Secrets of Seneca County Historical Driving Tour | Seneca County Infirmary (Home) & Cemetery

Embark on a captivating journey through the wondrous past of Seneca County, Ohio, with the Secrets of Seneca County Historical Driving Tour! The next stop on the journey is: Seneca County Infirmary (Home) & Cemetery (Off of Melmore St, Tiffin, OH 44883, Stop #7)

The Seneca County Infirmary, known as the Seneca County Home, was constructed in the years immediately following the Civil War. It served as a home for county residents unable to care for themselves because of financial limitations. Over the years, it has undergone several renovations. The cemetery dates to 1877 and holds the remains of residents of the infirmary who had no other burial options.

While the lives of many occupants of the infirmary buried here remain a mystery, we do know about a few of them. One, Silas Barber, died at 60 years of age in 1887. His place of birth is uncertain, but many believed he had come from Canada by boat. People remembered seeing him wandering throughout Seneca and the surrounding counties. He was never known to have held a steady job, and it is uncertain how he survived. Yet, Silas was a familiar face to many rural residents. It seems he was obsessed with thistles. Many came across him hard at work cutting through patches of thistles with a scythe for area farmers. And, according to their accounts, Silas refused compensation for any of his labors.

There is also a story that Silas showed up at the governor’s mansion in Columbus in the early 1870s. He carried a large bag and asked to see then-Governor Rutherford B. Hayes. When the two met, Silas handed the Governor the bag saying, “You have been kind to men, so be kind to the cat.”  The bag contained a large, black cat, which Hayes kept through the tumultuous election of 1876. The cat died shortly afterward. Some viewed the cat as having brought good fortune to Hayes.

In 2011, Boy Scout Travis Gase noticed that the cemetery had become overgrown with weeds, no doubt including a few thistles, and many of the tombstones had fallen into disrepair. Inspired to action by this neglectfulness, Travis decided that he would undertake cleaning up the cemetery for his Eagle Scout project. Under the direction of his supervisor Mike Loganbach, Travis organized work parties, solicited donations, and directed the restoration. His dedicated efforts have given dignity back to the once all but forgotten buried here.