Barkalow Cemetery, Franklin Twp, Warren County, Ohio
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  Barkalow Cemetery
Franklin Township, Warren County, Ohio
 



June, 2012 photo by David Barkalow
"I was able to visit the cemetery last month and found that most of the stones were sunk into the soil and grass. Only two stones were upright and clearly visible."

David Barkalow provided the following in a 5 April 2006 letter to the Warren County Genealogical Society,

The Barkalow Cemetery in Franklin, Ohio is the final resting place of some of the first settlers of the Franklin/Carlisle area and of the State of Ohio. These hard-working people helped settle the land for themselves and future immigrants.

The family line can be traced back to Willem Jans Lubberdinck (1621-1683) who arrived to New Amsterdam (later to become New York) from The Netherlands in 1656. Upon arriving it was learned that recording offices were experiencing a difficult time because so many of the immigrants had the same first and/or last name, it was decided that new arrivals should attach a surname after their patronym. Gubernatorial edict specified using a home town as the surname. The city of Borculo in the Netherlands was chosen. The city's name was prominent and located next to Willem's hometown of Geesteren. Willem soon became a "Borculo" which in just a few generations transformed into Barkalow.

In several generations the family moved from New York, to New Jersey, to Kentucky and Ohio.

Arthur Barkalow (1740-1801) a former revolutionary war soldier and great-grandson of Willem, moved his family from New Jersey to the Maysville, Kentucky about 1799- 1800. While in Maysville he purchased four slaves. Arthur died in Maysville and is buried in the Washington Baptist Cemetery. In his will the slaves were given to four of his children. It is believed that these slaves were freed and followed the families into Ohio.

Allen F. Betzler's research in 1980 found that the Barkalow Cemetery in Franklin was also the final resting place of our former slaves. Most likely these persons were the slaves acquired in Kentucky and lived with the families in Ohio Although slavery was a horrible act, it is comforting to learn that these former slaves chose to remain with the Barkalow family and when they passed-on were buried along with the other Barkalow family members.
Allen F. Betzler also found that sixty to eighty persons were buried in the Barkalow Cemetery. It is unfortunate that this cemetery has been nearly forgotten and left to the ravages of nature. The cemetery should be a site of local pride.

Location:  
  • Landlocked parcel surrounded by the grounds of the Atlas Roofing Corporation at 675 Oxford Road, Franklin, Ohio 45005 which is about 1/4 mile south of the 2nd Street bridge over the Great Miami River. [This was a Georgia-Pacific Plant until the early 1990s.]
  • "Ohio Cemeteries 1803-2003" by the Ohio Genealogical Society , Cemetery #12221
  • Coordinates: 39° 33' 42"N, 84° 18' 41"W
  • TRS: Range 5 East, Township 1North, Section 4
Links:  
Transcriptions:  
  • D.A.R. Turtlecreek Chapter & Warren County Historical Society (available at the Historical Society Library)
    • Not included in the Early Vital Records Series
  • Warren County Genealogical Society
    • Not included in the Warren County Cemetery Records Volumes
    • On a trip to Ohio in November, 2005, Robert and Karen Barkalow photographed all extant tombstones in the cemetery. Robert's brother, David Barkalow, has contributed the images to the Warren County Genealogical Society project that is collecting digital images of all extant gravestones in Warren County. Their efforts will be incorporated into the new cemetery books that are being planned by the society.
      David Barkalow
      added two more photos taken during a June, 2012 visit to the cemetery.
  • Other Known Transcriptions
    • In 1980, Allen F. Betzler compiled a list of burials in the cemetery. At the time he wrote,
      "Some graves were marked with wooden markers, some were washed away by the 1913 flood which did extensive damage, others have broken and some have been stolen by persons from Hollywood area of Franklin. There were probably 60 to 80 persons buried there, including 4 former slaves who were freed but chose to remain with their former masters."
Variant Names:  
  • None known of

Photographic Records. [Click on the thumbnail images for larger photos]
(photos are reduced to a 600 pixel width and thumbnails to a 100 pixel width. Larger images "may" be available)
[To contribute your photos email them in jpg format to Arne H Trelvik with any other details that you would like to share]
   

In memory of
Mary Beard
consort of James Beard
who departed this life [perhaps] Nov. 11, 1812
Aged 51 years 25 days

[date on stone nearly illegible]

by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
   

In Memory of
Tobias P. Barkalow

very worn - Betzler had
born May 4, 1773
died July 25, 1823

by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
    Our Father
Wm. C. Barkalow
died Dec. 5, 1872
aged 55 years 1 month & 26 days
by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
    John Cox
was born Oct. 25, 1777
died Dec. 6, 1849
by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
    Daniel Barkalow
died June 4, 1854
aged 70 years 6 months & 28 days
by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
   

In memory of
Sarah Barkalow
daughter of J. T. & L. Barkalow
who died Mar ---------
aged 18 years 8 months 8 days

[parts of broken stone now missing]

by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
   

Arthur Barkalow
son of James T. & Lydia Barkalow
born Nov. 23, 1827
died May 4 ------

[rest of broken stone now missing]

by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
    Infant
son of J. T. and Lydia Barkalow
birth and death
Dec. 14, 1836
by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
    Infant
son of Tobias & Elizabeth Barcalow
died Feb. 2, 1809
aged 1 month
by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
   

In memory of
Richard Barkalow
son of James T. & Lydia Barkalow
born Dec. 1, 1822

[no other inscription visible on broken stone]

by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
   

In memory of
Joseph Barkalow
son of James T. & Lydia Barkalow
born Jan. 18, 18__
died Apr. 6, 1837

[date of death has also been read as Apr. 6, 1831]

by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 
 
Jun 2012 photo
 
W. P. B.
[footstone]

In Memory of
W.P. Barkalow
Born Sept. 26, 1768
Died June 18, 1851
Aged 82 years, 8 months and 22 days

by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 

by
David Barkalow
10 Jul 2012

 
 four sided obelisk
three of four sides
engraved at base
Ella Vail
dau. or Hiram & Rachel Vail
died Aug. 7, 1857
aged 15 years 6 months 23 days
H. S. Vail
died Feb. 7, 1874
aged 64 years 8 months & 15 days
Rachel Vail
wife of H. S. Vail
died May 29, 1846
aged 33 years 3 months & 25 days
by
Robert & Karen Barkalow
7 April 2007 

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This page created 7 April 2007 and last updated 10 July, 2012
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