W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Poole Graveyard, Noble 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.

Poole Graveyard

1. Name of cemetery:  The Old Poole Graveyard, Noble Township

2. Location:

Four miles west of Defiance, Ohio, on the north bank of the Maumee River in sections 19 and 20, Noble Twp. on the Old Poole farm, now owned by J. A. Stuckey.  Reached, from Defiance County Court House by taking route #66 north from the court house, crossing the New Fort Defiance River Bridge over the Maumee River and turning to the left or to the West on the second street over the river, called W. High St.  Then following this road out of Defiance which becomes the Jerico Road and angles along the river.  The Old Indian Graveyard mentioned (in an earlier report) is at the point four miles out where the road comes directly along the river's bank.  The Poole Graveyard is just beyond this Indian burying ground, and back off the road forty rods.  At this point, the river makes a big bend.

3. Caretaker: 

None, not kept up, dilapidated and stones all gone but one.  Information gained from J. Brown who lives on the Gruner farm a mile this side.

4. Description:

This is another old burying ground and was a private burying ground for the Poole family, who at one time were well known in this vicinity.  It sets at the edge of an ancient apple orchard on a hill about sixty feet from a ravine, and some two hundred yards from the Maumee River.  There is an old, wooden house, the old Poole Home, which sets close by and is reputed to be haunted by the people in the neighborhood.

Thre are no close inhabited homes within a half mile of here, and it is in very wild country and not farmed.  It is all grass and weed grown.  The stones are all gone except one.  It contains about an eighth of an acre, is well shaded and in a very ideal location for a cemetery.

5. Name of first burial:

The only stone here which we had to dig out from under rotting leaves.  Gives the names of Susanna Poole, died in 1847, and Frederick Poole, died in 1850.  No birth record was given.

6. Important persons:

Frederick Poole was an early settler of Noble Twp., and at one time was wealthy.  There is a Fred Poole living in Defiance today who is a relative of his.  There are five graves in this graveyard.  The others are mounded, but only small stones mark them; there are no other names on these.     

7. Markers:

The only maker is an old slab, straight sand stone, badly defaced and hardly readable.  It was buried under leaves and we had to scrape these to get the name and date.

8. Epitaphs:  Nothing readable except name and date.

9. This burial plot has not been used, I am told, since the death of Fred Poole in 1850.  Several other graves were here at one time, it is said, but could get no authentic proof of same.

Cecil Cadwallader, Reporter

Authority: J. Brown, Defiance, Route #7   

(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.)