| Placed by: PhotoSeeker | |
| Placement date: Mar 18 2007 | |
| State: Ohio | |
| County: Morrow | |
| Nearest city: Waterford | |
| Number of boxes: 1 | |
| Old Church Cemetery Letterbox
Difficulty: Easy Time: 20 minutes Immediately after the War of 1812, “Ohio Fever” spread to thousands of emigrants, mostly from Pennsylvania, as they flocked to this part of Central Ohio in search of cheap and fertile land. John Ogle, who came to Ohio along with the Blair family, was the first known white man to build a cabin in the Morrow County area of Perry Township. He was soon followed by Benjamin Hart, John Ackerman, and William Levering. Here, the new settlers found water supplied by the North Fork of Owl Creek and its tributaries, good soil for growing wheat, corn and oats, and several different varieties of trees including walnut, oak, hickory, elm, ash, sugar maple, cherry, and beech. One of the earliest settlers to this area in 1812 was a preacher from the old-school Baptist church by the name of John Cook. Soon after his arrival to this area, Cook, along with twenty other local settlers, formed the Owl Creek Baptist Church, North Branch. In 1815, on two acres at the site of the present day church building, Cook erected a log meetinghouse and started a cemetery. Despite the presence of this meetinghouse, its crude construction and lack of warmth and furnishings forced Cook to hold most of the church’s meetings in the members’ homes or at the nearby schoolhouse until 1833. At this time, church members began constructing a framed meetinghouse, but their efforts were soon halted by a fire shortly before its completion. Once again, church members resorted to building another log meetinghouse and meeting in the cabins of neighborhood church members until another framed building, named Harmony Baptist Church, was constructed in 1874. This letterbox is located in North Fork Cemetery next to Owl Creek Harmony Primitive Baptist Church found in Troy Township. The cemetery can be reached from the west by taking State Route 19 until it turns into County Road 22. Continue on County Road 22 until you go .8 mi. east of State Route 314. Just before reaching the Morrow/Knox County line, you will notice the plain, white church and a small cemetery on your left. From the east, take State Route 13 to Waterford Road. Turn west on Waterford Road and continue past Kokosing plant, through the town of Waterford, and about ¼ mi. past the Morrow/Knox County Line. Waterford Road eventually turns into County Road 22 at the county line. Shortly after crossing the line, you will notice the church on your right. But be careful when traveling in both directions! Amish settlements are in this area. Watch out for many of the Amish buggies and pedestrians that you may pass along the way! Once in the cemetery, take time to read many of the tombstones. Although some of the tombstones have been knocked over, moved, or are no longer readable, you will notice the surnames of many of the early settlers of this area. In the “fenced area” of the cemetery, beside the church and almost even with the front door of the church, you will notice a tall, unusual tombstone in the shape of a tree trunk which bears the name “Amos Hart.” Find the last two digits of the year he was born and walk that many degrees toward the tallest monument in the cemetery. Find the name Laverne VanBuskirk. From this monument, walk 90 degrees due east for 55-65 steps until you come a rotten stump. Leaning against the stump is the blackened tombstone of Margaret C. wife of C Finnell. Look behind the tombstone and inside of the stump to find “Old Church Cemetery.” Please cover carefully when finished and avoid letterboxing when church is in session. Also, do not allow young children to climb on the tombstones because they are no longer stable. A warning sign is located on the fence just outside of the cemetery. |