Indian Cemetery of Perry Township, Brown County, Ohio

Indian Cemetery of Perry Township, Brown County, Ohio


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We began researching this cemetery with the hope of finding Joseph Marie and Sarah Genoways there. We no longer believe that they are buried at this cemetery.

-- Charlie Cox

Location:
The Indian Cemetery is located on the grounds of the Usruline Convent/Chatfield College in Perry Township, Brown County, Ohio. As one drives down the lane towards the convent and college it is found on the right hand in a grove of second growth timber unkept and covered over with underbrush, vines, and leaves just before crossing the creek called Solomon's Run.

Information
While researching this cemetery, the only reference(other than just naming) on the internet was the following page about on the Louiso family ancestors.
That web page lists a William Bamber Sr, 1777-1834, "who is buried in the old St. Martin "Indian" Cemetery on the convent grounds". I followed up with the author of the page who pointed me to Donald Moore. He provided the information about the cemetery. Donald has been very helpful in providing all information that he has as well as contacts to others with additional information. During conversation and email, Donald provided the following information:
  • He had been through the cemetery and did not recall any Genoways
  • This cemetery is also referenced as Old Pioneer Cemetery
  • St. Martin's Church is where the French-speaking residents attended and St. Patricks Church is where the Irish Catholics attended.
  • St. Martin's Church was located by Murrays Corner, which was a French area at one time.
  • There are about 15-20 graves here and it is badly overgrown
  • Upon reviewing Charlie Van Landingham Genoway's letter:
    • Resabois, Chevalier, Genet, and Eubanks families are all mentioned in Brown County resources
    • the "French" were really French-speaking Belgians
  • To his knowledge there has been no copying of the stones
  • St. Martin's Church was a log church and was pulled down by horses in the 1840's
One of Donald's contacts was Ada Mae Holden Patton, who lives near the convent. She is very knowledgable of the cemetery and Brown County in general. She provided the following information:
  • She had been through the cemetery many times over the years, but does not recall any Genoways.
  • She is also a descendent of William Bamber
  • General Lyttle donated the land for the convent to the Bishop in Cincinnati who first used it as the site for a seminary and school.
  • William Bamber had 3 Indian friends with which he requested to be buried.
  • Bamber and several others worked for General Lyttle and each were given 2000-3000 acres of land for themselves, but they had to clear the trees from the land
  • Many of the graves are sunken down or fallen over and covered up in years past, so we may not be able to find the markers.


The only transcription of this cemetery found so far is that contained in the following book:
Tombstone inscriptions of Brown County, Ohio by Colleta and Puckett

This book lists 5 names of people who are buried at this cemetery.

Many thanks to Donald and Ada Mae for their help with our research.