Description: Taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1900-1912, this photograph shows a man standing by a tombstone. At the top of the tombstone is a lamb sitting under the sun and below it reads, "Sadie, wife of Lee Cainer, born June 4, 1877, died July 7, 1900, She was an affectionate and loving wife." Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed "Ewing Brothers" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b11_f644
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Cemeteries; Tombstones (sepulchral monuments)
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: The photograph shows a headstone in a cemetery reading "Stecher," which sits between two small pines. More headstones sit before and behind the Stecher monument, with large trees growing throughout the cemetery lawn. The stone most likely marks the grave of George J. Stecher, Harry Kinley's maternal grandfather. George J. and Christina Stecher immigrated from Germany to Upper Sandusky, Ohio in 1854. Photograph by Harry Evan Kinley (1882-1969), a native of Upper Sandusky. Kinley was active in local events and organizations, and spent his professional career as a clerk at his father's store, and later as a traveling salesman for the Marion Paper & Supply Company (1934-1962). Kinley was also an avid lifelong photographer, and the bulk of the Harry Kinley Collection is comprised of glass plate negatives documenting the Kinley family, the city of Upper Sandusky and Wyandot County and surrounding areas. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV30_B01F01_39
Subjects: Cemeteries--Ohio; Tombstones (sepulchral monuments); Families--Ohio;
Places: Upper Sandusky (Ohio); Wyandot County (Ohio);
 

Description: The photograph shows the Wyandot Mission Church in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. The church, built in 1854, is surrounded by a cemetery. Photograph by Harry Evan Kinley (1882-1969), a native of Upper Sandusky. Kinley was active in local events and organizations, and spent his professional career as a clerk at his father's store, and later as a traveling salesman for the Marion Paper & Supply Company (1934-1962). Kinley was also an avid lifelong photographer, and the bulk of the Harry Kinley Collection is comprised of glass plate negatives documenting the Kinley family, the city of Upper Sandusky and Wyandot County and surrounding areas. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV30_B01F01_49
Subjects: Churches--Ohio; Tombstones (sepulchral monuments); Cemeteries
Places: Upper Sandusky (Ohio); Wyandot County (Ohio);
 

Description: Dated 1936, this photograph shows Pioneer Cemetery and church in Warren County in Lebanon, Ohio. Embossed on the lower left corner is "Sam R. Kremer - Photographer, Dayton, O." Pioneer Cemetery occupies one city block in Lebanon and is bound by West Main Street, South West Street, West Mulberry Street, and South Harrison Street. There is a wrought iron arch at the corner of West Main Street and South West Street that reads "Pioneer Cemetery 1799." The white church with Doric columns is located at the corner of West Mulberry Street and Ross Street. The graveyard used to be split into two halves, the north being the Baptist Cemetery and the south being the Methodist Cemetery. Because of this, it is sometimes called the Pioneer - Old Baptist - Old Methodist Cemetery. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F10_034_1
Subjects: Churches; Cemeteries; Tombstones; Winter
Places: Lebanon (Ohio); Warren County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads "This photograph of the Old Columbia Cemetery, located in the east end of Cincinnati, was used by the Cincinnati Enquirer to illustrate the article they published on January 25, 1940 in connection with the appearance of 'Tales of Old Cincinnati'." Tombstone reads "Major Benj. Stites. Born at Scotch Plains, New Jersey. 1743. Died Aug 30, 1804 In Columbia now part of Cincinnati. A Revolultionary Soldier. Was a pioneer in this section having brought the first boat load of pioneers down the Ohio River. Landed on the bank near the this spot and founded the town of Columbia on Nov. 18, 1788. It was Major Benj. Stites that induced Col. John Cleves Symmes to purchase land between the two Miami Rivers. Major Benj. Stites is entitled to the credit of being the originator of the settlement of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Erected Nov. 18, 1923." The tombstone is a memorial to Major Benj Stites who brought the first boatload of pioneers down the Ohio River. They landed near this site on November 18, 1788 and founded the town of Columbia. The town no longer exists. An attempt to restore the cemetery in the early 1970's was not entirely successful. Many stones have fallen over since the restoration. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B03F06_015
Subjects: Cemeteries--Ohio--Cincinnati--History--Pictorial works; Tombstones
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a print of the tombstone of Major Benjamin Stites. The inscription reads "Major Benj. Stites. Born at Scotch Plains, New Jersey. 1734. Died Aug 30, 1804 In Columbia now part of Cincinnati. A Revolutionary Soldier. Was a pioneer in this section having brought the first boat load of pioneers down the Ohio River. Landed on the bank near the this spot and founded the town of Columbia on Nov. 18, 1788. It was Major Benj. Stites that induced Col. John Cleves Symmes to purchase land between the two Miami Rivers. Major Benj. Stites is entitled to the credit of being the originator of the settlement of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Erected Nov. 18, 1923". Benjamin Stites' gravestone is in the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery at 333 Wilmer Avenue in Cincinnati. Stites brought the first boatload of pioneers down the Ohio River. They landed near this site on November 18, 1788, and founded the town of Columbia. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F10_047_1
Subjects: Cemeteries--Ohio--Hamilton County; Tombstones; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is the photograph of the monument marking the grave of Thomas Kirker (1760-1837), the second governor of Ohio. The gray stone monument has a carved inscription. Born in County Tyrone, Ireland, he immigrated with his family to this country when he was about 18. After living in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, he moved with his wife, Sarah, to Ohio in 1793 and eventually settled in Liberty Township in Adams County. Kirker became an influential figure in the Northwest Territory. Governor Arthur St. Clair appointed him to be a justice of the peace in 1797. Over the next several years, Kirker, a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, actively campaigned for Ohio statehood, to the consternation of St. Clair, a Federalist Party member. Kirker represented Adams County at Ohio's first Constitutional Convention in 1802 and also as a member of the General Assembly (1803-1815, 1816-1817, and 1821-1825). He was speaker of the Ohio Senate for seven terms between 1804 and 1815 and as Speaker of the Ohio House from 1816 to 1817. In 1807, he became governor of Ohio after Governor Edward Tiffin resigned to take a seat in the U.S. Senate. Kirker was defeated in the next election, but the winner, Return J. Meigs, was disqualified because he had not lived in Ohio the required numbers of years to become governor. Instead, Kirker remained as acting governor for the duration of the 1807-1808 term. As governor, Kirker dealt with Ohio citizens' concerns about American Indian threats in western Ohio. He sent Thomas Worthington and Duncan McArthur to Fort Greene Ville in late 1807 to investigate, but the two men found no evidence to support the settlers' concerns. Because of Worthington's and McArthur's report, military conflict with the American Indians did not materialize during Kirker's administration. In 1808, Kirker ran against fellow Democratic-Republicans Thomas Worthington and Samuel Huntington for the governorship. Both Kirker and Worthington held similar political beliefs, arguing that the state legislature was supreme in creating law, while Huntington believed that ultimate authority to determine constitutionality of law rested with the Ohio Supreme Court. Kirker and Worthington split the vote among those sharing their view, allowing Huntington to gain the majority and become the state's next governor. Kirker returned to the state legislature, where he continued to represent Adams County until he retired from public service. He died on his Adams County farm in 1837. He was buried in the Kirker Cemetery, sometimes known as the Kirker Family Cemetery, in Adams County. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06960
Subjects: Adams County (Ohio); Legislators; Politicians; Governors--Ohio; Tombstones (sepulchral monuments);
Places: West Union (Ohio); Adams County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated 1937, this photograph shows a cemetery near West Milton, Ohio, in Miami County. The photograph's caption reads "Hoover Grave near W. Milton. Garland Road, 2 1/2 m N. W. of W Milton. Montgomery County." This could be West Branch Cemetery, located on Garland Road just west of West Milton, where many Hoovers are buried. West Milton was the home of the ancestors of Herbert Clark Hoover, 31st president of the United States. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F10_053_1
Subjects: Cemeteries; Tombstones; Montgomery County (Ohio)
Places: West Milton (Ohio); Miami County (Ohio)