CEMETERIES of Palmer Twp., Washington County, Ohio

Pg. 670-71
History of Washington County, Ohio 1788-1881
by H.Z. Williams & Bros. 1881

     March 15, 1817, JANE, a six months old daugher of David GARD, was accidentally and 
fatally scalded.  This was the fourth death in the settlement.  She was buried on a high 
plat of ground a short distance north of the residence of R. I. DANLEY.  This was the 
orgin of the GARD cemetery.  It is in a beautiful situation, and is well kept by R. I. 
DANLEY, in whose charge it now remains.  It is rare that one sees a graveyard so filled 
with patriarchs and pioneers of a community.  It contains, on a close estimate, two 
hundred and seventy-five graves.  Of the old residents of the land enclosed in Palmer 
township, there lie here JOSEPH PIERROT, a native of France, died in 1856, aged sixty-
five;  HENRIETTA, his wife, of Berne, Switzerland, died in 1875, aged seventy-four;  
F. L. LIENGME, also of  Berne, died in 1848, aged forty-four;  THOMAS G. GRAHAM;  SYLBIL 
PIPER, died in 1853, aged seventy;  ESTHER MICHENER, of Pennsylvania, died in 1867, born 
in 1778;  BENJAMIN G. BROCKWAY, died in 1856, aged seventy-four;  RUTH, his wife;  Dr. 
JOHN HEMPILL;  NATHAN GARD, died 1821, aged fifty-two, the third buried in the yard;  
ELEANORA GARD, died in 1824, aged fifty;  BENJAMIN PUGH, died in 1870, aged eighty-four;  
MARY, his wife;  JAMES HENDERSON died in 1835, aged forty-three;  WILLIAM GROVES, died 
in 1841, aged forty-two;  ELIZA, his wife;  BENJAMUN DANLEY, died 1820, aged twent-two, 
the second buried int eh cemetery;  HENRY CORNES, died in 1826, aged seventy-two;  
ELIAS PEWTHERS, died in 1840, aged thirty-seven;  BENJAMIN M. BROWN, born in Washington 
county, New York, in 1797, was sheriff of the county from 1834 to 1838, died in 1849;  
PHOEBE GROVES, died in 1856, aged seventy-six; JOHN HURLBUT, died in 1855, aged seventy-
six;   JOHN MULTON, died in 1850, aged sixty-five;  LUCY, his wife died in 1848, aged 
seventy-two.  Here, also lie many whose deaths and ages have already been given--of the 
PALMERS, the MALSTERS, the GARDS, the CORNES, the DANLEYS, the BRECKENRIDGES, and many 
others.  Many well known names of Barlow, Watertown, and Windsor townships also appear 
on the marble stones.

In the year 1838, shortly after the arrival of JOHN and HUGH BRECKENRIDGE in the settlement, 
there were at a barn raising.   While they were at work, on of the rafters fell, killing 
HUGH and injuring JOHN.  In accordance with a wish expressed by HUGH a short time before, 
he was buried on that part of his land now embraced by the cemetery, near the house of J. 
M. MURDOCK.  This was the beginning of that graveyard.  The next burial in it was that of 
the wife of JOHN BRECKENRIDGE.  In this yard are buried persons of the names of BRECKENRIDGE, 
MURDOCK, PALMER, MITCHELL, FERGUSON, GREENLESS, BRYAN, REED, and others.  It now contains 
about forty-graves.  Both these graveyards are in the care of the township, the MURDOCK 
cemetery having been entrusted to it some four years ago.

These are not the only burying-grounds in the township.  There existed another, containing 
one grave, but the date of its origin, and facts about the life of its occupant, are 
destined, probably, forever to remain mysteries.  The grave was situated west of Brown’s 
mills on a ridge, and was what is ordinarily known as an Indian mound.  It was on the farm 
of G. W. MURDOCK.  In 1838, LUDLEY GARD, D. W. SHINN, and others, opened it and discovered 
in it a vault eight feet long, four feet deep, and walled with stone.  This contained a 
skeleton seven feet long, a tomahawk, arrow-heads, and stones ground into divers shapes.  
This mound was situated near what might be styled the first road in the township.  This 
was no more or less that an old Indian trail, which crossed the stream below Brown’s mills, 
and ran in the direction fo the Hocking river from the Ohio.  Its situation indicates that 
it was a line of communication from the western villages of the Indians to the frontier.  
In addition to the mound above mentioned, many Indian relics were found along its course.


Extracted by Debbie Noland Nitsche
(Names were captilized for easy identification.
April 2005

PALMER-GARD CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS
http://www.scioto.org/Washington/Cemetery/palmer-gard.html

DALE-FAIRVIEW CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS
http://www.scioto.org/Washington/Cemetery/dale-fairview.html