Kirtland
These three cemeteries are grouped together due to proximity. Smith Farm is on the northwest corner of Hart and Baldwin Roads in what is now Kirtland Hills Village. Described as “directly back of this farm” were Booth and Colburn burials. And also, at the same intersection, on the old Harmon farm was the Harmon Cemetery.
Smith Farm Cemetery
The Smith Farm is still in operation, and the graves of Levi Smith and his wife Ruth Holbrook remain very near the intersection of Hart and Baldwin Roads. Another description added to the Lake County Cemetery Inscriptions book of the 1920s at Morley Library mentions the double stone close to the cross road, “opposite Leonard Hannah estate on land owned by King Bridge Co. near the school house on south west road from Tp. Corner near Little mountain-1 mile west of county line.” The original stone is at the Lake County Historical Society. It has since been replaced by a very visible pink granite rock in a large concrete pad with a wall of multi-colored stones surrounding it. The stone has one side cut off, polished and engraved. The entrance in the front leads to an old brownstone embedded in the concrete which is cut off, leaving only the head and shoulders portion. Behind that is the rock. According to William Louden who used to do landscaping for P.K. Smith on that farm and took care of the little burial plot in the 1940s, it was probably P.K. Smith, a descendant of Levi and Ruth who erected the new monument.
Harmon Farm (Hilo Farm) Cemetery
Extinct
The Harmon Farm cemetery was said in 1926, to have been destroyed and plowed over many years ago. A small addition to the inscription book describes it “to south of road opposite cross road on old Harmon Farm.”
In Mildred Steed’s Soldiers and Widows of the American Revolution who lived in Lake County, Ohio, on page 47 we find a note on Tracy Cleveland who was born May 8, 1749 at Canturbury, Windham County, Connecticut, and died at Kirtland, February 27, 1836. His wife was Phebe Hyde, born April 2, 1748, and died November 5, 1829. “Both were buried on the Harmon Farm (later known as Hilo Farm) near Hart Road in Kirtland Hills and later removed to South Kirtland Cemetery, Section A., Lot 88, Grave 3.” (This section has apparently been renamed Section D, as his grave marker is in the sixth row, 30th stone.)
In this same book, we also find Oliver Harmon, born October 27, 1756 in Suffield, Connecticut, and died January 9, 1843, age 86 years, 2 months, 13 days in Kirtland, Lake County, Ohio. His wife was Mary Plumb, born 1760 and died June 14, 1829, age 69. “Both were buried on the farm where they lived, but later removed to the South Kirtland Cemetery, Lot 87, Grave 5.” No stone was found for them there.
Booth and Colburn Cemetery
Extinct
From the 1920s inscriptions, it is noted that another old cemetery was plowed under many years ago. “From this cemetery, Mr. Booth removed his great grandfather who came from Connecticut, to the large Mentor cemetery, and Fairchild Colburn’s parents were removed to Painesville.” The current owners have no knowledge of it.
Note: Duplicate stone numbers indicate multiple persons inscribed on the same stone as detailed in the inscription column.
Name | Sec | Row | Stone | Inscription | Symbols | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Smith, Levi | 1 | 1 | 1 | In memory of Levi Smith/ Sept. 25, 1774 - June 5, 1828/ Ruth Holbrook Smith/ Jan. 9, 1779 - Oct. 28, 1818/ who moved to this farm/ From Derby Conn in 1814. | Cut side of a huge pink granite rock embedded in concrete. Stone wall surrounds. | |
Smith, Ruth Holbrook | 1 | 1 | 1 | In memory of Levi Smith/ Sept. 25, 1774 - June 5, 1828/ Ruth Holbrook Smith/ Jan. 9, 1779 - Oct. 28, 1818/ who moved to this farm/ From Derby Conn in 1814. | Cut side of a huge pink granite rock embedded in concrete. Stone wall surrounds. | |
Smith | 1 | 1 | 2 | top of brownstone head and shoulders tablet in concrete in front of Levi and Ruths stone | ||
Smith, Levi | X | Sacred to the memory/ of/ Levi Smith/ who died Jan. 5th 1820/ aged 45 y. and/ Ruth Smith/ His wife who died Oct. 28th/ 1818 aged 40 ys. [4 illeg. lines] | This old stone is at Lake County Historical Society. It was replaced. | |||
Smith, Ruth Holbrook | X | Sacred to the memory/ of/ Levi Smith/ who died Jan. 5th 1820/ aged 45 y. and/ Ruth Smith/ His wife who died Oct. 28th/ 1818 aged 40 ys. [4 illeg. lines] | This old stone is at Lake County Historical Society. It was replaced. |