Not all of Silverbrook Cemetery's most interesting stories have to do with people.

The Common Council on May 6, 1897, on motion of L.A. Duncan, fixed the salary of the sexton at $40 per year. An additional $75 per year was allowed for his horse.

The hitching post, which rests near the French family plot, is one of two located in the cemetery for the use of the sexton during the 1890s.

Circular concrete watering troughs are also scattered throughout the cemetery, suggesting the importance of taking care of the animals in the early history of Niles.

The care and upkeep of the new cemetery required a great deal of clearing of the land. A motion was made by the Common Council of the day that all proceeds from the sale of wood cut in the cemetery would be added to the cemetery fund.

The French family, whose family stone stands magnificent in the oldest part of the cemetery, is still represented in Niles. The paper company is the oldest family-owned business in Niles and is the oldest family-owned paper company in the country.

Click here for the full article on the Niles Daily Star website

Published January 10th, 2009