Cleveland’s Riverside Cemetery

Positioned west of the Cuyahoga River and occupying 96 acres is Riverside Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. Established in 1876, Riverside Cemetery was the long-term solution to the ever-growing suburbs of Cleveland’s west side.
A nephew to one of the earliest settlers, Titus Brainard sold 102.25 acres of his farm to the association under conditions that the cemetery never be sold to the city and that all persons be accepted for burial regardless of background. And so began the development of the landscape and roadways, much of which has changed in the nearly 150 years of service. Riverside Cemetery has become the permanent home to generations of families, each with their own stories, accomplishments, hardships, and journeys that we strive to capture in this book.
Jamie Lynne Owens is a fifth-generation staff member of Riverside Cemetery and has committed herself to the historic preservation of the cemetery. William G. Krejci is a local historian and author whose special interest in Riverside Cemetery lies within his interest of early cemeteries of the Western Reserve, with Riverside’s garden-like setting being one of the greatest examples. Images found in this book are from the archives of Riverside Cemetery, Cleveland Public Library, Western Reserve Historical Society, and the Library of Congress as well as original work of photographer Deb Zimmerman.