Welcome back to #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society! This week’s Flashback features a snowy Oak Grove Cemetery. One acre of land was donated by Dr. James Trippe in 1844 for use as the then-tiny village’s cemetery. Dr. Trippe himself became the second person buried there, after Jotham Newton Baker was reinterred from the ground originally designated for the town cemetery between Church and Franklin Streets. Local leaders decided that the latter location was too near the village for a burial ground. Thus, Grove Cemetery was established. The Whitewater Cemetery Association formed in November 1848 and purchased two more acres in 1858. In 1884, local businessman George Esterly directed the installation of a cast iron gate, giving the cemetery its current name, Oak Grove Cemetery. There are over 800 recorded burials in the cemetery, including soldiers from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, as well as most of the pioneer families and founders of Whitewater.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections!
(5469P, Whitewater Historical Society)
The Whitewater Historical Society collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Whitewater and the surrounding area. Be sure to join us next week for more from the Society’s collections. Please “like” us on Facebook, and check out our website at whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org!
