Stephen H. and Maria Rogers

In THE HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, edited by Lewis Cass Rogers, we read that Stephen H. Rogers was born in 1838 in Margaretta Township, Erie County, a son of Stephen and Eliza Hartwell Roger. The younger Stephen helped his father run the family farm. In October of 1861, Stephen H. Rogers enlisted in Company A of the 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served as a Corporal. After the Civil War ended, he married Maria Bardwell, a daughter of Salmon and Lucy White Bardwell. They had four children: Addie A.Rogers, Carrie Rogers, Henry S. Rogers and James G. Rogers.

Stephen H. Rogers died on February 17, 1933 at the Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Home at the age of 95. His obituary, found in the 1933 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK at the Sandusky Library gave details of his military career. In July of 1863 Rogers was detached for special duty as a carrier of dispatches. He served in that capacity under General Ralph P. Buckland, General Asboth, General James M. Tuttle, Gen. Joseph A. Mower, and General McArthur. The funeral for Stephen H. Rogers were held on February 20, 1933, under the auspices of the McMeens Post of the G.A.R. and W.R.C. He was buried in Graves Cemetery, south of Castalia, with his wife Mrs. Maria Rogers, who had passed away in 1926.

While the military record of Stephen H. Rogers, as listed in the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System as a Corporal, the tombstone and obituary of Stephen H. Rogers refer to him as "Major Rogers."

Seth and Louisa Bardwell

A biographical sketch of Seth E. Bardwell found in HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE states that his parents Seth and Louisa White Bardwell were both born in Hatfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. They came to Ohio in 1833, first to Margaretta Township, but later settled in Groton Township. Mr. Bardwell found his land to be almost covered completely with timber. He cleared the land until it became a "well-improved tract." Seth Bardwell was Democratic in his politics, and was a member of the Universalist Church. He died on March 31, 1863, and he is buried in Graves Cemetery. Mrs. Louisa White Bardwell survived her husband. She died in 1898 at the age of 90.

According to the publication Bardwell/Bordwell Descendants,published by the Robert Bardwell Descendants' American Ancestry (available on Heritage Quest), the parents of Seth Bardwell were Remembrance and Sophia Allis Bardwell. The paternal grandfather of Seth Bardwell was also named Seth Bardwell. The grandfather was born in Hatfield, Massachusetts in 1752, and he died by a "divine stroke of lightning" on June 16, 1795.

O.S. and Ethel Bardwell Alcott

In 1899, Otho S. Alcott married Ethel Bardwell, the only daughter of Seth E. and Celestia Bardwell. O.S. Alcott operated a haberdashery at the corner of Columbus Ave. and East Washington Row for many years, his father having begun this business. In his later years, Mr. Alcott was engaged in the banking and insurance business. After a lengthy illness, O. S. Alcott passed away on May 26, 1932. He was buried in Castalia Cemetery. His obituary is found in the set of OBITUARY NOTEBOOKS in the genealogical collections of the Sandusky Library.

Mrs. Ethel Bardwell Alcott survived her husband by many years. She died in 1969, and was buried with her husband in the Castalia Cemetery. Mrs. Bardwell was a member of the Martha Pitkin Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. According to the lineage books of the D.A.R., whose records are on file at Ancestry Library Edition, Ethel Bardwell Alcott had three ancestors who participated in the American Revolution: Seth Bardwell, Remembrance Bardwell, and Daniel White.

Seth E. Bardwell

Harriet Taylor Upton wrote in THE HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE that Seth E. Bardwell was one of the most successful farmers of Margaretta Township, Erie County, Ohio. He was born in 1844 in Groton Township, to Seth and Louisa White Bardwell. After the elder Seth Bardwell died, the younger Seth took over the family farm. He married Celesta Thompson in 1874. Seth and Celesta Bardwell were the parents of Mrs. O. S. Alcott, Seth A. Bardwell, and Alvah Bardwell. Seth E. Bardwell served in the 145th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War.

Mrs. Celesta Bardwell died in 1893. Seth E. Bardwell married Rebecca Neill in 1900.









Seth Edgar Bardwell survived both his wives. He died on January 25, 1935,at the age of 90, and he is buried in the Bardwell family plot at the Castalia Cemetery.

Graves Cemetery in Margaretta Township

Graves Cemetery is located in Margaretta Township, south of Castalia, Ohio. As its name would suggest, several people with the surname Graves are buried here.






Emily and Alice Graves were sisters, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Erasmus Graves. According to the obituary of Miss Emily Graves, found in the 1934 Obituary Notebook at the Sandusky Library, her father was one of the earliest settlers of Erie County, and he platted the Graves Cemetery. Alice Graves died in 1927, and Emily Graves died in 1934.


A large monument in memory of the Bardwell and Graves families is found towards the back of the Graves Cemetery.




To the left of this monument are three stones:

Sarah Ann Graves, wife of James G. Snowden
1835-1916 (Sarah Ann Bardwell was married first to William L. Graves)

William L. Graves
1831-1874

Effie M. Daughter of W.L. And S.A. Graves
1860-1864

To the right of the Bardwell-Graves monument are two stones honoring the parents of Sarah:

Salmon D. Bardwell
1796-1852

and

Lucy A. Bardwell
1806-1879



On the northern edge of the Graves Cemetery is a lovely blackberry tree, which was laden with berries at the time of my visit.



More details about the individuals buried at Graves Cemetery can be found by viewing the microfilmed records of Erie County cemeteries at the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library. The Graves Cemetery records are on the reel containing the films of the note cards from cemeteries of Margaretta Township.