W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Lost Creek Cemetery, Farmer 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)

Lost Creek Cemetery

1. Name of Cemetery:  Lost Creek Cemetery in Farmer Township

2. Location, how reached:

Located in Section #29, Farmer Township, on state route #2, two miles west and two miles south of Farmer Center, also seven miles northeast of Hicksville, Ohio by going northeast on State Route #2 out of Hicksville.  It can be reached on the concrete road.

3. Name and address of caretaker:

Perry Hand, Farmer Center, Ohio, is the caretaker and he also is of the Farmer Center graveyard.

Photo from www.findagrave.com

4. General description, size, appearance, denomination, fencing, etc.:

This beautiful cemetery is one of the oldest and in it is buried some of the most distinguished people in the district.  It sets on a small knoll across the road from the old Evangelical Church.  It is fenced in with an ornamental wire fence, has numerous fine and stately markers.  It is dotted with many fine, old trees of pine and maple and has two tall arborvita trees.  Its shrubbery is well trimmed, the grass mowed and the graves and markers kept up perfectly.  

It contains five acres, and is one of the best known cemeteries in Defiance County.  It is kept up by the trustees of Farmer Township.  Although it was formerly attached to the Evangelical Church which stands across the road, but is not now used.     

5. Name and date of first burial recorded:

John Bercaw, who died in 1844, is the earliest tombstone.  It was the first graveyard in the western part of Defiance County.  Many of the markers date back into the 1840s and may more into the 1850s.

John Bercaw at www.findagrave.com

6. Names of important persons buried there, for what noted:

Henry Wonderly at www.findagrave.com

 Henry Wonderly, pioneer sheriff of Defiance County, 1863 - 1871, he was one of the youngest sheriffs Defiance County ever had and used to ride horseback from this district to Defiance, thirty miles to the southeast.

 Miller Arrowsmith, 1808 - 1893, first surveyor of this district and first surveyor of Defiance and Williams counties.  He was mentioned in the History of Defiance County, along with Hon. A. P. Edgerton in the writeup about Hicksille.

 George Ridenour, founder of Ney, Ohio, born in 1812 and died in 1891, is also buried here.

 Peter Tracht, 1803 - 1898, one of the rich land owners and saw mill men of the county and his father,  John Tracht. 

Ira Brown at www.findagrave.com

  

Ira Brown, 1804 - 1905, the oldest man to live in Defiance County, being seven months past one hundred years of age when he died.

Rev. Peter J. Spangler, 1815 - 1895, one of the old pioneer circuit preachers of the county who traveled from community to community on horseback.

Jared Hulbert, 1798 - 1877, another pioneer settler of this western part of the county and Johnathan Waldron, 1790 - 1867.

All of the above mentioned persons settled in this district when it was still Williams County, county seat at Defiance, Ohio.  

Rev. Peter Spangler on www.facebook.com

The above sketch is taken directly from the tombstones in the cemetery.  Some of it is also recorded in Beers History. 
(*No sketch was attached.)

Another important fact is the markers of the five Huber children buried side by side who died in July of 1890.  Children of Herman Huber.  

Herman Huber, wife and children at www.findagrave.com

7. Markers of unusual appearance:

The markers in this graveyard give more explanations of the people than any I have found yet.

There are very old, white, faded slabs and some very modern granite ones.

The Ridenour family seem to have the most expensive ones, also the Ensign marker is fine, of red granite of the heavy modern type.  

There is also quite a few of the stately pedestal type with the obelisk shafts.  

All these markers are kept clean.  I did not find a dirty or muddy one in the  whole graveyard

8. Unusual epitaphs:

The readings on these markers, especially the older ones, is mostly biographies of the persons buried here, in memory to them.  There is very few verses and such like on the stones.

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?

Yes, this cemetery is still used.  In recent years it seems to have been renovated and replanted with shrubbery.  It is historic in that it is the oldest in the west end of the county and because it has many and more than usual its quota of famous settlers.  However, another fact might be mentioned - there are very few Civil War veterans buried here, as there are in most other cemeteries of this age.  

Most of its early burials were of older men, born in the late 1700s and the early 1800s, too old for the Civil War.  This is due to the fact that for about twenty years - between 1905 and 1925 - the graveyard was not used very much.  But now today again, it is used as much as any other rural cemetery.

C. Cadwallader and C. Gish, Reporters

Consultants: Harry Metz, R.R. #2, Hicksville, Ohio and Perry Hand, Farmer, Ohio

Bibliography: Beers History of Defiance County, 1883 and Readings on the Markers.      

(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.)

.      

Andrew C. Biglow - Civil War Soldier Buried in Farmer Cemetery

Andrew Crague (Craig, Craigie, Creg) Biglow was born on March 18, 1838, in Essex County, New York.  By 1850, his family was enumerated in Farmer Township, Defiance County, Ohio.  A.C. Biglow, 45, and Eliza, 47, his parents, were joined by Jane, 17; Samuel, 15; Andrew C., 12; Thomas C; Mary E, 7; and Carlton, 3. George Brainard, 21, also lived with the family for farm labor.


Andrew C. could not be located on the 1860 census, but Defiance County records noted his marriage on April 20, 1861, to Matilda McDonald.  He felt the call to serve his country and enlisted in Company A, 38th O.V.I. on February 27, 1864 (possible error in year on pension card) where he served until the end of the war, mustering out on July 12, 1865. On the 1890 census, he reported that he served one year, four months and sixteen days, and his only disability was "piles."

The Biglow family settled into farming in Farmer Township,  By 1870, they had children, Carrie, Laura A. and Clarence.  Boarding with them were the Smithy family which consisted of Mary J. Smithy, 28, and her children, Oney N., 7, and Rachel A., 3.  Andrew was doing well on the farm with real estate worth stated at $5000 - quite a sum for 1870.

The family was found again in the 1880 census and in 1900 where Matilda reported that she had had eight children, but just five had survived to that date.  Only one child remained at home in 1900 - Gertie, 18, born October, 1881, who worked filling cans at the tomato canning factory.

Matilda McDonald Biglow, idenfified in a public ancestry tree

Andrew retired from farming before the 1910 census. Sometime between 1910 and 1920, Matilda Biglow passed away and Andrew went to live with his daughter, Clara.  
The 1920 census of Farmer Township noted Madison Blosser, 62, wife Clara, 57, Laura Martin, his sister-in-law (Clara's sister) and Creg Biglow, his father-in-law, widowed, 81.

Andrew Crague Biglow died on October 8, 1921 in Farmer Township.  His obituary appeared in the Bryan Press on October 20, 1921:

"ANDREW CRAGUE BIGLOW

Andrew Crague Biglow was born in Essex county, New York, March 18, 1838, and was the fifth of a family of 8 children, born to the marriage of Andrew C. Biglow, Sr. and Eliza J. Hyde, who with their family moved to Ohio and settled in Farmer township in 1839 and where the subject of this sketch has continued to reside for more than 82 years.

In early manhood, he was united in marriage to Matilda McDonald who preceded him in death April 2, 1915.  To this union were born eight children, three of whom died in childhood, leaving Clara Blosser and Laura Martin, both of Farmer, Pete C. and Artie M., of Michigan and Gertrude Marckell now residing in the West.  Thirteen grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and a host of other relatives and friends to mourn his death.

He served in Co. A 38th O.V.I. and at the close of the Civil War returned to his house and resumed his labor of farming until his retirement of active life in 1909.  He was an exemplary citizen, a good and accomodating neighbor, a kind and indulgent husband and father and a true friend in every way.  Departed this life at the home of his eldest daughter, Mrs. Madison Blosser, October 8, 1921, aged 82 years, 9 months and 20 days." 

  
Andrew Biglow was a member of the Lew Bowker Post of the G.A.R., #725, Farmer, Ohio. 

Farmer Cemetery, Farmer Township, Defiance County, Ohio

Corporal Alvero Partee - Defiance County Soldier

 Alvero Partee

1840 - 1864

Alvero, the oldest child of John and Nancy (Brown) Partee, was born on December 5th, 1840.  His childhood was spent on the family farm that his grandparents had settled when they came to the wilderness area near Fort Defiance in 1824.

He was only four when his grandfather, John Partee, Sr., was buried in the little cemetery (Webb) on the banks of the Tiffin River where his father had played as a child.  Two years later, his grandmother was buried in the same little cemetery.

Alvero attended school and worked on the farm.  As he grew to manhood, the Country was gradually experiencing the threat that George Washington alluded to as a concern for the newly formed Union in his Farewell Address: 

"When designing men or parties may endeavor to excite a believe that there is a real difference of local interest and views by geographical discrimination, Northern and Southerner, Atlantic and Western, it must end in peaceful dissolution or Civil War must follow."  

His words were prophetic when the Confederacy was formed by seven Southern states and on April 12th, 1861, the guns sounded at Fort Sumter.

Soon after, Alvero, age 20, five feet, five inches, light complected, grey eyes, brown hair, went to Defiance and enlisted for three years.  He was mustered in at Camp Dick Robinson on October 14, 1861.  Information is sketchy, but in January and February, 1862, he was at Camp Calvert, Kentucky.  On May 21st of that same year, he was promoted to Corporal.

By September 19, 1863, he was with a Union force of fifty-five thousand, advancing on the vital Confederate supply and communication base at Chattanooga, Tennessee.  They met a Southern Army at Chickamauga Creek, south of the city.  The Union forces fought admirably, but the blundering tactics of their commander, General Rosecrans, contributed to their defeat on September 20th.  Corporal Alvero Partee was wounded on the field of battle and reported missing in action. 

The final statement from the Adjutant General's office, dated June 15th, 1865, reads as follows:

"Cpl. Alvero Partee served faithfully in the field and is now discharged by reason of death.  He died in the rebel prison at Atlanta, Georgia, February 21st, 1864, by reason of wounds received at Chickamauga."

One of Alvero Partee's letters home from 1862 has survived!  It is in the possession of Roena Bayes and is transcribed as written below. Some words were difficult to see or were in the folds of the paper and could not be read.  A line will indicate missing words.

"Near Lebanon Ky  Oct 27th/ 62

Dear Sisters

With pleasure I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at pesent and hope when these few lines may find you the same

we are camped about six miles from Lebanon on the Rolling Fork     we have water handy and as good times as we can expect without our tents
yours of the 9th and 12th were duly rec'd but we were on the march and I could not ans.    then sooner than usual we did not have a hand in the late fight but we were within cannon shot     Gen. Fry asked for his Brig. twice but we were not permitted to take any part    perhaps it is as well the way _____ as any are comming and snowing night before last about dark and in the morning there was a nice little snow about 3 inches deep but it is all gone today    it is a pleasant day

perhaps you wonder how we passed that snowy night    we have a shelter made of fodder and rails and plenty of straw    we sleep as snugly as a lot of pigs    

I was glad to get that list of drafted men    it is a pity that some more of them were not served the same
I have not rec'd one copy of that paper yet

I am glad you have so many apples    they are very dear here now   i want you to have plenty of boiled cider for I trust ere long I will be home to drink some of it.    The Rebels can't hold out long if our men do their duty

I have not seen Nate or C. W. since I last wrote    they were camped about 2 miles from here the other night     some of the co. were here    they said they left C. W. at Frankfort sick with the ague    I was going to see them the next day but I heard they had left for Nashville

It is rather cool here for writing out of door ____    I will write to him tomorrow
______     no more this time but look for another soon if we stay here ______
we are going to bowling green     Alvero" 

*This research and letter was kindly donated by Roena Bayes, who gave permission for its publication here.