W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Old Elliott Graveyard, Richland Township

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)

Old Elliot Graveyard

(Old Independence Graveyard)

(Abandoned)

 

1.  Name of cemetery:  The Old Elliot Graveyard at Independence, Richland Twp.

2. Location: 

Located in section 21, Richland Township, on the hill at the old village of Independence.  On US 24, three and one half miles east of Defiance, Ohio, at the site of the old village of Independence.  It is reached from Defiance over US 24 going east along the Maumee River.

3. Caretaker:

None, not kept up, formerly the old Independence Graveyard.  Mr. Al. Young, caretaker of the Independence Cemetery, sometimes does a little work here.

4. Description:

This old graveyard, started in 1839, was the first cemetery at Independence, which village was quite prosperous during the Canal age.  It sets of a hill, just east of the Independence Road, but cannot be seen from the road.  It is now just a part of the Heilsman farm, and is used as a Hog Lot.  It is not fenced in or kept up.  

Most of the important people have been moved to the Independence Cemetery, an eighth of a mile west of it. At one time, it was a nice cemetery.  The persons now left buried here have no relatives living around here.  It was a Methodist  graveyard in the start.  There is only a quarter of an acre in it, although formerly it was several times larger.

It was one of the oldest cemeteries in the county.  It has had several names, called the Independence Methodist Cemetery at one tie, but now is known only as the old Elliott Graveyard as the Elliots at one time owned a lot of land near here, and many Elliots were buried here at one time, but their bodies since moved. 

5. First burial: Catherine Wilson, who died in 1839 at the age of 27.

6. Important people:

The old Elliot family were the most important people buried here.  Their bodies have sine been moved to the newer Independence Cemetery on Independence Hill.

The stones now able to be read in this burying ground are all of persons young in age, born about 1810 to 1820, and who died before 1851; however, the graves moved were of older people.

7. Markers:

The stones are all old, some of them unable to be made out, and all are broken and lying flat.  There are a few of the old pedestal type, but most of them are just white sand stone slabs.

8. Epitaphs:  

The small readings on these stones are so worn that hardly a word can be read.  Nothing we could find was outstanding or unusual.

9. This graveyard has not been used since the Civil War.

Cecil Cadwallader, Reporter

Authority: Dr. Al Young, caretaker of the Independence Cemetery, whose address is Route #7, Defiance, Ohio or just Independence. 

(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.)