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Discovering the History of Botzum Cemetery in Ohio

How many times have you driven down West Bath Road and not realized that there’s a hidden cemetery off to the side? Here’s what you need to know about Botzum Cemetery.

Amanda Sedlak-Hevener
2–3 minutes
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Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Following West Bath Road will take your through the Cuyahoga Valley, travelling from east to west or vice versa. It’ll also take you past a hidden cemetery that dates back to when a part of the valley used to be called Botzum, after the family that lived in the area.

Here’s part of their property on an 1874 map:

Finding Botzum Cemetery

Travelling west on West Bath Road, you’ll go past Riverview Rd, then start to head up a hill. The road comes to a fork at this point, with West Bath Road to the north and Yellow Creek Road to the south. Stay to the left to follow Yellow Creek Road and drive until you see a small clearing on the righthand side of the road (it comes up quickly, so be prepared.) Park on the side of the road in the clearing and head up the hill. You’ll spot the cemetery on top of the hill.

A Short History of Botzum

According to sources, Botzum, also known as either Buckeye or Niles was one of the three main historical villages in the Cuyahoga Valley. (For the record, the other two are Ira and Everett.)

By Cards84664 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83607014

The village of Botzum was the southern-most of these villages and was located in the same location that the city of Akron chose to build a sewage treatment plant in 1928. As a result, nothing remains of the village but a small railroad depot and a few signs, as well as a cemetery further to the west. There’s also the Conrad Botzum Farmstead, which still operates in the valley, hosting weddings and other events.

Botzum Cemetery

It’s believed that Botzum Cemetery dates back to the late 18th century, although the records of burials are far from complete. There could be hundreds of graves under the ground, although only a handful of gravestones remain intact, such as the one depicted above, for Charlie Augustus Botzum.

Other gravestones are broken and have been repaired to the best of the restorers’ ability, so you can get a glimpse of who’s buried below.

Overall, Botzum Cemetery is an interesting piece of the past, pointing out that there’s more to the Cuyahoga Valley than the national park, river, and canal.

Sources

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7 responses to “Discovering the History of Botzum Cemetery in Ohio”

  1. Ken A Starcher Avatar
    Ken A Starcher

    Thank you for the story about Botzum, OH. I would like to point out a couple of updates you might like to make. The hamlet was at Riverview and Bath Roads along the Ohio-Erie Canal. In addition to Niles and Buckeye it was also referred to as Yellow Creek. Niles was never built and Yellow Creek was an earlier name at the mouth of the namesake creek and the Cuyahoga River. The sewage plant is on the other side of the Cuyahoga River and further South. We’ve found no evidence of anything but farmland there. The current railroad depot is a modern structure serving the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. The original station for the Valley Railroad was about a quarter mile further North. There are several houses of more modern construction on the West side of Riverview Road just to the South of Botzum, one of which is a Sears catalog house although it has been modified so much it has lost the characteristic of the original.

    Ok, that may be more than you wanted to know but should you choose to update your story pick what you deem relevant.

    Thank you,

    Ken A Starcher, Vice President Northampton Historical Society

    Reply
    1. Amanda Sedlak-Hevener Avatar
      Amanda Sedlak-Hevener

      Thanks! I think that Botzum needs its own article! Also, if you need help with your organization’s website, let me know!

      Reply
      1. Ken A Starcher Avatar
        Ken A Starcher

        Thank you for the reply. We love history so sometimes we have resources/knowledge outside of our area of focus. Let me know if you’re in our greater area and would like some help or info.

        I’ll just keep plugging away at our site. I know just enough about what I’m doing to be dangerous and I don’t want to go the blog route, although I do use it for meeting notices.

      2. Amanda Sedlak-Hevener Avatar
        Amanda Sedlak-Hevener

        I’m in Garfield Heights, so yes, near your general area. Out of curiosity, do you have anything on Jim Brown the counterfeiter?

      3. Ken A Starcher Avatar
        Ken A Starcher

        We have not compiled a list of sources for him. Everything we know comes from existing books like Samuel Lane’s. I’m sure there’s a lot in newspaper archives but none of us has had time/inclination to search. The farm he built still exists although the National Park keeps it hidden. It is known as the Brown-Bender Farm. Jim Brown was quite a character.

      4. Amanda Sedlak-Hevener Avatar
        Amanda Sedlak-Hevener

        Hi Ken! I’m starting a YouTube series for Found in Ohio that focuses on interesting artifacts in the collections of local historical societies. Would you like to participate? I’m sure the Northampton Historical Society has some cool stories to tell.

      5. Ken A Starcher Avatar
        Ken A Starcher

        I’ll keep it in mind. Nothing jumps out at me but I imagine there’s something. Of course what you might find story worthy might be different from what I would, and vice-versa.

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