Jefferson County, Ohio Genealogy Society

08/18/2026

Herald Star (Linda Harris)
August 18, 2026

CATHOLIC CEMETERY, continued

Part II:
Volunteers have been combing through old newspapers and other available record sources to identify individuals who were interred in the old burial grounds -- many of them with surnames still prominent in Jefferson County.
Local historian Linda Hilty, who also submitted a Friend of the Court letter, said she'd found references in the 1881 newspaper to 43 burials in the first 10 months of the year, as well as the decision to open a new Catholic cemetery, Mt. Calvary, two years later, "the old cemetery having been filled up...besides being a swampy piece of ground that's long since been considered unsuitable..."
"The superintendent of the cemetery, Mr. Ed Fitzsimmons, said he had reinterred 108 bodies at the end of 1883 and would resume after the winter," Hilty said. "I have not yet found any more news of that (but) a cemetery of 2.5 acres that is filled could possibly have 1,500 graves."
Hilty, who combed through old newspapers looking for accounts of burials in the old cemetery before its closing, said many of the surnames she found are still prominent in Jefferson County.
If records of interments and reinterments exist, officials say they will be in the archives of the Diocese of Cincinnati or the Diocese of Columbus. Steubenville had been part of the Diocese of Cincinnati from 1821 to 1868, then was ministered by the Diocese of Columbus from 1868 to 1944, when the Steubenville diocese was formed. Church officials have not said if the Cincinnati or Columbus archives have been searched or if any records have been located.
Prior to the discovery of the remains, Diocese of Steubenville officials said they believed all had been moved to the new cemetery.
In its court filing, ASC Group said ground-penetrating radar (GPR) had identified "97 grave-like anomalies and 14 anomalies identified from review of aerial imagery."
"The 97 anomalies are interpreted to represent potentially intact grave shafts," while a geophysical examination of the property "identified larger anomalies that may represent either mausoleums or other cemetery architecture that may, or may not, contain interments."
"Review of aerial images also indicates that there may be some anomalies roughly the size of a grave shaft in the southern portion of the property that was not subject to the GPR survey" due to soil conditions and rough terrain, ASC also noted.
As part of its treatment plan, ASC said any headstones or footstones it uncovers, whether intact or fragmented, will be photographed and any legible information on them will be transcribed, then "collected and stored on-site...pending decisions regarding their final disposition during reburial."
"...Pending a court order or directive from a state agency with purview over the recovery project, no bioarcheological analysis will occur. This includes specialized analysis like DNA sampling," it added.
The application also states that Woda "will initially pay all reasonable costs and expenses of disinterment and reinterment, but reserve(s) the right to seek reimbursement in the future from any entities responsible for said remains."
Probate Judge Frank Noble scheduled a pretrial conference with the attorneys, which is not open to the public.

08/18/2026

CATHOLIC PIONEER CEMETERY
Market St., (behind the laundromat- across from Thrifty, also referred to as Sunset Blvd)

August 18, 2026
Herald Star (Linda Harris) Part I:

STEUBENVILLE -- A Jefferson County businessman is one of at least five people who filed written objections to allowing Woda Cooper Companies to disinter remains from the old Catholic cemetery at the top of Washington Street hill in Steubenville.

Those letters asked Probate Judge Frank Noble Jr. to "require a complete, transparent, scientifically sound, and dignified process before authorizing the disturbance or permanent removal of any human remains," citing the cemetery's historical significance.

The cemetery, alternatively known as "Jacksonville," "Leicy's Field" and "the Market Street Addition Cemetery," was initially established as part of the relocation and consolidation of cemeteries from downtown Steubenville. From 1878-1880, the watchman's reports submitted to the Steubenville Weekly Herald routinely reported up to five burials a month, leading local historians to project as many as 50 members of the Catholic community per year were laid to rest there. They also point out that annual Decoration Day observances honoring Jefferson County veterans routinely stopped at the old Catholic cemetery so a band could play appropriate music while the procession paused for prayers to honor those who'd served.

Resident Gary Smith pointed out Ohio law recognizes cemeteries as legally protected places of burial, insisting that protection "does not disappear merely because markers were lost, vegetation grew over the site, cemetery records became incomplete or later owners ceased maintaining the grounds."

"The Supreme Court of Ohio has similarly described cemeteries as protected resting places rather than ordinary real estate," he added. "Ohio's statutory framework reflects a public policy that burial grounds are entitled to continued respect even they are old, abandoned or no longer accepting interments."

Another letter writer, Flora VerStraten-Merrin, local historian and president of the Jefferson County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, said the cemetery "stands as a piece of our early pioneer history, an outdoor history book, a genealogical goldmine."

"It's sad that the vintage tombstones and...pioneer remains were covered in topsoil at some point, instead of being reinterred," she said. "This was once a vital Catholic cemetery with military recognition services and some of the first Catholic families to settle in the city, many coming from Irish roots."

VerStraten-Merrin said the cemetery "holds the physical remains and stories of early settlers, preserves unique art and craftsmanship on old headstones."

"They all deserve the respect of an honorable reinterment or to be left where they are in peace with a fence (around the cemetery grounds), a history of the cemetery, and a deed acknowledgement of no future use for this sacred ground and allow it to remain a greenspace for those buried there to rest in peace, just as it has been since 1883."

The current owner, Woda Cooper Companies, wants to build affordable senior housing at the site. Construction crews were prepping the site for construction when they spotted a handful of grave markers in the soil. By law, all construction activities were halted and an archaeological consultant was hired to determine if the site still contained human remains.

Initially skeptical that the remains weren't reinterred when the new cemetery, Mt. Calvary, opened in 1883, Woda admitted in its state-required "Archaeological Treatment Plan for the Recovery of Human Remains and Associated Burial Objects" that researchers had located remains of at least 12 individuals within days of arriving on site.

The consultant, ASC Group, did not find any markers or remains in the 150-plus truckloads of dirt removed from the site before dirt-moving was halted by the discovery of the six surviving markers, but it's not known if they tested the four truckloads known to have been dumped at four Jefferson County sites.

Woda's plan mapped out a strategy for disinterring the remains of what ASC called "John Does" found in the cemetery and then reinterring them in Mt. Calvary, though it doesn't specify whether the remains would be reinterred individually or just deposited in a mass grave.

Smith said referring to all those buried in the cemetery as "John Does" is a misnomer, since at least three of them -- Patrick Hargrove, 42, and his 2-year-old daughter, Bridget, were recovered intact, while a third stone marked the grave of a four-month-old Gaeligan child who had passed.

"A person does not become legally or historically anonymous because the cemetery's internal records are incomplete or because a marker was moved from its precise original location," he wrote, suggesting that labeling every one buried in the old cemetery as a "John Doe" at the beginning of the process "would eliminate the very inquiry necessary to determine whether the remains can be identified."

He also pointed to

08/13/2026

A few examples of what type of one of a kind unique research sources we have at our office as well as vital records, naturalization records, military records, and much more!

We have a LARGE collection of county yearbooks and almost a complete of Steubenville Big Red year books (beginning with Wells School).

08/01/2026

Could one of your ancestors have walked the streets of Mount Pleasant?

We’re delighted to welcome Flora Merrin, President of the Jefferson County Genealogical Society, who will be at the Historical Center on Saturday, August 1, during our Annual Historic Tour. If you have an interest in Jefferson County, Ohio family history or genealogy, be sure to stop by and visit with her!

Many people don’t realize that the Historical Society also maintains a valuable collection of Mount Pleasant genealogical records.

In 2013, thanks to an Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) grant, volunteers spent months organizing and preserving our genealogy files into archival-quality folders and boxes, making them easier to protect and locate for future researchers. The collection contains information on many of Mount Pleasant’s early families and cemeteries and continues to be an important resource for local history.

While we won’t be able to conduct genealogy research during the busy tour weekend, we’d be happy to schedule a research appointment at another time.

Whether you’re searching for an ancestor, beginning your family tree, or simply curious about the people who helped shape Mount Pleasant, we’d love to help you explore our collection.

Please take a moment to visit the Jefferson County Genealogical Society online and follow their page—they’re a wonderful resource for anyone interested in local and family history!

https://www.facebook.com/share/18fcPWVV68/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.jeffcochapter.com/

Photo from a page of our newsletter, The Town Crier, Winter 2014

07/24/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1FJr54zoBq/

⛏️ Archaeologists Confirm Human Remains at Former Old Catholic Cemetery 🕊️

A significant archaeological discovery has been made at the former Old Catholic Cemetery on Washington Street Hill in Steubenville.

During a court-authorized investigation, archaeologists uncovered human skeletal remains, including a jawbone, several teeth, and the outline of a wooden casket with one of its handles still intact. The findings confirm long-held historical accounts that not everyone buried at the cemetery was relocated when it closed after Mount Calvary Cemetery opened in 1883.

For generations, an old Steubenville legend has suggested that some remains were left behind because certain families either could not afford to relocate their loved ones or no longer lived in the area to make the arrangements. The recent discovery lends support to those long-standing local stories.

The investigation began after six gravestones dating back to the 1860s were uncovered during construction earlier this year. Ground-penetrating radar later identified nearly 100 possible grave shafts beneath the property, leading to the ongoing archaeological work.

Before any remains can be removed, the developer must receive approval through Jefferson County Probate Court. Archaeologists will continue documenting the site to ensure those buried there are treated with dignity and respect.

This remarkable discovery sheds new light on Steubenville's early history and serves as a reminder that pieces of our community's past can remain hidden for generations.

🕊️ May those who rest there be remembered and honored.

📍 Source: Herald-Star

07/22/2026

Here is the Hargrove Family (Patrick and Bridget) tombstone and footstone that was found a couple months ago in the Pioneer Catholic Catholic Cemetery located on Sunset Blvd , Steubenville, Ohio during a construction development project

More to be announced.....

07/22/2026

There is no surprise that human remains were found at the pioneer catholic cemetery. The remains were found near the tombstone that was unearthed at the beginning of the construction. The names on the tombstone are: Patrick Hargrove and his wife, Bridget. Their children were buried there too. 1866.

This cemetery can be found referred to as; the Jacksonville, St Pius or St Peters, Carholic Cemetery. There were re-interments from downtown to this location in the mid 1850s and burials continued to abt 1900. Some re-interments were made when a new Catholic cemetery, Mt Calvary, was built in 1883. However, obviously, since the first attempt in digging near where the tombstone was located, human remains were uncovered. It was announced by the Steubenville City manager tonight during city council that up to 100 more anomalies have been located that could be human remains.

07/22/2026

https://wtov9.com/news/local/city-officials-seek-answers-after-skeletal-remains-found-at-woda-construction-site?fbclid=IwdGRjcATNGIFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR5RxvRkdSujVO9Es1PZpdjPO0bZbRDNaLZ3EviglpS_gu7twOavENeyG_rXdg_aem_-WURCJEnzafhhsJMHHZV_g

Questions about what happens next after skeletal remains were found at a Woda construction site were raised at Steubenville City Council, as city officials work

07/22/2026

https://wtov9.com/news/local/skeletal-remains-found-at-woda-development-site-near-sunset-boulevard-police-say-skeletal-remains-woda-sunset-boulevard-archaeologists-investigation-gravesite-city-officials-development?fbclid=IwdGRjcATNActleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4DDjhs_mRbOItCSRj3DjceSu1qpr0X8OWgFbxomQzoJbjXgmzoDmKZmPP5iQ_aem_-c7liLd1kU91VhzidlhGIA

A development project near Sunset Boulevard that was paused earlier this year after an old gravesite was uncovered is now under investigation again after skelet

07/03/2026