Sunday , 16 February 2025

North Ridgeville – Town of Ridges, Then and Now

Courtesy North Ridgeville Historical Society, www.northridgevillehistoricalsociety.com

Earlier this year the North Ridgeville Historical Society posed the question: what are the original streets named for ridges here in town. The answer is…There are five original streets named for ridges: Center Ridge; Sugar Ridge; Chestnut Ridge; Butternut Ridge; Stoney Ridge

The following week they posed the next question: what do you think led to the streets being named this way? This led the Historical Society, once a week, to post history of North Ridgeville in “North Ridgeville-Town of Ridges, Then and Now.” The North Ridgeville Review would like to share their stories….

Why are the Ridges Named as they are?

You are all SO smart! Last week we asked the question, why do you think the ridges are named as they are? Without getting into a big geological description….here we go:

North Ridgeville was once covered by a glacier that receded to the north leaving behind sand bars and ridges that were once beaches. This is called the Lake Plain and it ranges from 6-12 miles wide and consists of a series of wave cut terraces that slope northward toward Lake Erie.

The most prominent of these ridges here in town are Butternut Ridge (Lorain Rd.) and Center Ridge. These were well drained in contrast to the swampy nature of the the surrounding area and so became the logical locations for the earliest highways and settlements. Center Ridge was so named because it ran through the center of town. Butternut Ridge was named for the butternut trees that grew along the ridge.

Chestnut Ridge was named by our settlers for the abundance of chestnut trees growing there. It travels across Lorain County and breaks into segments near the county line in Vermilion.

Sugar Ridge is an isolated beach ridge of mostly gravel or sand. It is thought to have been formed after the glacier receded, and is named for the sugar maple trees found there.

Stoney Ridge runs north and south as opposed to the east/west configuration of the other ridges. It was named for the rocks and stones that are abundant in the area. This ridge became part of a primary Native American trail which ran from the south to Lake Erie following Root Road, Stoney Ridge and Colorado Ave. In the comment section I will post a drawing of our area with our city limits outlined in red for you to visualize our “town of ridges”.

Now, on to this week’s question: How many cemeteries are here in town?

How many cemeteries are here in town?

Last week we asked about cemeteries-specifically, how many are here in town. For the purpose of this question we are including graveyards into the category of a cemetery. The answer is FOUR and here we will give you a little of the story behind each of these.

Ridgeville Center Cemetery is located at the northeast corner of Center Ridge and Stoney Ridge. The land for this cemetery was donated by Joel Terrell, one of our 1810 pioneers and a veteran of the Revolutionary War. There are many interesting stories associated with this location and some of the people interred here and one of them involves an early burial. The first person buried in this cemetery was Revolutionary War veteran, Capt. John Barnum in 1819. However he wasn’t the first to be buried here in town. Martin Shellhouse (Shellhaus) died November 27, 1813 and was buried in the first pioneer burying ground, which was further east on Center Ridge-near Lear Nagle. This burying ground was later abandoned and in 1819 his body was moved to the Ridgeville Center Cemetery, making him an earlier burial than the first burial in this cemetery! In 1868 additional grounds were deeded to the Township Trustees by a group of residents and their wives: Joel and Eunice Terrell, Wyllys and Cerepta Terrell, Edward and Malonia Smith, Phillip and Aurilla Sawyer, Henry and Arletta Moore, Clayton and Cyrene Terrell and Alden and Jerusha Beau.

Fields Corners Cemetery is located on the north side of Lorain Rd. (Butternut Ridge) about 1/4 mile east of Root Rd. This cemetery was originally called Butternut Ridge Cemetery. Land for this cemetery was purchased by the Township Trustees in 1848 from Wilson Blain and Otis Briggs.

St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery is located behind the church, which is on the south side of Center Ridge between Root Rd. and Avon Belden. The first burials here were in 1875 and 1876, just after the church was established.

Sugar Ridge Cemetery is located on the south side of Sugar Ridge just east of Bender Rd. This was originally a burial ground for the Van Wormer family and the first interment was Deacon Richard Van Wormer in 1844. In 1859 Lawrence and Esther Van Wormer sold 1/2 acre of land to the Ridgeville Twp. Trustees for a burying ground. This included a lane leading to it from the highway as reserved in the will of Richard Van Wormer.

So there you have the history of our cemeteries! That leads us to this week’s question…

The North Ridgeville City Hall building has a unique history- what do you know about this building’s past?

To be continued in next month’s North Ridgeville Review.

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