Kim Shoemaker Starr

Secrets Under the Parking Lot Kim Shoemaker Starr

Pleasant Litchford and his family traveled as freed slaves from Virginia, who settled in Franklin County, Perry Township, Ohio, in the years between 1829-1830. The family struggled alongside other pioneers to establish a home in the Ohio wilderness. By the time of the Civil War, Pleasant was the fourth-largest landowner in Perry Township. He was a staunch advocate for the anti-slavery movement and a strong figure in the Underground Railroad. Pleasant and his family were also founders of the Second Baptist Church in Columbus in the 1840s. This church is still a vibrant part of the community. Pleasant Litchford had a 1/2 acre of his land set aside for a family cemetery on one of his many landholdings. Early in the twentieth century, there was a social shift in the community that mirrored the national climate. Policies were put in place in Upper Arlington by the Thompson brothers, to exclude people of color from landownership in attempts to create an all-white country club community. In 1955, the Litchford Cemetery was removed to build the Upper Arlington High School. Some of the remains were removed, but many were left behind. Those removed ended up in a far back part of Union Cemetery with no markers. They were left there to be forgotten. The rest of the Litchford Cemetery lies beneath the parking lot of the Upper Arlington High School. Since the publishing of the first edition, much has come to light. We need to honor those who settled the harsh wilderness of Ohio. Many residents are working hard to make sure that Pleasant Litchford's story continues. Acknowledging the truth of history and finding ways to make amends to those who have not been provided the respect they deserved, in life and in death.