Ohio Spirit Quest #60 - "Freedom Of Choice!" Traditional Cache

The Ohio Spirit Quest series of geocaches will take you to a number of historic cemeteries built by Buckeye Pioneers. This series is inspired by and a continuation of the Indiana Spirit Quest caches created by Six Dog Team. In just over three years, the SPIRIT QUEST has grown to over 550 caches, with the hiding teams growing as well. The Ohio Spirit Quest has begun to grown to over 30 in Ohio, with five current caching teams, three each with A Man and His Dog, one with a Couple and Their Dog... and one with A Woman and her Dog.
Over 1,000 cachers have logged over 20,000 finds. One cache machine found 111 ISQ caches in a single day (daylight hours only).

Come with us now for a virtual tour of this old burial ground via this page, then go out and find the cache!


Welcome to Freedom Cemetery

Freedom Twp, Henry County, Ohio

OHIO SPIRIT QUEST #60

"Freedom Of Choice!"
This cache is located in Freedom Township Cemetery in Henry County, Ohio. This cemetery has also been known as Kline Cemetery in the past as it was probably on the property of Harmon Kline, one of the Township's early residents

Freedom Township is one of Henry County's oldest and smallest townships, although it used to be one of it's largest. Originally it included the land that is now the south part of Fulton County.
Since this area of the state was part of the Black Swamp, population growth was slow at first. In 1850 the township had only 105 residents, but by 1880 it had grown to over twelve hundred.
Some of the earliest and most successful pioneers was the family of Harmon Kline who was the first person to build a permanent brick structure in the township. The cemetery most likely got it's first name from him before coming under the care of Freedom Township.
Walk around and check out the old monuments while you're here looking for an ammo can. I saw at least two pastors buried here, probably from the United Brethren Church, which was the first place of worship in the township.



Freedom Township was one of the first of the five townships organized in territory now composing Henry County. When Fulton County was organized in 1850, part of Freedom Township was lost to Fulton County and the township is now composed of only 24 sections of land. In 1850 the population was 460 and the taxable valuation of property amounted to $27,602. The 1970 census showed a population of 810 and the present (1975) real estate valuation is $4,480,810.00. After 1860 there was quite an influx of Germans to Freedom Township and it is still basically German heritage which permeates the township. The township is to a very great extent agricultural. Except for the hamlet of Gerald and some good tracts of wooded areas, the land is all under cultivation. General farming, specialty farming such as raising of tomatoes, sugar beets, cucumbers, and livestock farming all find their place in the township.

Naomi is now only a memory, but it was at one time a hamlet on the Henry-Fulton County line about one mile north of Gerald, Ohio, and one-half mile west of State Route 108. The village of Naomi came into being about 1895 along with the incoming railroad. The name of Freedom was proposed, however, there already was a town in Ohio by that name. The part owner of the railroad had a daughter Naomi — that then became the name of the town. Since the late twenties, Naomi could be considered an abandoned town, and at this time only several nice houses with well kept lawns remain.



Located in Freedom Township and situated five miles north and 1/2 mile west of the county seat lies Gerald, Ohio. It was named by Mr. Mike Donnelly for his son Gerald, born January 4, 1892. Mr. Donnelly served as a judge in Napoleon and was one of its leading citizens. Mr. Donnelly was instrumental in getting the railroad built.

Just as the building of the railway helped to bring industry to Gerald, the ease of transportation brought on by replacing the mud roads with concrete highways started the decline of its grocery stores, saloons, stock yards, and blacksmith shop, and their eventual disappearance. The two remaining businesses with a link to the past are the Gerald Grain Association and Harry Von Deylen's Implement Shop. Both serve the area farmers needs of today.



The cache container is a camoed medium lock-n-lock.
If you find a fallen US flag, please stick it back in the ground. As always, please be respectful, and cache in, trash out.

"Ohio Spirit Quest" is brought to you by the following fellows of GEOOSQ*: The SixDogTeam, THE SHADOW, The Moop Along, -Eleanor-, TeamMina, handyman & fam. If you are interested in spreading the Quest to your neck of the woods AND WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US, email The Moop Along with caching resume and at least 25 current notarized references.


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** THIS IS A GENUINE OHIO SPIRIT QUEST CACHE**