W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Riverside Cemetery, PART 2

In this series, some of the general surveys of Defiance County cemeteries will be shared, transcribed as written on the original W.P.A. reports, with a few punctuation and/or spelling changes for readability.  The surveys were probably done around 1936.

For more up to date information on the cemeteries, check out this chart on our website:
 http://defiancecountygenealogy.org/cemeteries.html)

Riverside Cemetery

6. Names of important persons buried there:

Dr. Charles E. Slocum at www.findagrave.com

 - Dr. Charles Elihu Slocum, 1841 - 1915, perhaps the most noted man buried in the cemetery.  A physician, traveler, philanthropist, and author of The History of the Maumee River Basin, published in 1905.  From this book, a lot of the history and data used in the material for the American Guide and on the Federal Writers Project of Defiance County has been gathered.  

Dr. Slocum donated some five hundred old books to the Public Library at Defiance and some to the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio.  He also was the donor of the Indian and prehistoric museum in Tenzer Hall at Defiance College.  His tombstone is a bronze statuary pedestal marker with an obelisk pointed shaft.  It is four sided, on the front is a raised facsimile of the head and picture of Dr. Slocum.  In the back is the genealogy of his family.  Descended from the Slocumb (note difference in spelling) who came to America in 1637 from Taunton, England and was one of the founders of Taunton, Mass.  On one of the sides of this marker is a dove of peace, on the other, a sheaf of wheat.  His monument stone is just back of the chapel in the new part of the cemetery. 

William C. Holgate at www.findagrave.com

-Second, according to rank, is William C. Holgate, who is buried in his vault, exact date of birth and burial undecernable, born in about 1824, died in the late nineties of the last century.  He came to this city when a lad of fifteen from New York with his father.  His father's grave is under a large stone obelisk marker, just north of the Holgate vault.  He was born in 1773 and died in 1840.  This man is said to have known Washington and Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin...  He died soon after settling in Defiance, the first named Holgate was a pioneer settler of the city.  A street in Defiance is named for him, also the Town of Holgate, Ohio in Henry County.  He was a very rich man, land owner and banker.  He built the Holgate-Harley Mansion that now stands on Holgate Avenue at the end of Fifth Street and on the banks of the Maumee River.  His son, Wm. C. Holgate and his daughter, Mrs. Fannie Harley, are still living in the City of Defiance, Fannie occupying the old homestead. 

- Pierce Evans, 1800 - 1862, pioneer settler of Independence, Ohio, and cousin of Foreman Evans, founder of Independence and Evansport, Ohio.  Pierce is the only one of the Evans family buried in the graveyard, the others being taken back east to be buried.  His stone is also an obelisk marker, setting in the old graveyard near the Holgate vault.

- Thomas Warren, 1796 - 1878, first fruit raiser, owner of the old and famous Warren Orchards, formerly in the southwest part of Defiance.  Warren Addition in Defiance is named for him.  His grave and marker near the Holgate vault.

Virgil Squire at www.findagrave.com

- Virgil Squire, 1809 - 1878, owner of the first bank in Defiance, Ohio, the grandson being the president of the First National Bank at the time.  His marker and those of his children are in the old graveyard close to the Holgate and Latty vaults.

 -Herman B. Tenzer, born in 1885 and died in February of this year, 1936, rich lumber man, banker and philanthropist, co-donor with his wife of the Tenzer Science Hall at Defiance College and donor of thirty-five thousand dollars to the St. Paul's Lutheran Church, through his will probated this March.  He and Mrs. Tenzer are both buried in the New Mausoleum in the new part of the cemetery.

Silas T. Sutphen at www.findagrave.com

- Silas T. Sutphen, early pioneer judge and attorney of Defiance County, Sutphen Memorial Home for the President of Defiance College is built by his wife and son in memorial to him.  Born 1838 and died in 1909.  Buried in old part of cemetery. Large granite marker built to his memory on the Sutphen lot. 

- Dr. John Colby, affectionately called old Doc Colby, 1818 - 1907, a physician for more than fifty years in Defiance.  Buried in old cemetery.  No relatives living.

- Elbert E. Carter, 1860 - 1934, late president of the State Bank of Defiance, Ohio, who did much in keeping his bank on its feet during the trying times of 1929 - 1933, and injured his health in doing so, but saved the bank and all the money.  

To be continued...

 (The Works Progress Administration was formed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in reaction to the Great Depression as a means of employing Americans and stimulating the economy.  Established in 1935, one of the projects of the W.P.A. was to conduct Historical Records Surveys, one of which included finding information on cemeteries and the graves of veterans.  The W.P.A. was disbanded in 1943, but the historical information provided on these surveys continue to be of interest and are, thankfully, preserved.)