Welcome To Bigelow Cemetery State Nature Preserve

Welcome To Bigelow Cemetery State Nature Preserve. . , Welcome to Bigelow Cemetery! At half an acre, this is Ohio's smallest State Nature Preserve. Because it is both historical prairie and burial ground, it is also among the most unusual., Prairie, a French word for meadow, is a habitat dominated by grasses and wildflowers, with few to no trees., Due to their fertile soils, nearly all of Ohio's prairies are gone - lost to agriculture. Those remaining today are found in areas not suitable for farming: roadsides, fencerows, railroad tracks and within centuries-old cemeteries like this one., This prairie is a tiny remnant of the Darby Plains, a flat prairie-dominated area that was once approximately 385 square miles in size, stretching between the Big and Little Darby Creeks. Now gone except for small remnants like this one, the Darby Plains was one of five areas in Ohio with prairie grasslands; the rest of the state was mostly forested., Grass is the dominant plant type in tallgrass prairies. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is one of the most recognizable prairie grasses with its turkey foot-like flower spikes. It is an important food source for a number of insects and several bird species. Other prairie grasses that grow here include Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) and little bluestem (Schizochyrium scoparium)., Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) trees are scattered throughout this prairie, though trees are not typically abundant in prairies. Woody growth was historically suppressed by excessively wet or dry soils, grazing by animals, and wildfires, which were often set by American Indians to help clear routes, improve hunting, and more. Today, prairies must be actively managed to maintain these open habitats., Royal catchfly (Silene regia) is threatened in Ohio, and the population that grows here is the best in the state. Other wildflowers that grow here include black- eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) and wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), among others., Early records indicate that most of the European settlers buried here were part of a colony that was largely from Vermont and Pennsylvania. Two of the earliest known tombstones date to December 1814, while the last known burial took place in 1892., For information on maps and thousands of miles of Ohio trails, scan QR code to download your free DETOUR Ohio Trails app to your mobile device.