The Hidden History of the West Family Cemetery in Independence, Ohio

Independence, Ohio

The West Family Cemetery used to be visible to travelers on I-77 north that were heading to 4-80 in either direction. The gravestones popped out from the surrounding landscape, making it clear to anyone driving past that there was something interesting in that area. Now, overgrowth hides the cemetery, but it’s still accessible from Rockside Rd. Simply drive into the entrance to the Holiday Inn, go past the Spring Hill Suites, and in between that hotel and a large array of solar panels is a small family cemetery that holds a very interesting piece of Independence’s history: an African-American family that owned land prior to the Civil War.

A Quick Historical Summary

Prior to the Civil War, people in the southern states still owned slaves. In the northern states, particularly Ohio, the Second Great Awakening (a period of religious revival), led to the popularity of abolition and numerous Underground Railroad sites, as people believed that no human being should be owned.

With that said, escaped enslaved people could still be caught by slave catchers in free states, like Ohio, and brought back to their owners, which led quite a few escapees to flee over Lake Erie into Canada where they could truly be free. Despite this, some safely found homes in various northern states. The members of the West family were one of them.

The West Family

According to genealogical and past census records, the West family was living in Independence in 1850. The family consisted of Thomas West (1794-1860), his wife Susan Barnhill West (1798-1872) and their children. Although few records show where Thomas West was born or whether he was a freed slave or emancipated himself, this makes sense, because plantation records make things hard to track. What matters is that the family was described as “mulatto” in the 1850 census, and that we have plenty of information about his wife.

Susan Barnhill West was the daughter of Nancy Packer (1774-1820), a white woman and William Barnhill Senior, a black man (1778-1845.) The two couldn’t legally wed, due to Ohio laws preventing marriages between white and black people at the time. William Barnhill Sr was the son of Silvey Finley, a slave owned by the Evans family. Since people born into slavery remained so, William remained on the plantation until James Evans sold him to William Nelson. Shortly afterwards, William Nelson brought him over the border into Pennsylvania, which automatically freed him thanks to the laws in place regarding slavery. At some point, William Barnhill met Nancy Packer, and the two settled in Ohio.

Their daughter, Susan, met and married Thomas West and the two bought a parcel of land in what is now Independence. It appears on this 1852 map. You can see the currently overlay of where the freeways are located, as well as the section of land that now holds the cemetery, the only remainder of their farm:

The family also appears on the 1874 map of the area:

According to the records, Susan and Thomas had five children, Enos, Ruth, Ephraim, Aaron, and John. Enos West went on to marry Sarah Priscilla Pierce and worked as a stone dealer. His brother, Ephraim is mentioned in a history of Independence as working alongside Thomas Smith for the Wilson & Hughes Stone Company, located to the west of the village (now city.)

Enos, along with his mother, father, and brother John are buried in the West Family Cemetery. Also listed in the cemetery records is Manda L. Gillett, possibly the child of Ruth West Gillett. Ephraim is buried in Maple Shade Cemetery further down the road.

All that remains of the notable family are some written records and the cemetery, leaving you wondering what other historical nuggets are lurking in plain sight.