Chadwick family headstone beneath large oak tree in historic Doud Cemetery, Vienna Township, Trumbull County, Ohio.">

Doud Cemetery in Vienna Township

Just off the highway in Vienna Township lies Doud Cemetery, one of Trumbull County’s oldest burial grounds, where pioneer stories still stand in stone.


Headstones at historic Doud Cemetery in Vienna Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, marking the final resting place of early settlers.

The marble gravestones of Samuel and Lois Doud, Doud Cemetery’s namesake, gleam in the June sunlight, having been recently cleaned by the Vienna Historical Society, led by Christine Novicky and Jeff Ford. (Photo by the author).

Motorists driving down State Route 11 in Vienna Township are met with an unusual sight at the Kings-Graves Road exit: a cemetery nestled within the greenspace of the highway interchange. Long before the highway was constructed, this land belonged to the family of Samuel Doud Sr., serving as both their homestead and farmland. Setting aside a portion of the property for a cemetery, what would come to be known as Doud Cemetery, and occasionally referred to as Chadwick’s Corners Cemetery, saw its first burial in 1834 with the interment of Jason Doud, one of Samuel’s adult children. (Though, according to Trumbull County Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800–1930, the earliest burial may have been Edward Bacon, age five, in 1833.)

The cemetery remained in private hands until 1867, when it was officially conveyed to the trustees of Vienna Township. In active use for 88 years, the last burial occurred in 1920 with the interment of Mary Doud of Warren, Samuel Doud Sr.’s granddaughter. After closing to new burials, the cemetery gradually fell into disrepair, headstones were knocked from their bases, shifted by soil, or weathered beyond recognition.

Fortunately, in the summer of 2020, as part of the “Save A Grave” campaign, the Vienna Historical Society, led by Christine Novicky and Jeff Ford, restored the site by resetting and cleaning the damaged stones.

Samuel Doud Sr.

Close-up of 1800s-era headstones in Doud Cemetery, final resting place of early Vienna Township settlers in Trumbull County, Ohio.

The gravestones of Samuel and Lois Doud, Doud Cemetery’s namesake. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that Samuel’s stone features a carvers’ signature in the bottom right corner, signed “Howard & Koehler, Warren, O.,” along with the oft familiar epitaph of “Behold ye strangers passing by…” (Photo by the author).

The family patriarch of the Douds in Vienna Township, Samuel Doud Sr. was born in Canton, Hartford County, Connecticut, on December 1, 1781, the youngest of five children born to Ezra and Mary (Taylor) Doud. Little is known about his early life; however, on November 27, 1800, at just 18 years old, he married Lois Garrett, also a native of Canton. The couple would go on to have eleven children. Although Samuel worked as a clockmaker and owned what was considered a “fine farm,” it wasn’t enough to support his growing family.

In 1822, he sold his land in Connecticut in exchange for 739 acres across Trumbull and Portage Counties, 370 acres in Vienna Township and 369 in Rootstown Township. After a three-week journey west in two covered wagons, one filled to the brim with household goods, the other carrying Mrs. Doud and the youngest children, the family arrived in Trumbull County. They first reached Fowler Township, where Mrs. Doud and the children lived in a rented log house for two years. Meanwhile, Samuel and his sons continued to Vienna Township, where they began clearing land and erecting a “hewed log house.” It was likely during this period that the family set aside the land that would later become the Doud Cemetery.

By 1824, the necessary preparations for settlement were complete, and the family reunited in Vienna. Samuel resumed farming, but not clockmaking. Interestingly, Vienna Township was one of the epicenters of longcase wooden wheelwork clockmaking in Trumbull County (see the Vienna Center Cemetery tour for more information), which may have influenced their decision to settle here instead of Portage County, where they also owned land.

A “well-to-do farmer” by the time of his death, Samuel Doud Sr. passed away on July 24, 1849, at the age of 67, from cancer, according to the U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedule.

Joseph Chadwick

Chadwick family headstone beneath large oak tree in historic Doud Cemetery, Vienna Township, Trumbull County, Ohio.

The granite obelisk marks the resting place of Joseph and Adeline (Doud) Chadwick. The Chadwicks, in later years, lent their name to the area surrounding the Doud Farm Cemetery. (Photo by the author).

As mentioned in the introduction, the Doud Cemetery is occasionally referred to in literature and on maps as Chadwick Corners Cemetery. The origin of this alternate name comes from Joseph Chadwick, a native of Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, born there on April 15, 1806, to David and Sarah (Card) Chadwick.

Unlike Samuel Doud, the details of Chadwick’s journey to Ohio are not well documented. However, it’s believed he traveled with his parents, as both later died in Brunswick, Medina County, Ohio, David in 1832 and Sarah in 1855. By December 29, 1835 (some sources list the date as January 1, 1836), Joseph was living in Fowler Township, Trumbull County, when he married Adaline Doud, daughter of Samuel Doud.

The couple settled near the Fowler–Vienna township line, where Ridge Road intersects with what is now Kings-Graves Road (originally spelled Kings-Groves). The area surrounding Chadwick’s farm became known as Chadwick Corners, and the adjacent cemetery was eventually referred to as Chadwick Corners Cemetery.

Joseph became blind in middle age, and the responsibilities of the farm shifted to Adaline, a “woman of energy and ambition,” who was said to have “succeeded in winning her way despite obstacles.” Joseph Chadwick died on March 5, 1886, at the age of 79. His name lived on for a while longer; on March 1, 1898, a post office was established on the north side of Kings-Graves Road. It remained in operation until January 15, 1903.

Unfortunately, with the extension of Runway 32 at Youngstown–Warren Regional Airport in 1997, Chadwick Corners faded into memory. Today, only the graves of Joseph and Adaline at Doud Cemetery remain as a testament to the name.


DISCLAIMER:
To help preserve the headstones on this tour for future generations, please refrain from making grave rubbings or any other physical contact with the stones, including touching, leaning, or resting against them. These actions can cause damage and may destabilize the monuments. As with any cemetery, please show respect for those who rest here and conduct yourself appropriately. Photography is welcome and encouraged. Remember: “Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints.”