Looking for headless ghosts and haunting a graveyard along a neighborhood street was our idea of fun when we visited Elmore, Ohio last fall.
Really!
Legends and tales of times long ago always fascinate me, so stopping to check out this historical marker at a cemetery at the intersection of Rice and Clifton Streets, and learn a bit more about the history of Elmore, was a must-do for us.
Ohio pioneers established Elmore in the area called The Black Swamp and over time Elmore developed into a thriving farm town set alongside a railroad depot and the Portage River.
General William Henry Harrison built a supply depot on the north side of the Portage River across from present-day Elmore during the War of 1812. The depot sat high atop a hill above the river that allowed soldiers to watch for the approach of Indians and served as a stopping point between Fremont and Fort Meigs in Perrysburg.
This historical marker informs visitors that Israel Harrington established a tavern at present-day Fremont, Ohio shortly after the War of 1812. Harrington eventually became a judge and land speculator, influencing much of the organization of northern Ohio during the early 1800s.
Land speculator Harrington stuck a deal in 1824, trading his tavern for land near this cemetery where an Indian trail crossed the river. The settlement Harrington established here became Elmore.
We explored the cemetery a bit before finding the grave site of Israel Harrington and his father tucked into a corner of the cemetery and marked by modest grave stones.
The younger Harrington's grave stone says that he served as a trustee and minister, in addition to his roles as a judge and a tavern owner.
The elder Harrington, also named Israel, served as a private during the American Revolution as part of a group from Vermont.
The cemetery became the Old Elmore Cemetery before taking its name from the Elmore pioneers and becoming the Harrington Cemetery. The last burial in the cemetery happened during the early 1920s, so it provides an interesting look at the lives and times of some many Elmore residents during the town's first century.
Israel Harrington (the younger) also figured in the establishment of a major attraction in today's Elmore.
A piece of land he owned, but never developed, went through several owners until 1969, when a man named Joe Schedel purchased it. Today that plot is home to Schedel Arboretum and Gardens.
Check back later this week for a story about Elmore's development through the twentieth century and today's Elmore.
Want to learn more about the history of Elmore, Ohio? Check out Elmore and Genoa by Jennifer Fording.
© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved
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