Toledo State Hospital Cemeteries

03/19/2026

With Memorial Day only 2 months away, here’s a repost of a paragraph from an early TSH annual report, describing a parade of Civil War veteran patients in 1896 celebrating Decoration Day on hospital grounds.

03/19/2026

Reposting this from several years ago, as a reminder that some medical treatments in the old days were highly addictive, or in this case were more dangerous than the condition they treated. The article below is about Claud Bissell, who died at TSH after a 25 year hospitalization.

Claud Bissell was born in Antwerp, Ohio April 18, 1881, and departed this life at the State Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, December 16, 1926, aged 45 years, 7 months and 28 days. He was the son of Charles A. and Rosetta Bissell. He leaves to mourn , his parents and one sister, Mrs. Hugh A. White, all of Antwerp, Ohio. When two years old he suffered a dangerous attack of membranous croup and as a last resort to save life the doctors gave indigo, which destroyed the membrane in the thorat and also destroyed certain brain cells so that while he grew into a man physically his mind remained as a little child. He had been an inmate of the Toledo State Hospital for twenty-five years.
”Not now, but in the coming years it may be in the better land, We’ll know the meaning of our tears, and then sometime we’ll understand”

CARD OF THANKS
We take this means of thanking our friends and neighbors who so kindly assisted in the burial of our son and brother.
Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Bissell
Mr. and Mrs. H. A. White

03/19/2026

I’m calling on NW Ohio locals who might know of a contractor capable of doing restoration work on the historic urns at Northwest Ohio Psych Hospital (the old State Hospital’s current name). If anyone has a suggestion, please share! These date back to 1888. There are 3 that still exist.

03/19/2026

Our appreciation goes to the volunteers representing the Black Swamp Libertarians and Rossford Amazon for their help at Christmas in laying wreaths at the graves of our veterans. We also thank those who’s donations to Wreaths Across America allowed us to place 80 wreaths in their honor.

04/11/2024

Silent Voices Speak: I was reminded of another story while attending a presentation last week on the early history of land and Native American tribes that lived here. A book on Ottawa County Native American history was circulating, so I looked through until I found a section about Victoria Cadaract (Kataract) of the Chippewa tribe. She was the grandmother of Katie, who is buried in the TSH Old Cemetery, #1633. Her mother Rose, died shortly after Katie was born, and according to a newspaper article, "It is known that "Indians have severe tempers... and evidently, Kate's was uncontrollable." She was admitted to the Ottawa County infirmary at the age of 16, and lived there for the next 57 years. She was described as being a favorite of the visitors to the County Home, due to her "friendliness and kindness." At the age of 73 she was admitted to Toledo State Hospital, where she died two years later in 1945. I've seen multiple references to her Grandmother Victoria being the last of the Chippewas in Ottawa County, and I always argue that point, as Katie resided there long after her grandmother had passed. But it wasn't unusual at the time for those admitted to public, county or state care facilities to be dismissed and forgotten. But we remember you Katie!

Photos include Katie at TSH, her burial marker, and Victoria standing outside of her home in Ottawa County.

04/11/2024

A friend reminded me recently of the Ceely Rose story (thanks Rebecca) which I share below from History in Stone site. Ceely spent years at then Toledo Asylum for the Insane before being transferred to Lima State Hospital, where she died and was buried.

In 1896, a case of love misunderstood in the seemingly misnamed Pleasant Valley area of Ohio led to the tragic murder of 3 innocent people. A young woman named Ceely Rose was the catalyst and culprit for these murders. By today's standards, she was severely learning disabled and could not do many tasks on her own. While she matured physically, she remained mentally immature. Nearly everyone made fun of her.

With the onset of physical maturity, she naturally fell in love with a local farmer named Guy Berry, who was one of the few people who treated her with any degree of respect. However, she did not understand that he was just being kind to her, and did not love her or want to marry her. Ceely began telling everyone that would listen that she and Guy were soon to be married! Guy did not want to hurt Ceely's feelings, so he told her that they could not be married because Ceely's family did not approve of him. This revelation sent Ceely into a rage that would prove to be deadly.

Accounts differ, but Ceely either soaked fly paper in water and poured it over cottage cheese, or she laced coffee with rat poison. Either way, she killer her father (David Rose), mother (Rebecca Rose), and brother (Walter Rose). Mr. Rose succumbed almost immediately, on June 30th. Walter lingered for a few weeks and later died on July 4th. Apparently, Mrs. Rose figured out what Ceely had done, and tried to protect her from authorities, but Ceely gave her another dose of arsenic and she died on July 19th.

Ceely eventually confessed to a neighbor, after being heartbroken when Guy Berry left town to avoid blame and scrutiny. She spent the rest of her life in a mental institution, and died at the age of 83. Ceely is buried on the grounds of the Lima State Mental Hospital (or so I have heard).

The Rose Home can be found on the grounds of Malabar Farm State Park, and the Rose family was laid to rest in a small cemetery just up the road, called Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

01/11/2024

A few photos of postcards likely dating back from the early 1900's

09/24/2023

Pics from today’s memorial bench dedication at the TSH New Cemetery on UT Health Science Campus. Thank you, Susan
Conda for your donation that made this possible.

09/22/2023

Interesting story about an archeological dig at the Eastern State Hospital Cemetery in Kentucky

https://bio.as.uky.edu/uk-archaeologists-excavate-eastern-state-hospital-0?fbclid=IwAR0QmcUzFyimiEple63wFfPjsop8TqadXL_CNGuAntRA3gb_dyvf6zhFgQY_aem_AUbUnkV4h_6ntHVeu7q-n_yW_TsGtkOeQNgwPTRLJkvBGFJoQ0Bbfr4ZjL1oXP8yivE&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

by Erin Holaday Ziegler A former chemistry student digs with small tools, the size of those a dentist might use, next to an aspiring business titan from another life, who lightly brushes away dirt clods with almost maternal care. "Sometimes I'll be working, and three or four hours will fly by," the....

09/20/2023

The public is invited to attend a brief program and reception as we dedicate a memorial bench in the TSH New Cemetery on the UT Health Science Campus. The bench, donated by Susan Conda, is a beautiful addition in the cemetery, and a restful place for reflection. Please join us at 2pm. Easiest way there is via East Medical Loop off of Arlington (entrance closest to the train tracks).

09/14/2023

TSH cemetery presentation this Saturday at St. Michael’s School hall at 10am. Public is invited. A portion of the presentation will concentrate on Polish representation in the cemeteries.

09/02/2023

A generous donor has provided support to allow us to create this lovely place to sit, relax and enjoy the cool breeze in the Toledo State Hospital New Cemetery, located at UTMC. We will hold a dedication of the bench on September 23rd at 2pm. The New Cemetery is located across from parking lot #43. All are welcome. You may enter the campus from either Glendale or the entrance that parallels the train track off of Arlington.