I have ridden or driven past this sign on McHenry Road near Goshen many times. I’ve always wanted to stop and explore a cemetery that sits back in the woods like a long lost reminder of the past with history laying in the ground.
If you didn’t catch that sign driving past, you would never know it’s there. I parked the bike and prepared for a little hike.
A path passes next to the adjoining property traverses a small ravine, and then turns uphill. It’s a short walk that opens up on the cemetery, a serene spot on top of the hill. Surprisingly, the cemetery looks like it is being taken care of. No weeds or overgrowth. Grass trimmed.
This pioneer cemetery is not a large one, maybe an acre. No clear date when it was established, but believed to be in the mid 1800s. It was associated with the unincorporated village of Shiloh. Tombstones reveal mostly births and deaths in the 1800s. The latest one I could find was a burial in 1903.
I found one Civil War grave. There may be others, but I did not find any. The grave is marked with a Grand Army of the Republic badge, G.A.R 1861-1865, serving in the 2nd Ohio Cavalry.
It’s a peaceful experience to stroll through an old cemetery. To read the headstones that are still readable and wonder what their lives were like in the 1800s. What contributions did they do to serve others and community. So many stories to tell.
I walked back to the bike, pulled out on the road and turned towards home.
See you on the highway.
Brent