Friday, April 9, 2010
I love Erie Street Cemetery. It's a beautiful little bit of greenspace in the middle of downtown Cleveland. It is located between East 9th and East 14th Streets.
The cemetery was founded in 1826 as the first permanent burying ground. It replaced a site just south of Public Square - Ontario Street Cemetery.
Several graves were moved here in 1826 from Ontario Street Cemetery. A historical marker, erected by the Early Settlers Association, identifies the graves that were moved. The stones have been placed flat on the ground.
One of the graves moved from the Ontario Street Cemetery is that of Deming Brainerd. Two other are William Prout and Amy Lewis. Another marker identifies the burial site of others, unknown, moved here from the Ontario Street Cemetery.
The burial site of Joc-O-Sot, or Walking Bear is marked with this stone, which has a plaque on the reverse side.
That marker was made to replace this, the original grave marker, which fell victim to vandalism. It lists the date of his death incorrectly. The correct date is September 3, 1844.
The cemetery contains the graves of Lorenzo and Rebecca Carter, the first permenant European Amercian settlers to the city of Cleveland. The Early Settlers Association erected a marker commemorating their lives.
The Erie Street Cemetery is a vital piece of Cleveland history. It remains the earliest surviving piece of historical fabric in downtown Cleveland. At the same time, it is a nice place to take a lunch break or spend a few minutes before a baseball game.