Belden, Grafton Township, Ohio
The tiny hamlet of Belden sits inside of the larger Township of Grafton in Lorain County, Ohio. It holds some houses, a cemetery, and a historical society dedicated to preserving the history of the village. Although Belden started off with another name, Rawsonville, it was changed in 1876 in order to honor one of the area’s founders, Bildad Belden.
Bildad Beldin: Early Settler
According to one source, Bildad Belden settled in Ohio with his parents, Daniel and Sarah, and his wife, Polly, in 1817. They brought two slave boys, Gabriel and Titus Gunn (remember that this was legal, even in Ohio, at the time), and per the requirement of the Ohio Black Laws of 1804 and 1807, paid a $500 “good behavior” bond for each. Four children, all belonging to Bildad and Polly, rounded out the farming household.
Bildad lost his parents shortly after moving to the area, in 1821 and 1831. They’re buried in Belden Cemetery and share a plot with their locally famous son. He passed away in 1873, and the name of the village was changed to honor him three years later, in 1876.
By 1902, the Village of Belden lost its post office, merging with Grafton and utilizing its schools, government, and other community offices. However, the name remains, and Belden is currently an unincorporated community. The cemetery in the area reflects the Belden name, helping keep the history of the area alive.
Belden Cemetery, Grafton, Ohio
Although the Belden Cemetery looks small, it holds over 800 burials. The first person buried there was Captain William Braman Crittendon, who fought in the War of 1812. Other notable burials include the aforementioned Daniel Belden, a Revolutionary War Veteran, and John P. Ladd, a vet of the Spanish-American War. In all, there are 19 Civil War veterans buried there, plus many from more modern wars.
Belden Cemetery, also known as Old Grafton Cemetery, may not have any huge notables, creepy ghost stories, or scandalized history, but it represents small-town life in the 1800s. There are some farmers, some war veterans, and a whole lot of regular people who went about their lives in the Antebellum and Victorian periods.
If you’d like to visit Belden Cemetery, it’s located on State Route 303 between Route 83 and Island Road, with the exact coordinates of 41.23751, -82.01818.
Found in Ohio 