Resurrection of Pioneers

The Marietta Register, November 2, 1871:

The City Council recently passed an order for the removal of the remains of persons buried on the ridge just south of Oak Grove Cemetery. This ridge was the site of the first burial ground in Marietta, laid out as a cemetery by the Ohio Company at the foundation of the city, in 1788. It was abandoned as a cemetery about seventy years ago.

During the Indian War, 1791-95, this ground, being in an exposed situation, was forsaken and burials were made on the brow of the sand hill, now dug off, just above Wooster Street on the line of Third. March 13, 1791, Capt. Joseph Rogers, one of the spies or rangers of the garrison at Campus Martius, was killed by the Indians on the side hill above the present residence of William R. Putnam. His body was brought in the next day and buried in Third Street, then unimproved.

A daughter of Gov. St. Clair, named Margaret, a son of Maj. Ezra Putnam, Matthew Kerr, killed by Indians June 17, 1791, and probably James Wells and wife and daughter and others who died of small pox in 1793, and W. Moulton, with others, were buried there. About the year 1839 the remains of most of these were exhumed and re-interred in Mound Cemetery. There were some graves still remaining immediately back of Third Street as late as 1849.

Gen. Benjamin Tupper, who died in 1792, was buried under an apple tree between Third and Fourth streets, opposite the Quadranaou, on Warren Street, also a child of Col. Ichabod Nye and at a later date, Maj. Anselm Tupper. But these remains were removed to Mound Cemetery about 1820.

After the Indian War there were other burials on the ridge, in the original cemetery, which was abandoned in 1801 on the opening of Mound Cemetery. How many were buried there, it is impossible now to tell, as no record has been preserved and even the names of most have been lost. As complete a list as we can now make out: 

  A little daughter of Col. Nathaniel Cushing, aged 13 [months], died August 25, 1788, the first death in Marietta. 

  Gen. James Mitchell Varnum, Director in the Ohio Company, died of consumption January 10, 1789. 

  Several children died of measles in November, 1789. 

  Mr. Welch landed from a boat bound for Kentucky and died of small pox January, 1790. Eight persons who died of small pox, brought here by Mr. Welch. 

  Mrs. Rowena Sargent died in 1790, daughter of Gen. Benjamin Tupper, married February 6, 1789, in Campus Martius by Gen. Rufus Putnam (a judge) to Col. Winthrop Sargent, Secretary of the Ohio Company, also of the Northwest Territory - the first marriage here.

  Mrs. Shepard, first wife of Col. Enoch Shepard.

  Mrs. Clark, first wife of Maj. John Clark, also a son of hers, perhaps 12 years old.

  Capt. Josiah Monroe, a member of the Ohio Company, coming here with the first forty-eight who landed April 7, 1788. He was appointed the first Postmaster in 1794, was a Justice of the Peace, lived and kept the Post Office near where the store of Bosworth, Wells & Co. now stands, and from him was named Monroe Street, running there from Front to Muskingum.

  Also Mr. Boutelle, who came here as a Tutor in the College and within three weeks died of small pox June 13, 1835, in a cabin near this ridge, was buried there.

The remains of Capt. Monroe were removed to Mound Cemetery last winter. The work of exhuming the remains was faithfully done, as well as could be at this date, last week and the week before, under the direction of William Warren, who opened twenty-six graves and re-interred the remains in twenty-six newly made graves in two rows on an elevated and beautiful lot in Oak Grove Cemetery. The appearance of some graves there was probably entirely obliterated, certainly that of all the children, their small bodies not causing enough of falling in of the earth to distinguish the spot. Stones had been erected at several of the graves, but time and the want of care had broken or removed or defaced all, so no inscription could now be seen. None of the twenty-six could be certainly identified, except the remains of Gen. Varnum and Mr. Boutelle. In Gen. Varnum's grave were found four handsome vest buttons of gilt and dark blue glass. He was very stylish in his dress.

The coffins had generally gone to dust, although in several cases the shape was clearly defined. Of those made of black walnut, parts were taken out of about the firmness of moss. The wrought nails of the early coffins were found, with the hinges, and the cut nails of the coffin of Mr. Boutelle of later date. In one case a brass pin was distinctly seen on the top of a skull, where it had been placed in pinning a handkerchief, but on touching it crumbled to dust. The hair was found, but in a decayed state mixed with the earth. The skulls were generally taken out whole, with many sound teeth, also most of the large bones of the arms and legs.

The Marietta Register, December 7, 1871:

Mr. A. T. Nye gives us the following additional names of persons buried in the old Cemetery, and probably among those whose remains were recently removed to Oak Grove, viz: Dr. William Pitt Putnam and Miss Abigail Gleason. Dr. Putnam's widow, who was a sister of Miss Gleason, married Gen. Edward W. Tupper, who became a well known citizen of Gallipolis. Dr. Putnam was a brother of the late David Putnam, Sr., of Harmar, and a grandson of Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam. Also Hiram, son of Gen. Joseph Buell, who died at three years of age in 1797, was as we suppose, buried there.