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     In the fall of 1847, the following paper was circulated among the citizens of Hamilton:

     "The undersigned, citizens of Hamilton and vicinity, believing: it to be of the utmost importance that a rural cemetery should be established in the neighborhood of said town, do hereby associate ourselves as a joint stock company for that purpose; each share of stock to be twenty-five dollars, and when a sufficient amount shall have been subscribed, the same to be applied for the purchase and improvement of grounds suitable for that purpose, to be laid off in carriage ways, alleys and sub-divisions, and sold in lots under the directing of the association.  Stock subscribed to go in payment of lots purchased, and the balance of the proceeds, if any, to be expended from time to time in defraying expenses and improvements of the grounds."

     Finally, a sufficient amount was subscribed for the purchase of grounds.  The Legislature of Ohio, on the twenty fourth day of February, 1848, passed a general law for the organization of cemetery associations.
     At a meeting held at the Court house in Hamilton on the 25th of February, 1848, John M. Millikin, John W. Erwin, and William Bebb were appointed a committee to examine several sites suggested, and on the subsequent third day of March, 1848, the committee reported by recommending the purchase of the Bigham grounds.  After mature deliberation, a large majority of the stockholders voted for the purchase. L. D. Campbell, John M. Millikin and William Bebb were appointed a committee to conclude the contract.  On the sixteenth day of March, the following resolutions were adopted:

     "Resolved, That we accept the act passed Feb. 24, 1848, entitled, 'An Act Making Provisions for the Incorporation of Cemetery Associations,' and hereby organize ourselves into a cemetery association."
     "Resolved, That we will meet on the fifteenth day of April next, at two o'clock P. M., at the courthouse in Hamilton, for the purpose of electing seven trustees and one clerk for the association."

     An election of trustees was ordered with the following result: William Hunter, Henry S. Earheart, William Wilson,

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William Bebb, Lewis D. Campbell, John W. Erwin, and John M. Millikin.
     The committee reported that they had concluded a contract with the executors of David Bigham for the purchase of the tract of land which contain twenty-one and twenty-nine one hundreth acres.  On the 20th of May, 1848, the trustees held their first meeting, John H. Shuey, clerk, being present.  John M. Millikin was chosen president, and William Wilson, treasurer.  Upon consideration it was determined that the purchase heretofore made of twenty-one and twenty-nine one hundredth acres was altogether insufficient, and an additional strip of ground adjoining the former purchase, containing five and fifty-seven one hundredth acres, was purchased.  The addition enlarged the cemetery to twenty-six and seventy-six one hundredth acres.
     At a meeting held by the stockholders on the 18th of May, for the purpose of choosing a name, several were suggested.  Twenty-four votes were cast for the adoption of "Greenwood" as the name of the cemetery association, and seventeen votes for "Hamilton."
     The trustees had onerous duties to perform in the discharge of their task.  There were no landscape engineers or gardeners to employ or consult.  Henry S. Earheart and John M. Millikin had the grounds cleared off and enclosed.  Preliminary to the sub-division of the ground into lots, was the duty of locating and marking out the drives and avenues.  How many should be made and where located, were the perplexing questions.  They fixed upon the present entrance gate as the commencing point of the main avenue.  That point being determined upon, they indicated by throwing aside the leaves from the center, the several other drives and avenues, and Mr. Earhart carefully measured and staked off the drives and avenues, and proceeded to sub-divide the grounds into lots eighteen by thirty-six feet.  The survey having been completed, the stockholders met in the cemetery on Mar. 19, 1849, for the purpose of selecting their lots.  The names of

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stockholders were placed in a box, and were drawn out by tellers, and each stockholder selected his lot in the order the names were drawn.

     The citizens of Hamilton who favored the enterprise soon became satisfied that it deserved their support.  The success of the undertaking will be seen in the following statement: Between March, 1849, and Jan. 1, 1851, there had been sold two hundred and fifty lots, for the sum of $6,068.36.  During the same time one hundred and eighteen original inter ments had been made, and the remains of one hundred and ninety-nine persons had been removed from other places of sepulture.  Thoroughly assured of the complete success of the undertaking, and of the necessity of enlarging the cemetery grounds, the board of trustees, on Mar. 24, 1856, purchased of William Beckett sixteen acres of ground adjoining, on the east side of the cemetery, for the sum of three thousand dollars.

     This purchase of land made a most desirable addition to the cemetery, and enabled the board of trustees to secure another piece of ground adjoining on the east.  This last purchase was made, not in view of the present wants of the association, but because of what the board anticipated would be the requirements of the city and neighborhood in generations to come.  Therefore, on Apr. 4, 1872, the board of trustees contracted with William H. H. Campbell to pay him $9,100 for twenty-two and seventy-five one hundreth acres of land.  This last purchase of land makes a total of sixty-five and fifty one hundreth acres of ground now belonging to Greenwood Association, for which the association has paid, exclusive of interest, the gross sum of $15,443.75.  The cemetery association now owns a body of ground in every way well suited for cemetery purposes, and amply sufficient for the wants of Hamilton and vicinity for the next century.

     A. J. Goshorn was superintendent of Greenwood cemetery for forty-five years.