Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 36

Author: Truman C. White
Publication date: 1898
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017


USA > New York > Erie County > Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1) > Part 36


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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14 and 15, James W. Stevens, Sept. 10, 1810.


16, David E. Evans, April 2, 1810.


17. Oziel Smith, Dec. 18, 1809.


18, William Wood, May 23, 1815.


19, John Gilbert, Feb. 21, 1816.


20. Joseph Stocking, Aug. 28, 1826.


21, Aaron Brink, Jan. 10, 1811.


22, Asa Coltrin, May 25, 1814.


23, Oliver and Susan White, May 7, 1829.


24. Moses Baker, May 8, 1826.


25. Elias Ransom, April 23, 1813.


26, Moses Baker, Aug. 23, 1833.


27, Jonathan Sidway, Jan. 3, 1826.


28, Charles Davis, April 8, 1830. 29, Silas A. Forbes, April 16, 1831.


30, William Johnston, Aug. 15, 1804. 31. Erastus Granger, July 31, 1805. 32, William Johnston, Oct. 27, 1804. 33, Birdsey Norton, Oct. 7, 1807.


34, Nathaniel Norton, July 15, 1806.


35, James McMahan, May 17, 1823. 36. Samuel McConnell. May 19, 1813. 37, John Ellicott, May 6, 1811.


38, Abel M. Grosvenor. May 30, 1812. 39, Samuel Pratt, jr., Nov. 17, 1810.


40, Cyremus Chapin. Jan. 17, 1810.


41, Eli Hart, Sept. 1, 1810.


42, St. Paul's church, June 14, 1820.


43. First Presbyterian Society, Dec. 12, 1820.


44 and 45. William Peacock, June 2, 1810.


46, Elijah Leech, Nov. 10, 1812.


47, John Haddock. April 29, 1814.


48. Letitia Ellicott, May 6, 1811.


49, Juba Storrs, Jan. 10, 1811.


50, Bennett Stillman, Jan. 16, 1811.


51, Benjamin Ellicott, May 6, 1811.


52, Joseph Ellicott, May 6, 1811.


53, Gamaliel St. John, Jan. 24, 1810. 54, Otis R. Hopkins, April 22, 1814. 55, James Miller, Oct. 25, 1824.


56. (part of) William Wood, June 20, 1816. .. Elihu Pease, May 7, 1818.


= Lester Brace, May 8, 1818.


.. Seth Grosvenor, April 24, 1818.


Gilman Folsom, May 28, 1817.


57, David Burt, Nov. 20, 1830, etc., etc. 58, Moses Baker, Jan. 1, 1822.


59, William J. Wood, May 22, 1823.


58 and 59, James Chapin, Aug. 5. 1811. 60, Elias Ransom, June 14, 1811.


61, Asa Fox, Dec. 18, 1813.


62, Reuben B. Heacock, Nov. 13, 1813.


63, Ebenezer Johnson, April 25, 1814.


64, Henry Roop, Aug. 29, 1831.


65, 66, 67 and 68, Benjamin Ellicott, April 2, 1810.


69, Smith H. Salisbury, Sept. 16, 1812.


70, R. B. Heacock, Dec. 27, 1821.


71, Seth Grosvenor, April 21, 1818.


72, Oliver Forward, Dec. 18, 1813.


73, Benjamin Haines, Aug. 19, 1815.


74, Nathan Dudley, March 29, 1815.


75, Gilman Folsom, April 2, 1814.


76, Cyrenius Chapin, March 8, 1811.


77, Walter P. Groesbeck, May 20, 1813.


78, David Burt and G. H. Goodrich, June 24, 1823.


79, Levi Strong, April 16, 1810.


80, George Keith, April 17, 1810.


81, William Baird, May 16, 1814.


82, Nathaniel Vosburgh, Oct. 16, 1824.


83. Trustees M. E. church, Oct. 15, 1821. 84, Sylvester Matthews, Jan. 20, 1830.


85, and part of 86, S. H. Salisbury. March 20, 1820.


85 and 86, (part of) P. Bennett, Feb. 6, 1826.


85 and 86, part of, Erastus Gilbert, Feb. 5, 1826.


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85 and 86, part of, Miles P. Squier, July 13, 1825.


87 and 88, A. H. Tracy and John Lay. jr .. Dec. 28, 1829.


89 (part of), George R. Babcock, Nov. 16, 1830.


89 (part of), Archibald S. Clarke, Sept. 20, 1819.


90 (part of), Barent I. Staats, Jan. 5. 1830.


90 (part of), Platt & Clary, Sept. 27, 1829.


91 (part of), Sylvester Chamberlin, April 26, 1826.


91 (part of), Moses Baker, Nov. 17, 1825, and June 10, 1835.


92. Thomas C. Love, Jan. 20, 1823. 93, First Baptist Society, Jan. 17, 1822. 94 (part of), Denison Lathrop, July 2, 1823.


94 (part of), Walter M. Seymour, Jan. 5, 1827.


95 and 96, Ebenezer Johnson, Dec. 20, 1825.


97, 98 and 99, G. H. Goodrich, June 6, 1829.


100 and 101, Ebenezer Johnson, Aug. 9, 1 1824.


102 and 103, David E. Evans, April 5, 1811.


104, Jesse Bivens, Sept. 25, 1813.


105, Gilman Folsom, April 24, 1818.


106, Oliver Newbury, Dec 13, 1825. 107, Sally Groesbeck, Aug. 27, 1829. 107 (part of), Charles T. Hicks, Jan. 7, 1825.


108 and 109, Quit claim to trustees of Buffalo village, Sept. 20, 1821, and to city Jan. 2, 1833.


110, Amos Calender, Dec. 19, 1816.


111 and 112, Trustees Buffalo village, Sept. 20, 1821, city of Buffalo, Jan. 2, 1833.


113 (part of), Stephen K. Grosvenor, April 21. 1818.


113 (part of), George W. Fox, Jan. 20, 1817.


114, E. Johnson and S. Wilkeson, Jan. 18, 1825.


115 (part of). William Keane, June 8, 1826.


115 (part of ), S. G. Austin, Jan. 3, 1828. 116, Henry Lake, Dec. 26, 1809.


117, R. B. Heacock, May 14, 1814.


118, John B. Stone, Aug. 8, 1827.


119. E. Johnson and S. Wilkeson, Dec. 20, 1825.


120 (part of), Albert H. Tracy, Sept. 9, 1828.


120 (part of). Daniel Bristol, Sept. 9, 1828.


121, Joseph Clary, Sept. 28, 1825.


122, George Stow, April 26, 1826. . 123. James Demarest, April 22, 1830.


124, John Lay, jr., Sept. 1, 1825.


125 and 126, Ezekiel Folsom, Sept. 12, 1829.


127. Ebenezer Johnson, July 28, 1826. 128, Ebenezer Johnson, Nov. 5, 1829.


129, Jonathan Sidway, Nov. 11, 1828.


130, 131 and 132, Thomas C. Love and Henry H. Sizer, July 1, 1828.


133 (part of), William Williams, Sept. 10, 1831.


133 (part of), Roswell Chapin, Oct. 30, 1830.


134, 135, 136, 137 and 138, Ebenezer John- son and Samuel Wilkeson, Jan. 18, 1825.


139, Samuel Wilkeson, Dec. 17, 1825.


140 (part of), Moses Ferrin, Sept. 14, 1825.


140 (part of), Samuel Wilkeson, Sept. 14, 1825.


141 and 142, Jonathan Sidway, Jan. 3, 1826.


143, Guy H. Goodrich, Feb. 22, 1830.


144 and 145, Belinda Lathrop, April 16, 1825.


146, Elizabeth A. Barnes, Aug. 20, 1830. 147 and 148, Christopher and John D. Woolf, March 26, 1826.


149, 150 and 151. Emanuel Winter, June 12, 1812.


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152, 153 and 154, Jeremiah Staats, Feb. 4, 1838.


155. Barent I. Staats, March 12, 1829.


156 and 157. Myndert M. Dox, Jan. 5, 1825.


158, Ontario Insurance Company, June 12, 1825.


159, William Keane, Sept. 14, 1827.


160 and 161, Jonathan Sidway, Nov. 11, 1828.


162, Stephen G. Austin, Sept. 13, 1830. 163, Walter M. Seymour, Jan. 5, 1827.


164 and 165, John C. Lord and Hiram Pratt, Oct. 12, 1829.


166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174 und 175, Peter Huydekoper, Aug. 8, 1825.


176, David Reese, June 21, 1808.


177, Joseph D. Hoyt, June 21, 1815.


178. Moses Bristol, Jan. 14, 1825.


179, part of, Theodore Coburn, Jan. 13, 1832.


179 (part of), J. & J. Townsend, Jan. 13, 1830.


180, Samuel Bell, Dec. 23, 1819.


181, William Keane, July 8, 1815.


182, Nathaniel Wilgus, Sept. 1, 1831.


183. Ebenezer Walden, Dec. 9, 1830.


184 and 185, Supervisors of Niagara county, Nov. 21, 1810.


186, Horace Griffin, Feb. 27, 1826.


187, Noyes Darrow, Jan. 26, 1832. 188, H. J. Redfield, March 31, 1843.


189 and 190, Jonas Harrison, March 16, 1814.


191 and 192, Jonas Harrison, May 11, 1819.


198 and 194, Townsend & Coit, Dec. 11. 1816.


195 and 196, John E. Marshall, April 12. 1816.


197, Seth Grosvenor, Nov. 10, 1818. 198, Gilman Folsom, jr., July 22, 1830. 199, Caleb Gillett, Aug. 31, 1825.


200 (part of), Gilman Folsom, jr., Jan. 22, 1828.


200 (part of), Richard E. Sill, Jan. 22, 1828.


201, Denison Lathrop, Nov. 3, 1825. 202 and 203, M. A. Andrews, July 26. 1828.


204, Elon Galusha, June 21, 1824. 205, Henry M. Sizer, July 16, 1833.


206 (part of), Elijah I). Efner, Nov. 2. 1822.


206 (part of), Elias Hubbard, Nov. 2, 1822.


207, E. Johnson and S. Wilkeson, Jan. 18, 1825.


208. E. Johnson and S. Wilkeson, July 1, 1824.


209, John A. Lazelle, Jan. 27, 1826. 210 and 211, E. Johnson and S. Wilkeson, Jan. 18, 1825.


212, Abner Bryant, Jan. 27, 1826.


213, Jonathan Sidway, Jan. 31, 1822.


214, Elias Hubbard, Aug. 19, 1825.


215, Thomas Coatsworth, June 30, 1823. 216. Ira A Blossom, May 26, 1827.


WATER LOTS.


5. Abraham Larzelere, Nov. 18, 1823. 6, Samuel Barber, Oct. 13, 1823.


i, 8 and 9 (part of), Charles Townsend and George Coit, Sept. 26, 1823. 9 (part of), Charles Townsend, George Coit, S. Wilkeson and E. Johnson, Nov. 11, 1823.


10, S. Wilkeson and E. Johnson, Nov, 11, 1823.


11, Jonathan Sidway, April 23, 1824. 13, Hiram Pratt, Sept. 24, 1823.


14, Elisha C. Hickox, Sept. 24, 1823. 15 and 16, S. Thompson, H. Thompson and J. L. Barton, Dec. 2, 18 -. 17, G. B. Webster. Feb. 18, 1824.


18, 19 and 20, Samuel Wilkeson, May 8, 1828.


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OUTER LOTS.


1. Louis, Le Coutelux, Dec. 6, 1821.


2 and 3, Benjamin Ellicott, April 2, 1810.


4, Joshua Gillett, Sept. 1, 1810.


7, 8, 9 and 10, William Peacock, April 2, 1810.


11, David E. Evans and J. Ellicott, jr., Sept. 21, 1821.


12, Asa Coltrin, May 25, 1814.


13, David E. Evans and J. Ellicott, jr., Sept. 21, 1821.


14, Asa Coltrin, May 25, 1814.


15 and 16. David E. Evans and J. Elli- cott, jr., Sept. 21, 1821.


17. Henry Ketchum, June 18, 1812.


18, Stephen Stillman, Feb. 15, 1811.


19, E. Ensign, July 8, 1813.


20, C. R. Sharp, May 10. 1816. 21, Samuel Tupper, May 5, 1812. 22, Samuel Tupper, June 21, 1815. 23 and 24, Juba Storrs, Jan. 30, 1811. 25, Louis Le Couteulx, Nov. 22, 1815. 26, John White, April 7, 1810.


27. John B. Ellicott, jr., and David E. Evans, Sept. 21, 1821.


28, Sylvester Matthews, Oct. 5, 1825.


29, Ebenezer Johnson, Aug. 9, 1824. 30, Ebenezer Johnson, Nov. 14, 1814. 31. John Desparr, April 20, 1807. 32, Gilman Folsom, Sept. 28, 1829. 33, Jabez Goodell, April 23, 1830. 34, Thomas Day, April 23, 1830.


35, Louis Le Couteulx, May 11, 1816. 36 (part of). Joseph and Benjamin Elli- cott, Feb. 29, 1812.


36 (part of), United States, Sept, 29, 1819.


37 (part of), Joseph and Benjamin Elli- cott, Feb. 19, 1812.


37 (part of), Horatio J. Stow, July 16, 1844.


38, 39, 40, and part of 41, Joseph and Benjamin Ellicott, Feb. 29, 1812.


41 and 42 (part of), Letitia M. Bliss, June 14, 1837.


42 (part of), 48, 44, 45, and 46, Joseph and Benjamin Ellicott, Feb. 29, 1812.


47, 48, 49 and 50, Elijah Leech, June 19, 1815.


52, Jonathan Sidway, Nov. 11, 1828.


53, Hiram Pratt, Dec. 1, 1830.


54. Hiram Pratt, April 11, 1833.


55 and 56, Joseph Ellicott, Feb. 28. 1811. 57 (part of), Jonathan Sidway, Nov. 11, 1828.


57 (part of), Sherwood & White, Sept. 29, 1829.


58, Theodore Coburn, Nov. 27, 1826. 59 (part of), George Stow, Dec. 29, 1825. 59 (part of), Heman B. Potter, Sept. 27, 1827.


60, 61, 62 and 63, Joseph D. Hoyt, Dec. 26, 1825.


64, Elijah D. Efner, Dec. 21, 1821. 65, Stephen Clark, March 9, 1832.


66 and 67, Thomas Coatsworth, Aug. 25, 1830.


68, Martin Daley, Nov. 29, 1830.


69, C. Tappan and J. Mansfield, Nov. 27, 1829.


70, Stephen Champlin, May 23, 1825.


71 and 72, Robert Pomeroy. April 6, 1820.


73, Hiram Hanchett, June 9, 1810.


74, Elijah Leech, Dec. 23. 1808.


75, Ebenezer Walden, Nov. 26, 1817. 76 and 77. Zenas Barker, Aug. 1, 1814. 78, Vincent Grant, July 21, 1807. 79 and 80, William Grant, July 8, 1808. 81 and 82, J. M. Landon, July 28, 1825. 83, Jane E. Le Couteulx, July 28, 1825. 84, Isaac Davis, Jan. 29, 1814. 85, William Johnston, Feb. 5, 1804. 86, Hydraulic Association, Nov. 21, 1827. 87, Amasa Ransom, Nov. 20, 1824.


88 and 89, Apollos Hitchcock, Dec 6, 1809.


90, 91 and 92, Erastus Granger. Dec. 31, 1809.


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93, William Johnston, Oct. 27, 1804. 94 and 95. R. B. Heacock, Dec. 5, 1826. 96, Townsend & Coit, May 31, 1813, 97 and 98, Noah Folsom, Jan. 12, 1825. 99, 100, 101, 102 and 103, Samuel Pratt, June 7, 1813.


104, Joseph Ellicott, Oct. 2, 1810.


105, Hiram Pratt. July 21, 1829.


106, Silas A. Fobes, April 16, 1831.


107, Noyes Darrow, Jan. 13, 1830.


108 (part of), Nathaniel Vosburgh, Dec. 11, 1829.


108 and 109 (part of), John Lay, jr., July 27, 1827.


109 (part of). Ebenezer Walden, April 4, 1828.


110, David E. Evans, Sept. 10, 1821.


111, David E. Evans, April 5, 1811.


112. Joseph Stocking and John Dart, Sept. 8, 1829.


118 and 114, G. H. Goodrich, Oct. 19, 1830.


115, E. A. Bigelow, Nov. 30, 1827.


116, James W. Stevens, April 2, 1810.


117, Heman B. Potter, May 18, 1815.


118, David E. Evans, April 5, 1811.


119, Isaac Davis, Oct. 9, 1812.


120 and 121, M. A. Andrews, July 28, 1831.


122 (part of), Walter M. Seymour, Jan. 5, 1827.


122 (part of), Jonas Harrison, May 17, 1814.


123 (part of), Ira A. Blossom, June 30. 1828.


123 (part of), Oziel Smith, June 26, 1815. 124, Oziel Smith, Feb. 26, 1813.


125 (part of) William Williams, April 13, 1830.


125 (part of), Ira A. Blossom, June 30, 1828.


126, Isaac Davis, Oct. 9, 1812.


127, 128, 129 and 130, M. A. Andrews, July 28, 1831.


131 and 132, M. A. Andrews, March 19, 1828


133 and 134, James Rough, Oct. 9, 1812.


135, Jabez Goodell, Nov. 11, 1834.


136, Jabez Goodell, June 14 1817.


137, Jabez Goodell, July 22, 1825.


138, James and Henry Campbell, June 22, 1815,


139, Eli Hart, April 1, 1815.


140, Amos Tefft, Oct. 23, 1815.


141, Matilda Sharp, July 26, 1814.


142, Philo Andrews, April 16, 1810.


143, Henry Lake, March 16, 1810.


144, Samuel Helm, Dec. 22, 1809.


145, Jabez Goodell, April 8, 1816. 146, Jabez Goodell, July 22, 1825.


147, Jabez Goodell, Dec. 1, 1823. 148, Silas A. Fobes, Nov. 8, 1834.


149, James Sweeney, Aug. 23, 1825.


150 and 151, Walter M. Seymour, Dec. 1. 1827.


By comparison with the accompanying maps the reader may locate the situation of all of these lots.


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FROM 1832 TO 1840.


CHAPTER XXI.


1832-1840.


An Unwelcome Visitor-The Asiatic Cholera-Measures to Combat the Pestilence -Cases and Deaths-Recovery from Effects of the Scourge-Increasing Commercial Operations-The First Railroad in Erie County-Beginning of a Speculative Era- Plenty of Money-Extensive Real Estate Sales-Prices Greatly Inflated-Benjamin Rathbun and His Ruin-A Financial Crash-Slow Recovery from Its Effects-Presi- dential Election -- Comparative Pictures of Buffalo-TheFirst Steam Railroad- Found- ing of the Young Men's Association-Its Later History-Buffalo Library-Plan to Build up Black Rock-Harbor Maps-The Patriot War-Farther Opposition to the Holland Land Company-Promotion of New Towns.


It was in the year 1832, when the young city of Buffalo was just en- tering upon a brief period of exciting municipal history and the outer towns were sharing in the general business activity of the time, that a most unwelcome visitor came across the Atlantic, entered the seaboard cities, crept along the Hudson and St. Lawrence Rivers, followed the Erie Canal westward, and fell like a scourge upon the inhabitants of Erie county, particularly upon those of the city and villages along the river and lake shores. It was the advent of the Asiatic cholera-then, as it is now, a mysterious and deadly malady, baffling to physicians and terrorizing to every community in which it gains a foothold. The modern sanitary measures of a preventive character, which are to some extent effectual in warding off such a pestilence, were then unknown, and the disease swept across the country leaving a trail of death.


The first public mention of the cholera made in Buffalo was the fol. lowing which appeared in the Patriot of July 19, 1832:


CHOLERA .- This dread disease has crossed the Atlantic and is now raging at Que- bec and Montreal. At Albany and the villages in the northern part of the State bordering on Canada, measures have been taken to prevent the spreading of this desolating pestilence.


The Common Councill of this city have appointed a Board of Health; and regula- tions will be immediately adopted, not only to preserve the general health of the city, but to guard against the entrance of the cholera. .


The Board of Health here referred to consisted of Ebenezer Johnson


40


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


(the mayor), R. W. Haskins, Lewis F. Allen and William Ketchum. Joseph Clary was substituted for Mr. Ketchum a little later. The first bulletin of the board was issued June 16, in which was set forth the approaching danger, with instructions of a sanitary and hygienic na- ture. During the week ending July 7 the malady made its appearance in New York and Albany, and it soon started westward along the canal, and came across the frontier from Canada. The disease made its first appearance in Buffalo on the 16th of July, attacking a person who was reported by the Board of Health as " an Irish laborer, an habitual drunkard;" he died in eight hours after the attack. On the following day there were two cases, the first of which was another laborer who died in eleven hours. On the 24th six new cases were reported and one death; on the 25th there were six cases and two deaths. By this time the previous anxiety of a large part of the community was changed to actual terror; many fled from the city to the country and business affairs were neglected. The Board of Health established a temporary hospital in a brick building then known as the M'Hose house, on Niagara street, to which were taken many cases where there was hope of recovery. Dr. John E. Marshall was city physician, and Loren Pierce undertaker; both of these men labored fearlessly to mitigate suf- fering. For the week ending July 30 the number of cases was sixty-two, with thirteen deaths. In the mean time there were three cases in Hamburg, one of them resulting in the death of Alanson Whittaker, who was then postmaster at Hamburg-on-the-Lake. For the week ending August 6 the number of new cases was twenty-eight, with four- teen deaths. The increasing rate of mortality of this week over the previous one was a new source of terror, which was still farther aug- mented in the next week, ending August 13, in which the number of new cases was twenty-six and of deaths sixteen. In the following week, ending August 20, there were only thirteen new cases, but there were ten fatalities; in the next week, ending August 27, there were twenty- eight new cases and eighteen deaths; in the week ending September 3, thirty six new cases and fifteen deaths; in the week ending September 10, there were only eleven new cases and eleven deaths. Up to this time the total of cases was 232 and of deaths 106. From that date the disease rapidly declined to an average of one a day and soon wholly disappeared. The total number of cases was about 250 and of deaths about 120. The disease spread to a limited extent into towns adjacent to the city, but did not penetrate beyond. Dr. Jared Parker is recorded


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as having had forty cases at Clarence Hollow, of which only one was fatal. To the arduous, unselfish, and in many instances heroic labor of the Board of Health, the city physician, and the undertaker, must be ascribed the small number of cases of the disease in proportion to the population and in comparison with other cities of similar size, and comparative early extinction of the pestilence. Mr. Haskins was the well known printer and publisher, a man of great activity and energy. In this trying time he exhibited undoubted heroism ; traveled in haste about the city, attended to the removel of many cases to the hospital, and in some instances carried stricken persons on his own shoulders down the stairs of squalid tenements. Mr. Allen was a man of sound judgment, excellent executive ability and undoubted courage, and served through the epidemic with unflagging zeal. Mr. Pierce, the undertaker, was the direct opposite of Mr. Haskins in everything but courage; while no less faithful and unselfish in the performance of his arduous tasks, he went about them with the calm deliberation for which he was noted. The counsel of Dr. Johnson was of the greatest value to the board, and all of these officials labored harmoniously and effectively together.


In the latter part of July it was decided toclose what was then called the public burying ground, which included the site of the present City and County Building ;' this was accordingly done, and nine acres were purchased of William Hodge, on farm lot 30, a portion of which was set apart for Catholics. This burial ground was given the name of the potter's field. In 1833-34 Sylvester Matthews and Birdseye Wilcox acquired twelve acres adjoining this potter's field and established a cemetery which was in use under their management until 1853, when the lot owners formed the Buffalo Cemetery Association and purchased the ground, and greatly improved it.'


1 The burial ground here alluded to included lots 108, 109, 110 and 111, and was obtained on a contract from the Holland Company in the year 184. The first burial there was of the body of John Cochrane, a traveler from Connecticut, who died at Barker's tavern. There in March, 1815, Farmer's Brother was also buried. The actual title to the ground was not secured until 1821, when it became the property of the village, and lots were assigned to the inhabitants by the trustees. After the cholera had disappeared burials almost ceased here, the last one being under a special permit for the interment of the body of the wife of Samuel Wilkeson.


"Besides these early burial grounds, numerous others were established before a beginning was made at what is now Forest Lawn. For example, when the survey was made of the original vil- lage of South Black Rock in 1804-5. lots 41 and 42 were appropriated by the State for burial pur- poses; this tract was not much used. When the village of Black Rock wasincorporated these two lots, which were somewhat low and wet, were exchanged for lot & on higher ground. This be- came known as the Black Rock burying ground; it was bounded by Jersey, Pennsylvania and


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With the disappearance of the cholera the people of Erie county again turned their faces forward and in the absorbing activities of life the epidemic with its daily burden of death soon became a memory


Fourteenth streets and the " mile-strip." When North street was opened through the tract a small triangle was left on the south side and within the limits of the old Buffalo city; this triangle was used as a potter's field for the paupers who died at the poor house. Burials were finally discon- tinued on this ground and it was donated to the Charity Foundation of the Episcopal church. When Forest Lawn was established many of the dead were removed thither.


Some years prior to the war of 1812 there was a small burial ground on farm lot 59, now the southwest corner of Delaware and Ferry streets. Several of the victims of the war, among them brave Job Hoysington, were buried there.


What was known as the Bidwell farm was situated on the Gulf road, now Delavan avenue. Interments were made in a small tract on that farm from 1811 to about 1825.


About 1880 Lewis F. Allen bought of Judge Ebenezer Walden five acres of land on the south- west corner of Delaware avenue and North street, and a cemetery association was formed by the following persons: Lewis F. Allen, George B. Webster, Russell H. Heywood, Heman B. Potter and Hiram Pratt as trustees. Burials were made here for a time, but the ground ultimately passed to the Forest Lawn Association and the bodies were removed.


The following burial grounds are associated with churches and most of them are now in use: Cemetery of St. John's church, Pine Hill and Pine Ridge roads, opened in 1859. Holy Rest Cem- etery, Pine Hill, opened in 1859. Zion Church Cemetery, opened about 1859. Concordia Cemetery, opened in 1859. St. Matthew's Church Cemetery, Clinton street, opened in 1875. Black Rock Ger- man Methodist Cemetery, Bird street, opened in 1870. St. Louis Cemetery, Edward street, opened in 1830, discontinued in 1892. New St. Louis Cemetery, opened in 1832 and closed in 1859. St. Mary's Cemetery, corner of Johnson and North streets, opened in 1845 and closed in 1860. St. Francis Xavier Cemetery (Black Rock), opened in 1850. St. Joseph's Cemetery, near the alms house, opened in 1850. Holy Cross Cemetery, Limestone Hill, opened in 1855. United German and French Catholic Cemetery, opened in 1859. Buffalo Private Cemetery, junction of North, Best and Masten streets, with a branch at Pine Hill. Evangelical Association Cemetery, Walden avenue. Holy Mother of the Rosary Cemetery, Walden Avenue. Reed's Cemetery, Limestone Hill, and Reser- vation Cemetery, near old Indian church, both closed. St. Adelbert's Cemetery, Pine Hill. St. John's Cemetery, Military Road. St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Pine Hill. There are also five Jewish cemeteries, all at Pine Hill, viz .: Beth Jacob, Beth El, Beth Zion, Mount Hope, and Howard Free Cemetery.


The original Forest Lawn Cemetery consisted of about eighty acres, which was a part of the Granger farm, and was purchased by Charles E. Clark for $150 an acre. Improvements were be- gun in 1850 and the ground was dedicated August 18 of that year. As a result of growing senti- ment that the city should have a cemetery founded upon the broad basis of public good, and which should not be a source of private profit, a meeting was held November 19, 1864, which was attend- ed by about twenty leading citizens of the city. An organization was there effected with the title, Buffalo City Cemetery, and twelve trustees were elected as follows: Dexter P. Rumsey, De Witt C. Weed, George Truscott, Sidney Shepard, Lewis F. Allen, Oliver G. Steele, Everard Palmer, Henry Martin, O. H. Marshall, Francis H. Root, Russell H. Heywood and George How- ard. At a later meeting Everard Palmer was chosen president; Oliver G. Steele, vice-president; De Witt C. Reed, secretary and treasurer. Within a short time there was purchased by the asso- ciation the Swartz farm, sixty-seven and one-half acres; Moffat Grove, twenty-two and one-half acres; Watson tract, eleven acres; part of Granger farm, twenty-seven acres; Forest Lawn prop- erty, seventy-five acres; total 203 acres. Bonds were issued and money thus raised to pay for these lands. The dedication ceremonies of this now beautiful burial place were held September 28, 1886. Since that time improvement has gone forward in the cemetery in all directions, until at the present time there are few more attractive burial places in the country. Additional purchases have been made until the cemetery comprises over 240 acres; this is without incumbrance, is the absolute property of the association, in which every lot owner and his heirs has an inalienable title and an assurance that his lot will be perpetually cared for by the association.




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