Revolutionary War soldiers, 19th century politicians and more share their stories from the grave at Monroe Street Cemetery

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- History buffs and other curious visitors had the opportunity Sunday to interact with long departed northeast Ohio trailblazers, from a Revolutionary War veteran to the wife of the first Cleveland officer killed in the line of duty.

Dozens of people took a stroll through Ohio City’s Monroe Street Cemetery for the Monroe Street Cemetery Foundation’s “Voices From the Past” event on Sunday. The nonprofit foundation aims to preserve the history of the over 200-year-old cemetery located on Monroe Avenue between West 30th Street and Fulton Road.

One of many events around the city celebrating Cleveland History Days, actors dressed in 18th and 19th century garb and stood among the tombstones to tell the stories of several historical figures buried in the cemetery.

Glen Zdolshek, a volunteer board member at the Monroe Street Cemetery Foundation, said he became involved with the organization after attending a similar event several months ago. He said he hoped attendees could get a feel for the history and the importance of telling these stories.

“There’s a lot of older cemeteries in Cleveland, and we always try and raise a little bit of money doing whatever we can,” he said.

Some of the historical voices ranged from a German immigrant’s wife who took over the family brewery after her husband’s death at what is now the location of Bookhouse Brewing. Her son, Herman C. Baehr, became the 36th mayor of Cleveland.

Dressed in a black suit and bowler hat, another actor told the story of the Rev. James Thome, who moved to Ohio from Kentucky after being estranged from his slave-owning father. He joined the abolitionist movement in Cleveland and raised money to provide opportunities for free Black people.

There was also some ties to The Plain Dealer as well in the story of Ella Grant Wilson. Wilson provided flowers for James Garfield’s memorial and in 1918 became an editor for The Plain Dealer’s gardening section.

Other figures included Revolutionary War veteran Henry Adamy, who received a new headstone from the government in 2023, and William Castle, the Ohio City mayor who helped dissolve Ohio City into Cleveland and later became a Cleveland mayor. Castle’s body was moved to Lakeview Cemetery years after his death.

An actor portraying the wife of John Michael Kick, the first Cleveland police officer to be killed in the line of duty in 1875, talked about his fight against rising crime in the city. The sister of the namesake of Brooklyn’s Tiedeman Road also was represented, among others.

Zdolshek said that the response to the event had been “fabulous,” bringing a lot of people to the cemetery and generating donations for the organization.

Anna Chanakas of Cleveland was one of those visitors who found herself in a cemetery on a cloudy Sunday afternoon. She called Monroe a “hidden gem,” and admitted that she would not have thought to stop by if it was not for this event.

“I love cemeteries. I find them fascinating,” she said. “This was a really a great way to see different things around the city especially. The history days are really nice because they highlight different churches, or other landmarks that you don’t recall or you may have driven by, but just never really thought about.”