This marker was removed in 2022 at the request of a nearby property owner who asked that it be moved to another site. After much research, it was determined that marker was likely placed at an incorrect location, and the actual site of the first cemetery could not be confirmed. This was one of the first historic markers that this organization had made and it was dedicated in 1974. If you are interested in the history of the first cemetery in Sandusky, here are some great articles.
The earliest mention appeared in Lewis Aldrich’s History of Erie County Ohio , published in 1889.
In 1973 Charles Froham wrote about this first cemetery: Sandusky Area Miscellany, Article #29.|
In 1818 the first cemetery was established at the southeast corner of Shelby and Water Streets. It was about an acre in size and ran to the bayshore of that day. Burials continued here until 1832, when it was found necessary to provide a larger plot of land.
In 1872, when workmen were digging the foundations of the new Wheel Works Building, they came upon a quantity of human bones, which fact was readily available noised about town, and caused the gathering of a crowd. The people were of the opinion that these were the remains of Indians. Some of the bones appeared to be female remains, but one was of a male of large stature. But the theory of Indian burials was dispelled when workmen found traces of decomposed coffins, rusty nails, and similar evidences of so-called civilized burials. A number of times in later years, evidence of burials in this general area were dug up and people generally had forgotten the fact that this was Sandusky’s First Cemetery. Why it was never preserved as such is still a mystery; apparently the ground was never deeded to the city rf to any burial association. In 1818, this location was away from the settlement (if such it could be called) at the western end of the city plat and probably no one really ever thought about it.
About 1832, which was the year of the first onslaught of cholera in Sandusky (by no means severe, especially compared to 1849), several acres of land were set aside on the west end of Harrison, between Jefferson and Adams streets, for a burial ground. This was used for all city burials and in 1949, the year of the big cholera scourge in Sandusky, it was the place that received the bodies of the cholera victims, and it was known thereafter as the “Cholera Cemetery.”
The city purchased acreage in Perkins Township just south of Perkins venue for the third and present cemetery and it was used for burials beginning in 1850. Just as some bodies were transferred to the Harrison Street Cemetery from the first Water Street Cemetery, there were removals from Harrison Street to Oakland Cemetery, as this third cemetery was known.
Three Catholic cemeteries have been established in the city – two on Mills Street at the railroad and one south of Tiffin Avenue opposite Venice Road.
This historic marker was dedicated in 1974.
This is a great article about the history of some of Sandusky’s oldest cemeteries.
Read the entire article HERE.