USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The Albany Rural Cemetery > Part 9
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The monument, which cost $10,000, was designed by E. Keyser, of New York city. It was set up June 15. 1889. It is approached by white granite steps, the pedes- tals of the balustrade thereto having bronze urns resting on them. It is a dark granite sarcophagus, larger at the top than the bottom, perfectly plain and highly polished. resting upon two pieces of a lighter colored granite, also highly polished. The upper surface of the sarcophagus resembles a four-sided roof. There stands at the north- west corner, in heroic size, a bronze Angel of Sorrow placing upon the sarcophagus a palm leaf. Her left arm is extended along the top of the structure and the palm
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THE ALBANY RURAL CEMETERY.
leaf, held in the hand, sweeps over the remainder of it and falls beyond the southern end. The right arm hangs list- lessly downward touching one of the bronze wings. It is as if a wind were blowing, and pinions, hair and branch all are swayed by it in one direction. The face wears a touching expression, deeply and tenderly sympathetic and the attitude denotes complete absorption in the feeling thus exemplified.
We now pass the Joseph B. Zeiser granite (22), and further on the lot of John Robe ( 103); then turning up the hill and to the left we retrace our course to the Felt- man lot, around that to the left, past the lot of Samuel N. Bacon, then to the left past the great Cruttenden granite cross ( 18). In the King lot, west of Cruttenden, is the grave of Robert Henry King, and on the stone a repre- sentation of a medal presented to him for " personal valor as a landsman on the picket boat No. I, at the destruction of Albemarle, October 27, 1864. In the Cruttenden lot is buried Leverett Cruttenden, who died in 1838. He was for many years the keeper of Congress Hall, and was cele- brated the country over as a host, both of that caravansary and subsequently of the Eagle tavern. His establishment was the resort, especially, of the legal talent of the day, and his annual Feast of Shells was solemnized by the presence of prominent men. from all parts of the country.
In Oakwood forest we see on the handsomely adorned lot of John H. Van Antwerp ( 16) a granite pedestal marked
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SENATOR IRA HARRIS.
with gilt letters, whereon is a marble angel holding a wreath ; also near the main monument a seated figure bowed in grief beside an urn.
Opposite is the James A. Gray sarcophagus of pink Westerly granite (18) and next the cross on the grave of Henry James Ten Eyck, a young journalist who had made his mark in his profession, and was rich in the promise of use- fulness and success, both in newspaper and literary work.
The cottage monument of Barre granite with a marble figure of Hope is on the lot of Alfred Mosher, of West Troy. Opposite is the Robinson sandstone, and further east the Quincy granite monument with urn, of Albert Goodwin, one of the best simple designs we have noticed.
Here are the Campbell monuments (18) one to Duncan Campbell, and another bearing the following inscription :
"The young men of the city of Albany, in their grief for his too early removal, have erected this monument to Daniel Campbell, a man who loved humanity as most men love their nearest kindred, and who sought as his only riches the blessings of the needy." The monument is of Italian marble, and on the reverse side will be found a bas-relief, by Palmer, representing Grief, a bowed female figure, sug- gestive of the betrothed one whose heart was broken forty years ago.
The massive square monument of granite is to Ilon. Ira IJarris, one of the great legal lights of the state of New York. Ile studied law in the office of Ambrose Spencer, began practicing in Albany, was assemblyman for two years, senator two years, a member of the consti-
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tutional conventions of 1846 and '67; justice of the supreme court for twelve years, and United States senator during the war (from 1861 to 1867). He was for many years president of Union college, and one of the founders of Rochester university. He died of paralysis December 2, 1875, aged 73. The lot stands in his name and that of his brother, Hon. Hamilton Harris.
The Westerly granite on the Tillinghast lot (16) is remarkable for its symmetry from base to apex, and is con- sidered one of the best in the Cemetery.
Now we come to a section ( 17) occupied by four families: Ilun, Adams, Reynolds, and Dexter. Dr. Edward R. Hun is buried here ; also Judge Marcus T. Reynolds, for twenty- six years one of the leading members of the Albany bar. lle died July 13, 1864, aged 77. George Dexter, who died in 1883, also rests in this spot.
Opposite on the right is the James lot ( 16) filled with the old fashioned red sandstone monuments. William James who came to Albany in 1793, and became a success- ful merchant, is the central figure in the group and around him are buried many of his descendants and connections. Among them is Isaac Edwards, formerly dean of the Albany Law school. Ile died suddenly, in 1879.
Looking eastward can be seen the handsome Wallace cottage monument with small pillars of Scotch marble and a female figure strewing flowers ; the light granite sarcoph- agus of Dr. Bigelow and Thomas P. Crook (12) ; the Isaac McMurdy marble and the granite sarcophagus of John J. Hill.
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REV. PETER BULLIONS, D. D.
Turning now to the right into the Tour, the Dr. William Bay lot (15) has a number of headstones and on it are six Garrison slabs laid horizontally, said to cover mem- bers of a family who left their money to this much esteemed physician. Dr. Bay died in Albany in 1865, aged 92. He had practiced medicine for 68 years. Further along we note the marble monuments of Dr. David Martin and Samuel Hamilton. On the right, an Italian marble shaft to William G. Weed, an Albany lawyer (16).
Next is the cottage marble monument to Rev. Dr. Peter Bullions, born in Scotland 1791, died 1864, in Troy. From 1824 to 1848 he was teacher of languages in the Albany academy, and was the author of a series of classical text- books which were extensively used forty years ago.
Hale Kingsley's lot has no monument to the memory of that once active republican politican. It is opposite the Josiah Gillespie sandstone (15); then comes the urn-shaped sandstone to Giles W. Porter (16). The Cary-Emerson lot is surrounded with a hedge and bears a pedestal supporting an angel with wreath of flowers. Next we pass the Burhans and the Bradford-Chase marble shafts, the Matthew Wallace marble with urn, the Hawkins granite high cot- tage monument surmounted by a figure of Hope, the Long & Silsby marble cottage monument, and on both sides the avenue, the Mix family are buried.
The Bayeux monument of red sandstone ( 16) was erected by the Albany Burgesses Corps to Capt. Thomas Bayeux. "to commemorate his worth as a man, and his merits as a
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THE ALBANY RURAL CEMETERY.
soldier and commander for which he was highly distin- guished and esteemed." He was born in Poughkeepsie, and died, June 4, 1844.
Back of this lot is a monument to two brothers, who died in battle : James L. Dempsey, first lieutenant 34th Mass., mortally wounded, October 13, 1864 ; and John M. Dempsey, first lieutenant 43d N. Y., died May 6, 1865, from wounds received in the assault on Fort Fisher before Peters- burg. He was a member of the Albany Burgesses Corps. The stone is made up of military and patriotic emblems, and bears the inscriptions: "Our country needs true soldiers," "Our lives are in our Maker's hands," and " My country needs my service and shall have it." Opposite the Payn marble monument is also the grave of Col. Edward Frisby, of the 30th N. Y., who fell in the second battle of Bull Run. A marble headstone with an eagle marks the grave.
William Manson, who furnished many of the stones in this Cemetery, is buried in section 16. He died in 1887. The pink Westerly granites of Charles G. Craft (20) are among the neatest to be found anywhere.
Turn now to the right, and we pass on the left the lot of Rev. Truman Seymour ( 18), with many graves radiat- ing from the principal stone. From this point it is best to retrace ground already covered, down Greenwood avenue, past the Sanford marble in section 18, until we arrive in sight of the Adam Van Allen sarcophagus of pink Westerly granite ( 18). Mr. Van Allen, president of the First National Bank, died August 11, 1884, aged 71. He had been identified with Albany interests for nearly
THE DVER LATHROP MONUMENT. 161
half a century. He was once in the assembly, and for three years was treasurer of Albany county.
The lofty obelisk (19) of Quincy granite tastefully emblazoned on the cast side, is to Luther Tucker, founder in 1826 of what is now the Rochester Union and Adver- tiser, the first daily established west of Albany ; and of the Country Gentleman. Mr. Tucker died January 26, 1873.
In the Newton lot, at the right (11), with its Quincy granite, are buried the first wife, four maiden sisters, the mother and other relatives of Isaac Newton, a famous naval architect, who constructed some ninety steamboats and was the founder of the People's line of steamers.
On a circular lot (11) a large and imposing canopy of marble covers a marble sarcophagus to the memory of Robert M. Seymour who died in 1849.
The loftiest and one of the most expensive shafts in the grounds is that to the memory of Dyer Lathrop (11), sur- mounted by a figure of Hope, in itself twelve feet high. This fine memorial is not as effective as it would be in a larger lot, and in a better situation, but it will always attract attention. Mr. Lathrop died in 1855, aged 67. He had lived in Albany for over forty years, carrying on all that time a mercantile business. He was treasurer of the Albany orphan asylum and that institution was fre- quently indebted to him for help in time of trouble. Ilis daughter married the Hon. Leland Stanford, and it is to the memory of their son that Senator Stanford presented the state of California with $20,000,000 to found at Palo Alto the university which bears his name.
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Close to the Lathrop monument is the William Newton shapely shaft of granite.
.A little east of the Lathrop lot is the marble shaft to the memory of Judge Rufus W. Peckham, and his wife Marie, who died at sea by the sinking of the steamship Ville du Havre, November 22, 1873. Judge Peckham was a native of Albany county ; for two years he was its district attorney, and one term he was its representative in congress. He was defeated for attorney-general by John Van Buren by one vote. In 1859 he was elected justice of the supreme court, and in 1870 to the court of appeals. The last known words of the judge as the ship went down were characteristic of his whole character: " Wife, we have to die ; let us die bravely," and clasping her loved form in his arms, they and 224 others went down into the abyss together.
Almost opposite (19) is the marble monument to the good and gentle William MeElroy who died in Albany November 16, 1887, aged 91.
In this same secluded spot is the circular plat of Billings P. Learned ( 11) with an octagonal pillar of granite. On one of the headstones is the touching inscription: " Wife, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Mr. Learned was educated a lawyer, having graduated from Vale in 1834, but for over thirty years and till his death in 1884, was president of the Union Bank of Albany.
Samuel Hand is buried here, near a canopy of pink gran- ite. The inscription reads: "The darkness is past, and the true light shineth." Mr. Hand was a distinguished lawyer,
LATHROP
DYER LATHROP. Page It1.1
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JOHN C. NOTT.
appointed in 1878 a judge of the court of appeals to fill a vacancy, but soon resumed his very large practice. He died in 1886.
Close by the rippling stream " where he could hear the brook," is buried Marshall Tebbutt ( 19), a well-known Albany undertaker, under a sarcophagus of Barre granite.
Going back up the hill and around the Tucker monu- ment, along the Tour, we pass the Jacob Henry (18), the Lloyd-Dickson, the Thomas II. Herring (9) the William L. Woolett (architect) lots and come to the cottage gran- ite monument of Bradford R. Wood, a member of the 29th congress, and minister to Denmark in 1861. His son, John Hampden, is buried here.
On the right (19) is the granite monument with cross to Gen. John Tayler Cooper, who died in 1878, after being for years one of Albany's social landmarks. Here, also, is the grave of John C. Nott, one of the most popular men of his day in fraternal and political circles. He was the grandson of President Nott of Union college, and his mother was a sister of Gen. Cooper. He served with honor as police justice, and as county judge of Albany county ( 1884-1889). He died in 1890.
"The graves of the Bridgens" (18) are on a steep slope, and thus designated by a thick marble slab. One of the Bridgens was surrogate of Albany county in 1822.
Opposite is the pedestal and urn of sandstone to John V. Henry (19), a distinguished lawyer who died in 1829; also the grave of Rev. T. F. Wyckoff, who died in the West Indies in 1855, aged 34.
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Further along in the hillside are the Brinckerhoff-Pum- pelly. the Stanford and the Pester-Osterhout vaults (18).
Beautiful for situation is the William Appleton plat ( 19), in a natural amphitheatre with hills all around from which can be caught glimpses through the foliage of a massive sarcophagus of solid granite. Granite coping also surrounds the ample lot, from which a path leads down to the very edge of Lake Tawasentha, on which it borders. Here sleeps with other members of his family, William Appleton, who for many years was one of Albany's most respected citizens. Mr. Appleton was a native of England. lle came to Albany in 1832, and began business as a dealer in grain. Ile soon became known as one of the best judges of cereals in the state, a qualification which was largely instrumental in his success in business. He owned a large line of barges plying between New York and Albany, acquired large holdings in real estate, and ulti- mately was connected with many banks and corporations, in all of which he was an important factor. He was a man of public spirit, indomitable perseverance, and the most sterling integrity : was a devoted husband and father; benevolent without ostentation, and kind and considerate towards his employees and business associates. He died in 1883, aged 72. Ilis son, William, a popular young man, rests beside him, having been cut off in early manhood.
FL
WILLIAM APPLETON.
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GRAVES OF THE SPENCERS,
THE MIDDLE RIDGE.
Crossing the little stream, we find at the left, a large enclosure ( 45), with several notable monuments, and many interesting associations. The Spencers are buried here, father and son. Ambrose Spencer, the elder, was a resident of Albany from 1802 till 1839, during which time he was attorney-general, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, member of the constitutional commission, member of congress, and mayor of the city. Three Mrs. Spencers are buried beside him, one dying May 18, iso7, one Sept- ember 4, 18o8 and the third August 26, 1837. His third wife was the sister of Governor De Witt Clinton. John C. Spencer, son of Ambrose, was even more active in public affairs, and particularly in politics. Like his father, he served in both houses of the legislature, and was speaker of the assembly in 1820. He was appointed public prose- cutor in the famous Morgan abduction case, out of which grew the anti-Masonic party. He was secretary of state, and superintendent of common schools, and in 1841 was appointed secretary of war under Tyler, and subsequently transferred to the treasury department. Until 1852 he was a power in the Whig party, but after that time withdrew from politics. He was one of the commissioners appointed by Governor Clinton to revise the statutes of the state. and is regarded as having been one of the ablest of American lawyers. His monument is a handsome marble shaft.
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THE ALBANY RURAL CEMETERY.
In the same enclosure is the John Townsend monument of marble, with granite base ; and another marble monu- ment to Isaiah Townsend, one of the foremost citizens of Albany. These two brothers were merchants in this city when the century was young. They dealt in iron, and became interested in many manufacturing enterprises here and elsewhere. John Townsend was mayor of the city in 1829 -- 31 and 1832-3. Hle married a daughter of Ambrose Spencer, and died in 1854. Isaiah Townsend died in 1838. A granite anchor in this plat is the appro- priate testimonial to his son. Capt. Robert Townsend. U. S. navy, who died in 1866, aged 46, at Chin Kiang, China, while in command of the U. S. S. Wachusett. Hle entered the navy in 1837, served during the Mexican war, and took a distinguished part in the department of the Gulf during the rebellion. Captain Townsend mar- ried Harriet Munro, of Elbridge, N. Y., of a well-known family ; their son Robert also lies buried here. Here also are buried the remains of Dr. Howard Townsend and two of his daughters. He was a distinguished professor in the faculty of the Albany Medical college, and married a daughter of General Stephen Van Rensselaer, the last patroon. Here also lie the remains of the wife of Gen. Franklin Townsend, the daughter of the well-known banker, Mr. Rufus H1. King of this city. Mr. Henry II. Martin, a banker and business man, who married a daughter of Isaiah Townsend, is also buried here with others of his family. So are the children of Gen. Frederick Townsend, one a much beloved daughter of fourteen. At her grave
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THE CHURCH GROUNDS.
stands a singularly handsome granite Maltese eross, in the centre of which a Latin cross is cut through the stone, with the beautiful result that when the sun is in the west there falls upon the little grave, not the shadow, but the sunshine of the cross.
Here in the hill-side is the John De Puyster Douw tomb (52), guarded by two iron lions. The Quackenbush marble is seen on the right. We now pass up the hill and find ourselves on the Middle ridge, in the vicinity of the Davis, Wharton and Boyd marbles (51). Still further to the left is the new Western lodge, just completed.
Beyond the lodge on the right are the church grounds (49), as they are called. Here are interred the remains that were removed from the old State street burial ground. This was accomplished in 1868, preliminary to the laying out of Washington park, and was largely due to the efforts of Peter M. Carmichael, who as a member of the common council was very active in the movement which may be said to have originated with him in 1866. It took con- siderable time to get the churches to consent to the arrangement, but they did so at last, and the bodies were removed by contract, the total expense to the city, includ- ing cost of grounds in the Rural and St. Agnes Cemeteries, being $48,315.
There are few monuments here, but there are many slabs which have been laid horizontally. The inscriptions are some of them curious, and more are sad, read as they are
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THE ALBANY RURAL CEMETERY.
now amid the evidences of neglect and forgetfulness, com- mon to graves of those whose friends are also all beneath the sod, as is the case with the great majority of those who lie in this part of the Cemetery.
The Blunns of West Troy are buried in the lot (51) around which we turn backward to explore further the Middle ridge. The Hamilton cottage marble monument surmounted by a female figure is noted in the same vard (52) with the James Roy marble headstones, each with a cross ; and the Roy sarcophagus of marble with horizontal cross. The Eights marbles and the Cobb granite obelisk are near by. The James A. Mckown lot is without a monument. The John Scott sandstone, handsome in its day, is so no longer. The high marble sarcophagus to Robert Boyd (died 1867), attracts attention by its altitude, and the Alexander Gray monument by its coat of arms, a lion rampant. The M. N. Mead vault is crowned with the figure of an angel. In the Lyman J. Lloyd lot sleeps one of the old business men of Albany. The Chapin and the Ben Hoffman marbles are passed, and opposite the former is the granite shaft to Amos Dean, LL. D., author of a History of Civilization, in seven octavo volumes, and a leading spirit in the organization of the Young Men's Association of Albany, the oldest of its kind in the country.
The prominent granite temple covering an urn full six feet in height and, surmounted by a bronze medallion, by Palmer, framed in granite, is to the memory of Dr. Alden March, the eminent surgeon, a practitioner in Albany for nearly fifty vears. Thirty years of this time he was at the
THOMAS W. OLCOTT.
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THOMAS W. OLCOTT.
head of the Albany Medical college, of which, with Dr. Armsby, he was the founder and benefactor. Ile was also a trustee of the Cemetery.
The Cochran-Walter lot is to the left (53), a horizontal słab recording the death, May 12, 1846, of Rev. William Henry Walter.
At the right (54), on a handsome granite headstone is read the New England name of John Cotton Mather, born 1813, died 1882. A little further on is the Raymond cottage marble designating where Benjamin C. Raymond and family are buried. On this lot stands a granite cross of exquisite proportions in memory of Cornelia Caroline Van Vechten, wife of George B. Raymond, and daughter of Abraham Van Vechten. Underneath the record stands out the always touching aspiration: "Nearer, my God, to Thee."
Now we come to the lots of the Olcott family. On the left (53) upon a finely cut bluestone base rests a sim- ply fashioned pedestal, cut from the finest Hallowell gran- ite, and from it rises a plain square equiform shaft of the same material about twelve feet in height, which is sur- mounted by a cap with a base bearing Egyptian scroll work and with a pyramidal apex. Just below the coping is a bronze medallion portrait by Palmer on a square bronze background. It is a striking likeness of Thomas W. Olcott, to whom, with Rev. Dr. Welch, the Cemetery owes its origin. Mr. Olcott was the second president of the association, a position he held for more than thirty
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vears; and from its inception he was a most devoted friend and indefatigable worker in its interests. The estimation he placed upon the enterprise is well expressed in the words of the original appeal made in its behalf by him as chairman of a committee to procure the necessary grounds:
"We have made many improvements to augment our wealth and importance; let us be able to point to one work, which we may say has been begun and prosecuted to gratify our taste, our social affections and our higher moral sentiments."
It was this feeling that led him to devote so much of his time and thought to the advancement of the Cemetery's inter- ests, notwithstanding his activity in business, politics and public affairs. Ile was the president of the Mechanics and Farmers' Bank for forty-four years; for a long time was United States pension agent; was president of the Dudley observatory, and an active trustee in the leading edu- cational institutions of the city. He died March 23. 1880. His wife, who was Miss Caroline Pepoon, died in 1867. The monument in itself is plain and simple, with a wreath of oak leaves, signifying the sturdy integrity of the great financier, whose features will always make this memorial an object of interest. The plat contains a number of graves, and among them room has been found for Rosanna Vosburgh, born June 17, 1800, died 1884, " for sixty-three years a faithful colored servant," in the family.
The Alexander Marvin marble sarcophagus, on the right (54), is surmounted by a cross ; back of it is a granite
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AMASA J. PARKER.
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JUDGE AMASA J. PARKER.
monument to John Pitkin Norton, and near by a marble shaft to Richard Marvin.
Next is the Thomas Olcott plat which contains three monuments varying widely in design : One is an octagon marble ; another a granite combination of sarcophagus, headstone and cross ; and the third a cottage monument of marble. The latter is interesting as a specimen of Palmer's early work. The bas-relief represents the ascension of the mother who is met in the air by two little angels, her children gone before. On the monument is a nude statue of Love or Remembrance, writing. This is quite unlike anything else in the Cemetery, and has attracted attention for many years.
On the brow of the hill overlooking the lake (54), is a lofty granite cross of New Hampshire granite, erected after designs by Gibson. It suggests Moorish architecture, Christianized by interweaving the sacred monogram in the artistic cutting. It is inscribed :
Fideli
Certa
Merces PARKER
This is the grave of Judge Amasa J. Parker, for many years a leading jurist of this state, and one of Albany's most respected citizens. He was in the legislature in 1834, and in congress in 1836. From 1844 till 1847 he was circuit judge and vice-chancellor, and was then elevated to the supreme court bench. He resumed practice in
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