A little history...
In 1860, nine local citizens of German heritage, John Schisley, Wm. Stritter, Charles Haas, John Pfeffer, Henry Brinkman, Fred Reichert, John Zimmerman, Jacob Bischoff and Charles Kreie met around a table, lit by kerosene lamps and devised a plan to bury the dead. They purchased two acres of ground from Valentine Shyrock and named it German Cemetery.
In 1863 they added two more acres as their English speaking neighbors began purchasing lots and changed the name to Black Township cemetery. Around 1898 the name became Bellefontaine. By 1913 there were 4054 bodies there - almost the population of Mt. Vernon.
The first sexton was Frank Lintz who dug graves the first 18 years. Several prominent people are buried there, from General Hovey and General William Harrow, there are state representatives and mayors, doctors and lawyers, jailers and sheriffs, Mrs. Matilda Alexander of whom the Mt. Vernon library is named,. Many Decoration Days and Memorial Services were held there. The home guard cannon, now located at the American Legion once resided on the cemetery grounds until vandalism forced it back to town.
The biggest funeral was probably Governor Alvin Hovey in 1891. It was huge escort of people in buggies, carriages and horseback. Albert Beveridge, an American historian, senator and a keynote speaker at the 1912 convention that nominated Teddy Roosevelt gave the speech here in Mt. Vernon. Beveridge won a Pulitzer Prize for his four volume set on John Marshall.
In 1863 they added two more acres as their English speaking neighbors began purchasing lots and changed the name to Black Township cemetery. Around 1898 the name became Bellefontaine. By 1913 there were 4054 bodies there - almost the population of Mt. Vernon.
The first sexton was Frank Lintz who dug graves the first 18 years. Several prominent people are buried there, from General Hovey and General William Harrow, there are state representatives and mayors, doctors and lawyers, jailers and sheriffs, Mrs. Matilda Alexander of whom the Mt. Vernon library is named,. Many Decoration Days and Memorial Services were held there. The home guard cannon, now located at the American Legion once resided on the cemetery grounds until vandalism forced it back to town.
The biggest funeral was probably Governor Alvin Hovey in 1891. It was huge escort of people in buggies, carriages and horseback. Albert Beveridge, an American historian, senator and a keynote speaker at the 1912 convention that nominated Teddy Roosevelt gave the speech here in Mt. Vernon. Beveridge won a Pulitzer Prize for his four volume set on John Marshall.