Travel From Cleveland To Northern Ohio's Own Cholera Cemetery For A Dose Of History
By Nikki Rhoades|Published September 27, 2020
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
Here in Cleveland, we don’t hear a whole lot about Ohio’s woes of yore. Even the tragic East Ohio Gas Company explosion in Cleveland is a surprise to some, though it happened just a handful of decades ago. It’s worth learning about our state’s past, as it helps us work toward a brighter future. One of the best ways to do so is through the exploration and understanding of local cemeteries. Believe it or not, there’s a cholera cemetery near Cleveland that houses hundreds of victims just like you and me. It’s a bit of a hike to get there, but it’s close enough to home to merit a visit. The unsuspecting Ohioans eternally resting in its hallowed ground had their lives unexpectedly interrupted in 1849, when Northern Ohioans thought they were far away from the epicenter of the disease. Their story won’t be forgotten.
Once upon a time, cholera reached the shores of the U.S. and incited a bit of a panic... and rightfully so.
Cholera is not a pretty disease to face. Vomiting, diarrhea, sunken features, and blue extremities are common markers of this horrible disease. Even today, millions of people are affected by it... though it's rare in the developed world; a stark contrast to its presence in the years 1832, 1849, and 1866. During these years, cholera rapidly spread throughout the U.S. like a wave of death.
The cholera outbreak that truly crippled Ohio came in 1849, necessitating the organization of cholera cemeteries like this one in Sandusky.
Somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 residents called Sandusky home in 1849. Elsewhere in the state, cholera outbreaks raged. Cincinnati was particularly impacted, and it is said that some infected people decided to catch a train up north to Sandusky. A man named Shepard is said to be the catalyst that sparked the epidemic in Sandusky.
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Fearing for their lives, some 3,500 people fled. While they did this, doctors from as far as Cleveland, Cincinnati, and even other states came to assist.
Just over 2,000 people remained in Sandusky as the outbreak began to take hold. Though doctors came from as far as Pennsylvania to assist, some 400 people succumbed to the illness in a matter of mere months.
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Though the Sandusky cemetery has just a few headstones, the majority of its interments are eternally resting in a mass grave.
Formerly known as the old Harrison Street Cemetery, the Cholera Cemetery in Sandusky filled up fast. People died so quickly that a mass grave was simply the most effective way to quickly cover up the impact of this deadly illness. The cemetery was full within just one year of the epidemic of 1849, and it eventually fell into disrepair. Many of its old tombstones were either stolen or lost over time.
Today, there's no replacing the many headstones that have been lost. However, those buried in this cemetery are far from nameless. You can search through records of cemetery interments on Find A Grave.
Sadly, this particular epidemic was tragic... but it wasn't the last time Ohio would see cholera.
Over 8,000 Cincinnati residents alone died during this particular outbreak, and President James Polk even succumbed to the disease far outside of the state. Ohio's brutal winters often killed off the disease temporarily, but it would often rear its ugly head again come spring. Cholera was even to blame for the postponement of Ohio's first ever state fair.
So, what caused this outbreak? Largely, it was due to poor sanitation and a misunderstanding of the nature of the disease.
Sanitation practices fortunately evolved, but disease demonstrated that humans needed to adapt their lifestyles to eradicate the threat. Curious as to how we did this? You can actually read the opinions of medical professionals on the matter, published in 1850, via the Ohio Memory Collection.
This historic cemetery has a fascinating history, but it is truly a nod to how far we have come as a society.
This incredible cholera cemetery near Cleveland is a reminder that our lives have changed in an incredible way. Mass graves are fortunately no longer the norm, though the U.S. would face another few cholera outbreaks before the disease largely died out on American soil. Have any of your family members ever recounted tales of this epidemic or any other historic disease outbreaks? Tell us in the comments!
