Historical Greenville Cemetery

 

Sunday, August 23, 2020

A baptizing and an old log Greenville school reunion

I've been working on a project focused on the old Greenville Cemetery, southeast of Russell in Washington Township, that should be ready to launch in a day or so (that's the title page above). So the last week's been spent immersed in all things Greenville. This 1896 map shows where the cemetery is located some distance off the road at the end of a grassed track.

Among the items I've come across is the following "Greenville News" column from The Chariton Patriot of Oct. 29, 1903. It begins with a few typical news items, then launches into the main event --- a report of a reunion of teachers and scholars at the original Greenville school, in use from 1853-1863.

Several of us who know the territory and are old enough recall the much later Greenville rural school, some distance to the south alongside the Mormon Trail road. The original school seems oddly located, but it needs to be remembered that the Mormon Trail was not confined to a surveyor's grid, but meandered at will, following the easiest route for ox-drawn wagons to follow. So in 1853, when the log school was built, the trail most likely passed nearby.

In any case, here's the report --- a snapshot of life in the Greenville neighborhood during late October 116 years ago. And yes, that baptizing in Mr. Evans' pond may have been a chilly affair.

+++

The baptising at Mr. Evans' pond Sunday was attended by many. James Gittinger and wife are visiting with old friends in this neighborhood. Leslie Hancock came home Friday evening. He has been cutting corn for O.H. Evans. George Ruark and family and George Raider and family attended a family reunion at Mr. Green's in Wayne county Friday.

The picnic for the reunion of the old scholars and teachers that attended school in the Greenville log school house which was held at Nathan Gilbert's Saturday, October 24th, was a grand success. The dinner was spread on a long table and served in the same manner their picnic dinners were when the old log school house stood on the hill.

After dinner, a program was first carried out by the old scholars, I.N. McKinley making the principal address giving a full history of the old school. After the old school finished their program, another representative of the school of today, of which Miss Maude Foster is teacher, formed a part of the interesting exercises.

Only three of the teachers who taught in the old log school house are living. They are Wm. West, Miss Sheeks of Wayne county and Mrs. Clayton of Bloomfield. The scholars that attended the old school who were present were, Nathan, Malisa, Amos and Elizabeth Gilbert, Mrs. Woods of Moravia, Sarah Milemon of Marshfield, Ind., I.N., S.C. and A.P. McKinley, James Gittinger of Seymour, George Sears, N.W. Kendall, Mrs. King and Mrs. Adams.

The old school house stood about eighteen rods south and three rods west of the Greenville cemetery. It was built in the summer of 1853 and torn down in 1863. The school was not run as our schools of today are. There were no taxes to run this school. Every scholar had to pay a tuition fee. It was known as a subscription school.

After the picnic was over the Greenville baseball team picked a couple of the best players from the Mound scrub team and played the crack team of Washington Center. The game stood 2 to 22 in favor of Greenville.

A brief visit to Greenville Pioneer Cemetery

Here's a brief video slideshow about Washington Township's Greenville Cemetery, using photos I shot during a November visit several years ago. This is one of my favorite Lucas County cemeteries, commenced on Aug. 5, 1849, with the burial of 46-year-old Nancy Payne whose death was the first among Washington Township pioneers.

A majority of the marked graves here date from the 1850s and 1860s; the last known burial took place during September of 1902. The Russell Cemetery, established during the spring of 1879 some 12 years after the town  itself was founded in 1867, became the favored place for burial in Washington Township after that.

Greenville never was tampered with, however, and degrees of maintenance varied over the years. About 2001, the Lucas County Pioneer Cemetery Commission assumed responsibility for it, installed a new fence, repaired broken and fallen stones  and continues to maintain it. Lucas County also made minor improvements to the grassed public right-of-way.

Be warned that some of the informational slides contain a little too much information to be read conveniently as the video progresses. If interested, just hit "pause" to read at your leisure, then proceed.

representative of the school of today, of which Miss Maude Foster is teacher, formed a part of the interesting exercises.

Only three of the teachers who taught in the old log school house are living. They are Wm. West, Miss Sheeks of Wayne county and Mrs. Clayton of Bloomfield. The scholars that attended the old school who were present were, Nathan, Malisa, Amos and Elizabeth Gilbert, Mrs. Woods of Moravia, Sarah Milemon of Marshfield, Ind., I.N., S.C. and A.P. McKinley, James Gittinger of Seymour, George Sears, N.W. Kendall, Mrs. King and Mrs. Adams.

The old school house stood about eighteen rods south and three rods west of the Greenville cemetery. It was built in the summer of 1853 and torn down in 1863. The school was not run as our schools of today are. There were no taxes to run this school. Every scholar had to pay a tuition fee. It was known as a subscription school.

After the picnic was over the Greenville baseball team picked a couple of the best players from the Mound scrub team and played the crack team of Washington Center. The game stood 2 to 22 in favor of Greenville.

To see video please go to www.lucascountyan.blogspot.com