“There is a history in all men’s lives.”
— Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Pt. III, i.80

The half-acre Lakeside Cemetery was founded in 1814 out of necessity when Asahel Porter’s wife, Rebecca, their infant son, Dennis, and a man named George Smith were killed. They were returning along with Noah Crocker from Cleveland when their boat capsized at the mouth of the Rocky River during a sudden storm. Reuben Osborn, one of the area’s first settlers and Rebecca’s brother-in-law, donated the land for the burials.

Osborn first visited Dover in October 1810 with the Porter family and Rebecca’s brother, Leverett Johnson. Osborn went back to Camden, N.Y., until the following spring when he returned with his family. Reuben officially purchased the 81 acres of the eastern portion of Lot 93 on which he had settled from Philo Taylor on November 7, 1815. The deed was not officially recorded until April 30, 1816. Delays were frequent in the documentation of records.

The cemetery when originally organized was comprised of what is now known as the center section, also referred to as the “Original Part.” A tombstone is found in Row 6 of the old section for Rebecca, her husband Asahel, and their infant son, Dennis. Two small, older stones, assumed to be the originals, are present with initials “A.P.” and “R.P.”

Records and Expansion

The year 1877 brought the addition of land surrounding the “original part” of the cemetery shown in green. The Trustees of Dover purchased more of Lot 93 to the north, east and west of the existing cemetery from David Deforest Osborn, Reuben’s grandson, for .40. David also signed a quit claim deed to the trustees for the cemetery itself, receiving .00 consideration.

A strip 28 feet wide was purchased for 0 to the east of Lot 93 from Charles and Babette Hassler. The Hasslers owned the former Porter property that is part of Lot 94. Additions created a horseshoe layout to bring the cemetery to its present size of approximately half an acre. The original part is now located in the interior of the drive with the eastern row and northern half circle comprised of the newly acquired land. The outer areas of the horseshoe drive were all acquisitions from 1877 purchases. Lots were numbered and sold from this new area primarily from 1879 to the early twentieth century. Prices for the individual lots were primarily in the .00 range.

The recording of internments at Lakeside Cemetery began in 1879 after the expansion of the cemetery. Records are not complete, nor consistently entered in the book, throughout the period of notations from 1879-1919. At times dates were not recorded chronologically which may indicate a delay in inclusion leading to inaccuracy and omissions. There are approximately 274 known burials at Lakeside who were either recorded in the Book of Interments or who may be identified with headstones. There may be many burials in the original part lacking documentation, but we will never know how many. When looking at the layout of the cemetery there are areas where gaps exist, especially in the sixth row which seems to be the oldest.

Burials do include two Revolutionary War soldiers; five soldiers from the War of 1812; nine Civil War soldiers, including one “Unknown Soldier,” one soldier from the Spanish American War, two during World War I, one soldier from World War II and one from the Korean War.

The Cahoon Will

The Last Will and Testament of Ida Maria Cahoon, granddaughter of the first family in Bay Village, specified that the cemetery be forever maintained. Ida had an interest in the cemetery because her grandparents, the first settlers of Bay Village, and her entire immediate family, consisting of her parents and all of her siblings, were interred there.

A portion of “Item 21” in the will of Ida Cahoon reads: “The Lakeside Cemetery situated west of said land on Lot Numbers Ninety-three (93) and Ninety-four (94) in the Village of Bay, in which lie buried many early settlers, is to be sacredly cared for and if need be, protected upon the North by stone wall, but never to be removed from its present location.

“If any of the conditions be violated or said Mayor or Village Council refuse to accept said trust, then and in that event, I give, devise and bequeath the land and Real Estate, in this item named and described to the Board of Trustees of the School Teachers Pension Fund of Cleveland, Ohio, and their successors in office forever as a home for the use of the retired Teachers of the Public Schools of the City of Cleveland, Ohio .”

Improvements

To draw attention to the significance of Lakeside Cemetery, Cathy Burke Flament in 2001 proposed to the Cahoon Memorial Park Trustees that an Ohio Historical Marker be erected at the site. The trustees, under the leadership of Mayor Deborah Sutherland, endorsed the proposal and the process was begun.

The Ohio Historical Marker Program, sponsored by the Ohio Historical Society, originally began in 1929 with the placing of wooden road sign markers to identify major routes of marches in military campaigns through Ohio. The current program recognizes people, places and events of local, state and/or national historical significance. In 1957, cast aluminum signs in the shape of Ohio replaced the original wooden markers.

Lakeside Cemetery was approved as a significantly historical site and a marker was dedicated during the Memorial Day festivities on May 27, 2002. This was also the 70th anniversary of the American Legion’s participation in the parade. Osborn descendants who were present for the unveiling included Kathy O’Connor Johnson, George Morgan, Sally O’Connor, Delbert and Betty Osborn, and Glenn and Ruth Osborn. The marker was included under the umbrella of the Ohio Bicentennial initiative which was celebrated in 2003.

Lakeside Cemetery

The marker with a photograph of Reuben Osborn states:

“Laid out in 1814, Lakeside Cemetery became the first public burying ground in Dover Township, an area that now includes Bay Village, Westlake, and the northern portion of North Olmsted. Reuben Osborn (1778-1860) arrived in Dover on October 10, 1810 but returned to New York. He settled on this land with his wife Sarah Johnson Osborn (1779-1856) and family in 1811, later purchasing most of the plot where the cemetery would be established from Philo Taylor. Sarah’s sister, Rebecca Porter, and her infant son were the first to be buried here; they were killed when their boat capsized at the mouth of the Rocky River in 1814. Including land purchased in 1877, the cemetery currently spans half an acre. Although not recorded until 1879, there are over 270 known burials. Among those interned here are veterans from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World War I.”

Small metal grave markers had been placed on the graves of veterans over the years but many were in a state of disrepair and few remained. To clearly identify all veterans buried at Lakeside Cemetery, the members of Bay Village Post 135 of the American Legion took it upon themselves to identify all of the graves of veterans and honor them with engagement-appropriate cast bronze markers. The project was completed with the metal markers set in concrete before the Memorial Day Parade of 2004 for those presently interred. Two additional markers have been installed since that time.

In 2003 a committee was formed to raise money to replace a combination of fence styles, including rotting wooden and chain link fences, that surrounded the cemetery. The effort was led by Billie Jo “B.J.” Schwartz, who at the time lived across the street from the cemetery and who, with husband Edward, owned the slivers of land that surround the cemetery on the west, north and east sides.

Questers Dover on Erie Chapter 821 spearheaded the project with the assistance of the Bay Village Historical Society. Following fundraising efforts and the generosity of private donors, sufficient funds were raised to erect a black metal fence around the cemetery. A new black and bronze sign was affixed to the fence along Lake Road and three other bronze plaques were placed on the fence to honor significant donors after the fence installation during the spring of 2005. The largest donation coming from the family of Michael Joseph Maloney (1974-1976) who has been honored with an individual plaque. Michael is buried elsewhere.

Benches were created from the top ledge and sandstone sides of the Wolf Road bridge that was rebuilt in 2005. Two benches were installed by the City of Bay Village at the north end of the cemetery to provide a resting place for those visiting the cemetery. Gary and Katy Dix Brahler generously donated a weeping cherry tree in the spring of 2004 that is planted near one of the benches.

Plans were initiated to beautify the cemetery with additional plantings which started in the spring of 2006. The city in the last few years has cleaned many of the stones which has drastically improved their condition.

A number of flat tombstones were damaged by vandals around 1969 and the stones were laid flat to preserve them. During the early 1970s the cemetery seemed to fall into disrepair. Unfortunately, one night, after repeated rains, about 40 feet of land was lost on the north, or lake, side of the cemetery. At least one casket. Emma Darby’s, behind the Hinz stone, was partially exposed was said to have been partially exposed in the washout. A rebuilding process was begun. The City of Bay Village and the Army Corp of Engineers installed gabions, or steel wire mesh baskets filled with stones, and added land to the north.

Fifty years later erosion has again become evident. The former Osborn/Morgan house directly across the street owns this property and that on both sides of the cemetery. The present owner has graciously agreed to completely foot the bill of having a stone wall constructed in 2021 to protect the area.

In Summary

The cemetery has undergone some major transformations in the last few years. Over the years it had been neglected at times but after the efforts of a concerned group of citizens, the cemetery has been revitalized which hopefully will be continued.

In 1980 it was estimated by the city that there were 77 empty graves. Available graves have been previously purchased from the city in the late 1800s and early 1900’s, but not all of the plots in a lot have been used by the owners. It is also difficult to determine what areas in the Old Section may be occupied and lack headstones.

After the book on the cemetery was published but the historical society, “Retracing Footsteps, Lakeside Cemetery, A Genealogical Study of Those Buried in or Associated with Lakeside Cemetery and Their Families” there was increased interest in the cemetery. Pat Meddick inquired into the possibility of she and her husband being buried in the SW corner of the cemetery. This was the lot where David Deforest Osborn was originally buried and later moved to Evergreen Cemetery. She, being an Osborn descendant, was able to secure the lot and have her husband, True Ellis Read (1919-2003) buried at Lakeside. Mabel Patricia Meddick Read (1922-2016) would later join her husband.

The NW corner of the cemetery, previously Potters Field, has had six cremation graves designated by the city. These are to be for individuals who have provided overwhelming service to Bay Village. Lot 14 has the remains of T. Richard “Dick” Martin (1930-2011) and his wife Betsy Ross Martin (1930-2016). Dick was a member of City Council for 38 years and President of Council for 32 years.

Unofficial Rendering of the Cemetery Showing Lots and Most Burials