Lorenzo Carter
Major Lorenzo Carter was the first permanent settler in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
Born in 1767, Carter spent his early years in Warren, Connecticut, where he visited the local library frequently and developed an appreciation of books. ...
, the city's first permanent white settler; and John W. Willey, the city's first
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
. The cemetery was open to members of all faiths.
During the administration of Mayor Tom L. Johnson in the early 20th century, bodies were moved from the cemetery to the municipally-owned Highland Park Cemetery, and parts of the cemetery were vacated for city streets. The Pioneers' Memorial Association was formed in 1915 to advocate for the cemetery. In 1925, its future was secured when City Manager William R. Hopkins decided to build the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge around, rather than through, the cemetery.
Improvements and maintenance have been performed by groups including the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
and the
Cleveland Grays
Grays Armory is a historic building in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built by the Cleveland Grays, a private military company which was founded in 1837. It was designated as an official Ohio historical site in October 2009, and it is a Cleveland City Landmark.
Honors student
An honors student or honor student is a student recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their coursework at school.
United States
In the US, honors students may refer to:
# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lis ...
s at
Cuyahoga Community College
Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) is a public community college in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Founded in 1963, it is the oldest and largest public community college within the state.
Tri-C schedules on the semester basis, and offers over 1,000 co ...
have conducted research about people buried in the cemetery.
Notable interments
Among the cemetery's more than 17,000 interments are veterans who participated in conflicts from the Revolutionary War through the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (cloc ...
. Notable burials at Erie Street Cemetery include:
* John W. Allen (1802–1887), lawyer and politician, Mayor of Cleveland from 1841 to 1843
*
Lorenzo Carter
Major Lorenzo Carter was the first permanent settler in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
Born in 1767, Carter spent his early years in Warren, Connecticut, where he visited the local library frequently and developed an appreciation of books. ...
(1767–1814), Cleveland's first permanent white settler, community leader
*
Leonard Case Jr.
Leonard Case Jr. (January 27, 1820 – January 6, 1880) was a philanthropist from Cleveland, Ohio, who endowed the Case School of Applied Science (later Case Institute of Technology, merging with Western Reserve University to become Case Wester ...
(1820–1880), philanthropist, namesake of the
Case Institute of Technology
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a Private university, private research university in Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve was established in 1967, when Western Reserve University, founded in 1826 and named for its location i ...
(remains later removed to
Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gil ...
, Cleveland, Ohio, but headstone remains at Erie Street Cemetery)
* David Eldridge, first person of European descent to die in the
Western Reserve
The Connecticut Western Reserve was a portion of land claimed by the Colony of Connecticut and later by the state of Connecticut in what is now mostly the northeastern region of Ohio. The Reserve had been granted to the Colony under the terms o ...
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
The position of lieutenant governor of Ohio was established in 1852. The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the governor resigns, dies in office or is removed by impeachment. Before 1852, the president of the Ohio State Senate would serve as ...
from 1878 to 1880.
* Josiah A. Harris (1808–1876), Mayor of Cleveland in 1847
* George Hoadley (1781–1857), Mayor of Cleveland in 1846 (remains later removed to Highland Park Cemetery, Highland Hills, Ohio)
* Joc-O-Sot (1810–1844),
Meskwaki
The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...
chief
* Lorenzo A. Kelsey (1803–1890), Mayor of Cleveland in 1848 (remains later removed to
Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gil ...
, Cleveland, Ohio)
* Joshua Mills (1797–1843), physician and politician, Mayor of Cleveland from 1838 to 1839 and in 1842
* John W. Willey (1797–1841), politician, the first mayor of Cleveland, from 1836 to 1837 (remains later removed to
Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gil ...
, Cleveland, Ohio, but headstone remains at Erie Street Cemetery)
See also
*
List of cemeteries in the United States
This is a list of cemeteries in the United States. The list includes both active and historic sites, and does not include pet cemeteries. At the end of the list by states, cemeteries in territories of the United States are included. The list is ...