Before there was a Richmond there was a town called Berea. It sat 3 ½ miles east of present day Richmond, near butler and Ohio Terrace. With the railroad, Richmond emerged and Berea faded away. In the spring of 1857 Berea Cemetery was established. The Rev. Smith, Robert Garrett and his brother, Alexander Garrett and his family and came to Kansas. Rev. Smith left his family in PA, due to one of the children being sick. Robert also left his wife, Jane and kids in PA. However, the intent was that once arrangements had been made in Kansas the two men would go back for their families, which Rev. Smith did. Robert could not, 12 days after they arrived he died on May 17, 1857. He was buried in the Berea Cemetery he was not the first, his 6 year old nephew also named Robert Garrett, had died one week earlier on May 10, 1857. These were the first two burials at Berea Cemetery in May 1857, both named Robert Garrett. In the spring of 1859 Jane along with her four children came to Kansas. Jane passed away Feb. 25, 1888 and is buried next to her husband at Berea Cemetery.

-Dennis Peters Richmond Community Museum