USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Historical review of Riverside Cemetery Association, Cleveland, Ohio > Part 4
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The scholar may revisit his Alma Mater in the venerable halls of Yale, or in the classic shades of Harvard; he may strive to awaken youthful associations with Livy and Virgil; he may read anew Æschylus and Xenophon, and reflect upon the pages of Thucyd- ides, but the sacred stone of the Caaba, the Mecca of the heart, lies further back in the dear associations connected with the lone- ly and neglected grave-yard where the forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
J. Schlather.
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At the conclusion of the address, the Quartette Club sang the following hymn :
Fount of mercies-source of love, List the hymns we raise to Thee; From Thy holy throne above, Heedful of our worship be.
Creatures of Thy sov'reign will, At thy feet we humbly bend ; Let Thy grace our bosoms fill, Be our comfort-be our friend.
Here beneath the sunlit sky, With Thy gifts around us spread ; We beseech Thee-from on high- Bless these dwellings of the dead.
Guard them when the summer's glow, Decks with beauties, hill and dale; Guard them when the winter's snow, Spreads o'er all its mantle pale.
Here-when wearied pilgrims cease O'er life's checkered scenes to roam, May their ashes rest in peace, 'Till Thy voice shall call them home.
Then, O then-their trials done, Bid them rise to worship Thee, Where the ransomed of Thy Son, Join in endless harmony.
Mr. Barber next introduced Hon. R. C. Parsons. He said he had not expected to speak, and that, indeed, further remarks were unnecessary, after the very interesting and graceful address of his friend, Mr. Wallace. Nothing, he said, showed the growth of Christian civilization more strongly than the increased care and attention paid to the last resting places of the dead. All over our land especially, the most beautiful and attractive spots were selected, and adorned by loving hands, that the places of our final repose might be made pleasant and graceful to the eye, and death, as far
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as possible, be shorn of its terrors. No man, whether a professor of Christianity or not, could walk through one of our cemeteries, so richly strewn with sacred dust, and not feel within him a sense of profound thankfulness that this was not the end of our existence, but rejoice in the thought, like the patriarch of old when he said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." It was indeed a consoling thought and promise, that this body, which is sown in corruption, shall be raised in incorruption, and this body, which was sown a natural body, shall be raised a spiritual body. All over Christian lands the last resting place of the dead is called, and fitly called, "God's Acre." When we have passed away, this beautiful spot, now covered with green sward, will be the home of countless dead. It is a melancholy thought, and one calculated to sober the most heedless, that to this place must come the sacred ashes of the father, mother, sister, brother and little child. The old and the young must lie down at last together. Here in the warm and quiet earth they will rest together. The stars will look down peace- fully upon them, the rain will rain upon them, the sun will shine upon them, and the dew will fall upon them, but they will heed it not. Let us humbly trust that we and they may so live, that at last, when we shall be called to our final account by the Master, we may be able to say, "I shall be satisfied when I awake in His likeness."
The guests then proceeded to Centennial avenue. Here oc- curred the beautiful ceremony of "tree planting," in which many of the guests took part. On either side of the avenue, and at other parts of the grounds, holes had been prepared, near which lay choice specimens of maple or elm, ready to be placed where it is hoped all of them will so long abide in decorative beauty. The avenue was adorned exclusively with the American elm. On its south side, the trees were dedicated to the trustees and officers of the Association, while the row on the north side was dedicated to prominent officials and citizens. At different points in the grounds groups were arranged, each one being dedicated to some profession, official collection, or the like, as will be seen by reference to the groupings hereto annexed.
The first tree was planted by President Barber, on the west end of the avenue, south side. Hon. Amos Townsend followed on the
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north side, and was in turn followed by Hon. R. C. Parsons. At the placing of the trees dedicated to Mr. F. S. Pelton and Mr. Diodate Clark, trustees, deceased since their election to office, Rev. S. H. Lee made appropriate and touching remarks.
Hereupon the planting became general, a large number of gen- tlemen guests taking hold and setting to their places the various trees dedicated to each.
Memorable among the incidents of the planting were the placing of the trees allotted to Mr. Francis Branch and Judge Coffinberry. The former, in feeble health and strength, with difficulty alighted from his carriage, and placed his tree, which we may hope to live as a memorial of his personal worth and virtues, and his substantial aid and patronage in the interests of our cemetery. The latter, Judge Coffinberry, unable to leave his carriage, from the fact of being crippled, was relieved of his embarrassment through the thoughtful courtesy and kindness of his good lady, who came promptly forward and executed for him his part in the ceremony.
At this point, a carriage arrived with Governor Hayes, accom- panied by Senator Schenck. The carriage made the circuit of the plateau, and, on its return, was met by Hon. Amos Townsend, who, on behalf of the trustees, made a short but appropriate address of welcome. He thanked the distinguished guest for being present, and, in doing so, only gave utterance to the feelings of the trustees and the citizens at large. He referred also to the interest Governor Hayes had shown in the enterprise from its first being brought to his attention, especially in so well fulfilling his promise to assist in the planting of trees, which should alike commemorate the presence of the planter, and also of the centennial year in which the deed was performed.
Governor Hayes responded with a few remarks, distinguished alike by their brevity and point. He said that it was in response to a request of the directors that he had come, for the purpose of planting a commemorative tree, but in doing so he did not expect to meet so many, simply supposing that the officials of the Cemetery Association would be present. He then referred to the beauty of the grounds, and spoke of the ornament which the place had added to the city.
Mr. Curtiss then handed him a shovel with which to plant his tree, remarking, "I am sorry it is not composed of silver." The Governor responded that it was better as it was for the work in
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hand, and then went to work in a business-like way, tramping the dirt in and arranging it in a manner which showed that it was not his first experience in that line.
This over, the party adjourned to the office, where an informal reception occurred. The front and rear doors were thrown open, forming a passage way for the people to enter and pass out. The Governor, stationed at one side of the room, shook hands and received the congratulations of the eager crowds who pressed about him. His apparent enjoyment of the scene was more than equalled by the hearty appreciation of his anxious admirers. His departure from the grounds was the closing act in the scenes of this eventful day, one long to be remembered in the annals of Riverside.
The following is the appended list of groupings to which refer- ence has been made :
CENTENNIAL AVENUE.
NORTH SIDE.
Gov. R. B. HAYES,
SOUTH SIDE. JOSIAH BARBER, President,
HON. N. P. PAYNE,
JAMES M. COFFINBERRY,
HON. AMOS TOWNSEND,
F. S. PELTON,
HON. R. C. PARSONS,
GEO. H. FOSTER,
F. W. PELTON,
DIODATE CLARK,
MARTIN SNIDER,
JNO. G. JENNINGS,
BELDEN SEYMOUR,
S. W. SESSIONS, FRANCIS BRANCH,
COL. GEO. L. CHILDS,
ALFRED KELLOGG,
THOS. AXWORTHY,
L. D. BENEDICT, JNO. DAYKIN,
WM. A. MCINTOSH,
J. B. ALLENDER,
THOMAS DIXON,
THOS. O. POYER,
R. R. RHODES,
GEO. DOUBLEDAY,
J. C. SCHENCK, GEO. T. CHAPMAN,
ROBERT CARTWRIGHT, Roch., N. Y., HIRAM BARRETT,
D. S. BRAINARD,
A. T. VAN TASSEL, ELIAS SIMS,
HENRY R. HADLOW,
HON. B. R. BEAVIS,
JOHN TODD,
THOMAS HOLMDEN,
JOSEPH TURNEY,
WM. EDWARDS,
A. EVERETT,
J. M. CURTISS.
J. H. WADE.
OHIO GROUP.
N. B. SHERWIN, . HON. O. J. HODGE,
HON. WM. BINGHAM, CAPT. P. G. WATMOUGH.
J. K. WHITE,
GEO. E. HARTNELL,
NICHOLAS MEYER,
JOHN COOTE,
T. H. LAMSON,
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CUYAHOGA GROUP.
ED. H. BOHM, A. P. WINSLOW,
WM. S. JONES,
FELIX NICOLA, CAPT. FRANK LYNCH, WM. FULLER.
MUNICIPAL GROUP.
J. C. WEIDEMAN,
F. T. WALLACE,
J. T. WATTERSON,
E. K. HUTCHINSON, W. M. BAYNE, JOHN L. MCINTOSH.
CLEVELAND GROUP.
B. F. MORSE,
WM. HEISLEY,
T. JONES, Jr.,
W. G. WATTERSON, S. T. EVERETT, A. J. RICKOFF.
FRANKLIN GROUP.
MAJ. C. W. KRAUSE, Anzeiger, W. W. ARMSTRONG, Plain Dealer,
EDWIN COWLES, Leader, W. SCOTT ROBISON, Sunday Voice,
A. W. FAIRBANKS, Herald, A. THIEME, Wæchter am Erie.
JOURNALIST GROUP.
J. H. KENNEDY, Leader,
M. WATSON, Herald,
F. H. BRADNER, Leader,
C. H. GRAY, Herald,
W. H. ECKMAN, Sunday Voice,
E. C. HARDY, Sunday Voice,
ROBERT S. PIERCE, Leader,
A. G. BERNARD, Plain Dealer,
C. S. CROWFOOT, Leader, N. S. COBLEIGH, Plain Dealer,
J. A. SPENCER, Sunday Post, GEO. A. PRESTON, Leader.
KIRTLAND GROUP.
In honor of the distinguished Naturalist and Scientist.
DR. J. P. KIRTLAND, DR. G. C. E. WEBER, HON. HARVEY RICE. CLERICAL GROUP.
REV. S. H. LEE, REV. C. W. CUSHING,
REV. O. D. PATCH,
REV. CHAS. S. POMEROY,
REV. N. M. CALHOUN,
REV. J. E. TWITCHELL,
REV. J. C. WHITE,
REV. JOHN W. BROWN,
REV. E. H. VOTAU,
REV. F. M. SEARLES.
W. J. GORDON'S TREE. Contributed by him, and planted west of Designers' Group, in Section 6.
The above tree, the gift of the gentleman in commemoration of whom it is named, is a choice specimen of the scarlet-leaved oak. It was brought and placed here under the special care of Mr. Gor-
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don himself, and expresses to the Association his sympathy with, and fine appreciation of, the enterprise and beauty of their cemetery, and will, moreover, ever be, in its beautiful autumnal foliage, a souvenir of the tasteful culture of its donor.
FOUNTAIN CIRCLE.
On Fountain Circle are two fine specimens of the cork-bark elm, contributed by J. H. Sargent and Josiah Barber. Mr. Sargent's tree is on the north side of the Circle, and Mr. Barber's upon the south. These two trees represent respectively the valuable aid and services of one of our most efficient Park Commissioners, and the old and honorable name of the Barber family.
I. P. LAMSON'S TREE.
Single elm tree, opposite the Journalist Group.
CENTENNIAL GROUP.
JAMES SEARS,
EBENEZER FISH,
GEO. L. CHAPMAN,
THOMAS LEE.
CITIZENS' GROUP.
E. J. HOLMDEN,
ROBERT BLEE,
TAYLOR EMERSON, NELSON PURDY. .
CHAS. MCNEIL,
BORDER GROUP.
A. L. SAUSMAN, WM. H. TOWL,
S. R. BRAINARD.
BROOKLYN GROUP.
HENRY INGHAM, A. W. POE,
E. H. BUSH,
A. S. HINCKLEY,
T. N. BRAINARD,
SEYMOUR TROWBRIDGE,
HIRAM WELCH,
OZIAS FISH,
C. L. JONES,
C. S. GATES,
I. W. FISH,
L. C. PIXLEY.
RUSSELL PELTON,
DESIGNERS' GROUP.
Named in honor of E. O. Schwaegerl, the Designing and Consulting Land- scape Architect and Engineer of the grounds.
E. O. SCHWAEGERL, JOHN M. ACKLEY,
JAMES M. RICHARDSON,
JOHN D. CREHORE,
THEO. M. TOWL,
ROBERT MCEWEN.
The Lower fake.
THERE IS NO DEATH.
BY SIR BULWER LYTTON.
There is no death. The stars go down To rise upon some fairer shore ; And bright in heaven's jeweled crown They shine for evermore.
There is no death. The dust we tread Shall change beneath the summer shower To golden grain or mellow fruit, Or rainbow-tinted flower.
The granite rocks disorganize, And feed the hungry moss they bear ; The forest leaves drink daily life From out the viewless air.
There is no death. The leaves may fall And flowers may fade and pass away ; They only wait through wintry hours, The coming of the May.
There is no death. An angel-form Walks o'er the earth with silent tread, And bears our best-loved ones away ; And then we call them " dead."
He leaves our hearts all desolate, He plucks our sweetest, fairest flowers; Transplanted into bliss, they now Adorn immortal bowers.
The bird-like voice, whose joyous tones Made glad these scenes of sin and strife, Sings now an everlasting song Around the tree of life.
Where'er he sees a smile too bright, Or heart too pure for taint and vice, He bears it to that world of light To dwell in Paradise.
Born unto that undying life, They leave us but to come again ; With joy we welcome them-the same, Except in sin and pain.
And éver near us, though unseen, The dear immortal spirits tread ; For all this boundless universe Is life-there are no dead.
Riverside Grounds.
BY F. T. WALLACE.
" The judicious selection of Riverside for a place of sepulchre, by the Association, met the cordial and prompt approval of the public while yet it was resting in its almost primeval nature.
When, after a few months, under the hand of the landscape archi- tect and engineer, its possibilities for artistic development had been made manifest ; when the woody dells had been made accessible, and rustic bridges had been built over rivulets and lakelets; when the broad avenue on the high plateau had been lined with trees, the hundreds of sections made green with fresh sod, and flowering shrubs waved in the breeze and saluted the sun, nature and art seemed to have united to honor the dead and console the living.
So interesting to moderns have these grounds now become that not only is their geological formation a subject of thoughtful con- sideration, but the history of their possession and occupation by prehistoric man is, in these days, no less a theme of anxious research and earnest contemplation.
The plateaus, the bluffs, and the woody dells which border the banks of the Cuyahoga valley, worked out in remote ages by the surges of an inland sea and the contending waters of the winding river, are the rich spoils of the battle of the ages between the con- tending forces of the Lake and the River, in which the latter triumphed-the Lake retiring, leaving the River in possession of the field, now the rich and beautiful valley overlooked by many delightful promontories, prëeminent among which are the grounds of Riverside.
Modern research has disclosed evidences of a prehistoric nation, the subjects of which were thickly settled throughout our own and many western states, who built the wondrous mounds along the borders of rivers, cultivated broad fields, and dwelt and worshiped upon the "high places" of the land. They occupied the plateaus
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of the Cuyahoga during unknown ages, and departed therefrom even before letters had been invented by man, leaving no monolith or tomb carved with hieroglyphics to indicate to their successors either their origin, race, or ultimate fate.
The primeval possessors of these grounds, we, for want of more definite designation, characterize according to the remains of their wonderful works, the Mound Builders. They were doubtless the remote provincial subjects of the empire of Peru, or the ancestors of the men who built the prehistoric pyramid of Cholula in the valley of Mexico. Ours is called a new country, but we uncon- sciously tread upon the ashes of dead nations.
After unknown ages came the Indian, of mysterious origin, and built his wigwam upon these high places and pleasant outlooks, but so far remote in time as to bring with him no legends of the departed Mound Builder. The knowledge of his occupancy of these grounds is yet within the memory of living men, supplemented by two hun- dred years of colonial history. In confirmation thereof, we quote a paragraph from the address delivered at the dedication of South Side Park :
" Two hundred years ago, where we now stand, Christianity was taught him (the Indian) by the French missionaries, and from here were written letters, now extant in the archives of France, to Madame Maintenon, the wife of Louis XIV, descriptive of the Indians, the forests and rivers upon the borders of Lake Erie, and the first description on paper of the wonderful Falls, over which is discharged the blue waters of this magnificent chain of lakes.
" Less than a year ago, I was told by an intelligent gentleman, since deceased, who lived here in 1833, that when officers of the U. S. Army were on their way to Washington with the Indian war- rior, Black Hawk, a day was spent here to enable their captive to launch a canoe and glide up to one of the bluffs just above here to a locality which he pointed out as the exact place where the wigwam stood in which he was born, and the grave of his mother. That locality, as described to me, is the high bluff and plateau where the river approaches nearest on the easterly side of, and included with- in, Riverside cemetery grounds. I asked my informant if the savage evinced any emotion common to civilized man under like circumstances. He said: 'Yes, every manifestation but tears ; the nervous excitement, the expanding chest, the quivering lips.' Every phase of humanity was exalted, in my estimation, when I
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heard that the Napoleon of a savage empire could turn aside from his journey to visit the scenes of his forest childhood, and a wild mother's grave."
The venerable Harvey Rice, author of " PIONEERS OF THE WEST- ERN RESERVE," who, on the occasion of Black Hawk's advent, was a resident of Cleveland, and who, though more than half a century has elapsed, vividly remembers the same, thus records the historic event : " It is a memorable fact that while the captives were return- ing from Washington, they stopped at Cleveland. Black Hawk remembered the place, and referred to the fact that his mother died in the valley of the Cuyahoga river, and was buried about two miles up the river on a high bluff, which he asked permission to visit unattended and alone. This he was allowed to do. He procured a skiff, seized the oar, and sped rapidly up the river, recognized the high bluff on which sleeps the dust of his mother-a bluff that projects into the valley from the south-east corner of what is now the Riverside Cemetery-ascended it, and there lingered in silence for an hour or more, when he returned and placed himself in charge of his custodian. In relating the story of his visit to his associates in captivity, it was observed by the citizens present that his breast heaved with emotion, and that a tear, though he was unused to weep, stole adown his weather-beaten cheek-a tear which he endeavored to hide by turning his face away from observation. The truth is, that Black Hawk, though a savage, was a man of heart. There was a touch of nature in him which made him akin to the civilized fraternity of mankind. The bluff which he visited had become consecrated ground in the estimation of his race, and should be crowned with a monument significant of its Indian history."
The last above statement fully corroborates the first, and puts historical truth beyond doubt; the only variance being merely as to whether the party was journeying east or west when the event occurred. The last statement is doubtless the correct one, as it is based upon the personal knowledge of the venerable historian.
The ever-living spring of purest water that trickles from the side of the bluff where once stood the Black Hawk wigwam, has quenched alike the thirst of the Mound Builder, the Indian and the White Man, and will continue to flow till the last of the present race shall be entombed in the thrice consecrated grounds of Riverside.
A Tribute to Riverside.
BY CHAS. F. OLNEY.
Said Tallyrand, "Show me the Cemeteries of a country, and I will tell you of its culture, its civilization." Were he to inspect the beautiful Cemeteries of Cleveland, our beauteous " Cities of the Dead," how high would be his estimate of the culture and refine- ment of the people of the Forest City.
The word Cemetery signifies a resting place, and Riverside is therefore but an exquisitely beautiful dormitory where our loved ones sleep.
As I roamed through Riverside a few weeks since, the virgin for- ests all aglow with the pink and scarlet rhus, the crimson wood- bine, the purple oak, the golden chestnut and beech, the multi- colored maple, etc., etc., as I turned into the paths along the calm, silver lakelets, in which the wonderful Autumn tints were mirrored, and along the banks of which the robins and the hermit- thrushes were singing their Te Deums, and then, as I rambled over the emerald lawns spangled with beds of fragrant flowers, I thought if the dead could speak, how heartily they would thank us for se- lecting so entrancing a retreat for their long sleep.
And why should we not set apart the most beautiful spots of earth for the ashes of our beloved ? Let the hill-tops of the Silent City be kissed by the first morning ray and the last gleam of day ; let dancing rivulets sing their glad hymns of praise ; let silver lake- lets picture the glories of earth and heaven ; let Luna and the starry
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host shed their hallowed influence upon the peaceful scene ; let Flora contribute her choicest offerings ; in short, let nature and art so combine as to express in our Cemeteries our highest ideals of beauty and harmony.
Among the varied attractions of our progressive city, few afford the weary soul the satisfaction to be derived from a drive or a stroll through Riverside. In the early morning, at the sunny noon-tide, in the golden twilight, this beautiful spot seems invested with so holy an interest that the "Gates Ajar" almost seem to open and reveal the brightness beyond. It is well for the living to pass often through the streets of the " City of the Dead."
" Why should the memories of the dead Be ever those of gloom and sadness? Why should their dwellings not be made 'Mid scenes of light and life and gladness ? Here let the young and gay repair And in this scene of light and beauty Gather from earth and sky and air Lessons of Life and Love and Duty."
LAID AWAY.
Come to the silent city, Enter its shadows gray ; On through its winding labyrinths, Reverently, slowly stray. Hear the moan of the waving trees, List the dirge of the sighing breeze, Tolling its myriad memories, Hopefully laid away.
Dawn on the breathless city Heralds the coming day ; Floating banners of rose and snow Mingle with pearl and gray, Telling how snow-white infancy - Rosy flushes and beaming eye, Still and cold and pulseless lie, Tearfully laid away.
Noon on the gleaming city Pours its refulgent ray, Flooding alike the Parian stone And the pauper's nameless clay ; Telling its tale of manhood's prime And maidenhood's radiant blossom time : Hopes and visions and dreams sublime Silently laid away.
Eve o'er the shadow city ! Autumn winds softly play, Whirling the dying Autumn flowers O'er the pulseless clay ; Weaving the crown the just receive, Telling of crowns the victor weaves, Purpling clusters and crimson leaves, Fruitful lives, with their golden sheaves Garnered and laid away.
Night o'er the dreamless city Steals with her shadows gray ; Silent warders on Heaven's heights Fold their white wings to pray ; Telling of pilgrims, travel-worn, Quietly laying their burdens down, Sinking to rest with the setting sun, And peacefully laid away.
IN MEMORIAM.
Of the more than 3,300 who, in thirteen years, have been laid to rest in Riverside, limited space will justify barely a brief notice of a few well-remembered names, including such of the trustees and officers of the Association as death has taken therefrom.
DANIEL P. RHODES
was born in Sudbury, Rutland county, Vermont, in 1814. When but five years of age, he lost his father, and from that time was compelled to help earn his own living. Almost at the threshold of life, therefore, he had to struggle with adverse circumstances, and was forced to overcome by his own energy the discouragements and difficulties everywhere met with. When he was fifteen years of age his mother remarried, and he then found a home with his step-father for six years.
At the age of twenty-one, he determined to leave Vermont, and make for himself a home and fortune in the distant West. His step-father was strongly attached to him, and, being a man of means, offered him a farm if he would remain in Vermont. But the young man was firm in his purpose, and, declining the tempt- ing offer, left for the West. On his subsequently returning to the home of his youth, his step-father offered him half of his property if he would remain and occupy it. The inducement was very strong, but he had made an engagement of marriage with a lady in the West, and before giving a final answer to the proposition, he decided to revisit his pioneer home and consult her to whom he had plighted his faith.
He came back West by canal, and, on the long, slow journey, had ample time to consider the subject of his future home. The beauty
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