10 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
OAK GROVE CEMETERY, DELAWARE, O. 
The perfection to which the art of illustration is 
attaining, and the fact that, as many authorities 
aver, pictures talk louder than words, make dis- 
ENTRANCE VIEW, LOOKING SOUTH. 
criptions oftentimes superfluous in the matter of ex- 
plaining the conditions or enlarging upon the ap- 
pearance of the work, for instance, of the cemetery 
superintendent. 
It would seem that these remarks may be fairly 
applied to Oak Grove Cemetery, Delaware, O., ill- 
ustrated in the accompanying half tones. The pic- 
tures speak for themselves in no uncertain way, and 
give an excellent general idea of the lay-out of the 
cemetery, the care bestowed upon it, and the ex- 
tent to which the latest ideas concerning cemetery 
management are recognized by the officials. 
The history of Oak Grove is interesting. Dela- 
ware, O., which is noted for its Wesleyan Methodist 
College and its mineral springs, contains some 8,000 
inhabitants. The cemetery was started in the year 
1850 as an incorporated association, but the origina- 
tors were ahead of the times, and getting into finan- 
cial difficulties the cemetery, after a year or two, 
was turned over to the City Council, and was oper- 
ated by that body until the year 1887. At this 
time some leading citizens investigated the laws 
bearing on the cemetery question and found that 
the legal way to govern Oak Grove was by three 
trustees, elected by the people. 
This was carried into effect and Mr. David 
Grinton, the present superintendent and secretary 
was appointed, and an era of active work set in to 
develope the property. 
Mr. Grinton’s own words in relation to the work 
are interesting, he says: 
“Our principal aim, next to improving it was to 
perpetuate it, and if any one supposes it is an easy 
matter to adjust an old cemetery to modern ideas, 
wherein everybody interested did just as they willed 
for 36 years, he will find himself mistaken. How- 
ever we went ahead with the improvements for two 
years, towards the end of which we found that our 
local press, irrespective of politics, had so com- 
mended our work, that public opinion had turned 
in our favor. However, the adoption of the plan 
was retarded until 1894, by the frequent changes of 
trustees.” 
“It is astonishing, how far reaching a cemetery 
is. When I sat down to my plat, examined each 
individual lot and set to work to correspond with its 
owner or his heirs, I found that nearly every state 
in the Union as well as Mexico, England and India, 
had some one who was interested and pleased to hear 
about the family lot in the little cemetery in Dela- 
ware. 
“In 1894 a resolution was passed by the Trus- 
CHAPEL WITH RELIEVING TOMB IN REAR. 
tees, that 20 per cent, be deducted from the pur- 
chase money of all lots sold and the amount placed 
in the perpetual care fund.” 
Appreciating the value of Perpetual Care for the 
