Bay Ridge Cemetery

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Bay Ridge, Orange, Florida, United States
Surnames/tags: schopke, burrell, conroy, Brown, goding, knight, gulledge, gunn, haddox, hamilton, haygood, haynes, hewitt, welsh, horne, Talmage, Carroll, taylor, Pinkley, Jones, Linton, Lepard, Murray, Wilson, Naylor, Pike, Reid, Russell, Ross, Rugg, Jackson, Thomas, Oak Hill Cemetery Association

Contents 1 Oak Hill Cemetery 2 Bay Ridge Cemtery 2.1 Community 3 Cemetery 3.1 First Marked Grave 3.2 Property Description 3.2.1 Caretakers 3.3 Proposed Cemetery Co-Opt by City of Apopka 4 Sources

Oak Hill Cemetery

March 31, 1886 Harvey D. and Mary H. Hood gifted two and one half acres to the community for a cemetery. The deed was eventually recorded in the Orange County Comptroller's Office on September 16, 1889.^[1]

Bay Ridge Cemtery

At an unknown point in history, someone renamed the cemetery Bay Ridge Cemetery. It had been called that as a locator for many years due to no signage and the Association must have changed the name to Bay Ridge Cemetery with the County as the Property Appraiser now reflects that epithet. The digital records do not go back that far.

The records show that the property deed was used for to satisfy a court order.^[2]

In 2003, Mrs Annie Belle (Driggers) Gilliam (1921-2018) arranged for Orange County to place an official sign on Schopke-Lester Road for the Bay Ridge Cemtery.

Community

Wikitree Interments of Bay Ridge Cemetery, Orange County, Florida listings are an ongoing process.

FindaGrave List of Souls

Bay Ridge was first settled during the years of 1885-1886 by some family names that would populate the privately owned cemetery. The families of John Henry Schopke (1845-1924), John T Thompson, T. Roll, J. W. Anderson, F. Wilson, F. S. Bray, Adam, Scotsman Adam Stewart, and others amounting to about 30 families filled the area almost simultaneously.^[3]

The entire area of the Orange County was covered with pine trees and was stripped for turpentine. In 1898, Bay Ridge was property of Thomas E Wilson was leased to Horne and Overstreet for turpentine stilling.^[4]

In the mid 1880s there was Methodist Episcopal Church at Bay Ridge. Up to 1898, two other churches shared ministers on a route with Bay Ridge. A school was also built. In the 1890s, Bay Ridge formed a special district to fund the school.

Bay Ridge, in World War I, added 3 mil to the counties 7 mil school tax levy for the required primary and optional secondary schooling.

Frank Haas served in World War I (Haas Road).

During World War II after the Pearl Harbor attack, Mamie Schopke's house was a registration location for the expanded ages of 20 through 44 on February 2.

Miles Overstreet distilled a lot turpentine in Bay Ridge through the 1940s.^[5]

Partners in the 1960s with Ralston Purina Company in the poultry business in Bay Ridge were Hermit Smith. Henry Land ran his large poultry farm from the 1960- 1979. P. N. Sullivan ran his through the 1960 and 1970s.^[6]

Cemetery

First Marked Grave

The first person known to be interred this cemetery was Arthur H Cotey 25 Mar 1858-2 May 1882.^[7]

Burials continued until 2006 in the graveyard. Since there maybe unmarked graves and headstones missing information, other burials may have occurred. People of multiple faiths are buried here.

Property Description

Originally called Oak Hill Cemetery, the property is currently named Bay Ridge Cemetery.

2 1/2 acres IN SE COR OF W1/2 OF SE1/4 OF NE1/4 OF SEC 13-20-27 (REF DB 93/96,98)

Total Land Area

108,908 sqft (+/-) | 2.50 acres (+/-)

It is in Un-incorporated Orange County on Joey McGuckin Rd off Plymouth Sorrento Road in NW Orange County.^[8]

Caretakers

• Linna Pike Schopke
• Blanche Schopke Gaddis, 2018 OCFL Tax Report
• Linna Louise Schopke Weatherman Dougherty, 2023 OCFL Tax Report

Proposed Cemetery Co-Opt by City of Apopka

As of July 2023, the adjacent property has been annexed into the City of Apopka. The City is considering using State Statute 497.284 to co-opt the cemetery to remedy the derelict condition and recover the graves for the families. ^[9][10]

This cemetery space is a work in progress This was prepared by Apopka historian DrO.

Sources

1. ↑ Oak Hill Cemetery Association Deed: "Orange County Comptrollers Office"
   Deed DOC 18890069505
   Deed for Oak Hill Cemetery, Bay Ridge, Orange County, FL, USA (accessed 15 March 2024)
   Harvey D & Mary H Hood Gifted 31 Mar 1886 Recorded 16 Sep 1889.
2. ↑ Bay Ridge Cemetery Deed Used to Satisfy Debt of a Man 20 Jan 1988 to 18 Aug 1989: "Orange County Comptrollers Office"
   Judgement 69 505 SO 98 9635
   Deed for Oak Hill Cemetery, Bay Ridge, Orange County, FL, USA (accessed 15 March 2024)
   Deed held in satisfaction of Barnett Recovery Corp Order.
3. ↑ Orlando Orange County Reporter, 15 Jun 1898
4. ↑ History of Apopka and Northwest Orange County, Shofner, J. p 108
5. ↑ Pennings of Perrine Slim: Stories of Northwest Orange County Florida
6. ↑ History of Apopka and Northwest Orange County Florida, Shofner, J. Apopka Historical Society
7. ↑ [1]
8. ↑ [ocpaweb.ocpaFL.org/parcelSearch] 13-20-27-0000-00-014
9. ↑ [2]
10. ↑ 5 pm City of Apopka minutes 24 July 2023 Budget Workshop