CHAUTAUQUA, NY
(Hartfield-Stockton Road)
This old cemetery on the south or Chautauqua side
of the Hartfield-Stockton Road across from the Pleasantville
Church, which is on the Stockton side, was the scene of a 1947
bout with devils clubs and woodchuck holes. At least we
hoped they were woodchucks and not skunks.
In 1948 I spoke to the countywide meeting of the cemetery
associations and emphasized this particular cemetery. As a
result, the grange in this locality cleaned up the cemetery -
then promptly forgot about it. Twenty years later I was
again invited to speak to this group and I mentioned what had
been done. The William P. Jackway Post 6764 VFW and its
auxiliary undertook to clean up the cemetery. When I
visited the cemetery I was impressed with the work that had been
don. With trees felled, brush cut, holes filled and the
flagpole with white crosses beneath it, I hardly knew the
place. But as in 1947, it has been again forgotten.
Sunday I spent the afternoon there checking the dates on the
stones. The weeds were up to my knees, I almost fell in a
woodchuck hole and the blackberry bushes are about to take
over. A Westfield newspaper clipping says that the VFW
spent over 100 hours in restoring the cemetery. What a pity
to let it all go to waste.
Clayburne Sampson, who copied this cemetery in earlier days,
listed four Revolutionary Soldiers, five for 1812 and three for
the Civil War. If one checked the records with the
Washington Archives, one might find services for Nathan Alden
born 1786, Anthony Broadfoot 1783, Thomas Flanders 1777, Amos
Hardenburg 1774, Aaron Hull 1785, William Look 1789, James Malone
1788, Thomas Stimpson 1781, Ebenezer Tyler 1786, Asa Tabor 1783
and Stephen Williams 1771. It might be too, that David
Briggs, Isaac Drake, Joseph Squires, Seymour Ensing and perhaps
his son, Adelbert, served in the Civil War. I believe that
this cemetery holds more soldiers than any other deserted
cemetery in Chautauqua County. It would be a splendid thing
if the patriotic societies of Chautauqua County would form an
organization for the preservation of these cemeteries.
The grave of Eleanor L. Kelley, off all alone puzzled me for
years. About five years ago I found that she was the Luella
E. Gravit I had been looking for so long. She was the wife
of Woodley C. Kelley of Kelley Hill out of Stockton, married 17
April 1874. He died and was buried in Warren, PA 8 July
1937. I dont know who his parents were, but he was
born in the Town of Stockton 29 Dec. 1850. His cousin did
not remember what cemetery he was buried in, but the funeral
procession "crossed the railroad tracks." Does
anyone have information on this?
The Miles family has three separate lots. We mixed up the
cards Sunday and only hope that we have restored them to the
proper lot. Lydia, daughter of John and Lydia, buried in
the center of the cemetery beside the Hayward child, is possibly
a sister of the "A. Hayward." We have located
some Miles records and hope to give you something on this family
next month. If any of you have anything to add please send
it in or phone us.
We have been given the name of a Bushee descendant to contact and
also a Chace. We hope to do that very shortly and will
share with you. We also had a letter from another Bushee
descendant. She says her grandmother was Florella Bushee
Johnston who had four sisters: Cordelia, Samantha, Helen
and Letitia; also three brothers: Loyal, Henry and one
other whose name was forgotten. She said the Bushee family
came from Vermont. Cordelia married a Spencer and Helen
married George Putnam. Both girls and Flora lived in the
Mayville area. Lets hear from descendants of the
brothers and sisters.
Guess what we unearthed in our file of 800 Bible records of
Chautauqua County? In a Hudson and Goodwin Bible, published
1813 in Hartford, CT, the children of Caleb and Martha
Aspenwall. (Her grave was in the Bushee Cemetery listed
last month.) There was Caroline born the 24th day of Aug.
1813; Mathew born the 1st day of July 1821; Lafayette born the
8th day of July 1824; Minor born the 13th day of May 1826; Clark
born the 2nd day of May 1829; and Martha Maria born the 12th day
of April 1831. A penciled note says Clark was of the Town
of Ripley. Somehow I feel that Carolines date might
have been misread and should be 1818. We still dont
know what became of these children. There were no marriages
or deaths given. Nor was Calebs birth or death
given. Since Martha, his wife, died in 1871, age 77, Caleb
is probably there beside her. A probing of the earth might
unearth his stone. Or perhaps someone will find that his
grandparent was one of these children and help us.
The Pleasantville Cemetery area used to be a part of the town
of Ellery. I think this is an interesting fact: The
Town of Chautauqua and the Town of Ellery divide at the Thum
road. Instead of dividing it down the middle of the road,
Chautauqua has the part near the lake. The road was named
after the THUM family. On the Town of Ellery end the road
sign says THUM ROAD. On the Chautauqua part the sign reads
THUMB ROAD. This Thum family built the first silo in the
Town of Ellery.
-- Loraine Smith, Ellery Town Historian, 2000.
LOOK CEMETERY
An earlier article by Edna Ingham.
The Look Cemetery is located on County Road No. 86 a short distance east of the hamlet of Pleasantville. This road is the old Chautauqua road from Mayville to Ellicottville and the first settlers in the town of Stockton and many of the first in the town of Chautauqua were located on or near this highway and many of them sleep in this little and long neglected burial ground.
Aaron Miles, son of John and Lydia Miles is at least on of the
first burials, 1811. His marker is inscribed with the following:
"At morn was well, at noon can't tell,
The same respecting me,
For live had fled, and I was dead,
By the falling of a tree."
The cemetery is named for Elijah Look and his wife Mary, residents of the community. He was a Revolutionary Soldier as well as several others and others who saw service in the War of 1812, and the Civil War.
On the lot of Amos Squires a stone is marked, "Triplets 1846-1846" and in another place "Six infants" these are the children of a mother Mary Squires, born 1817, died 1846; could this have been a set of sextuplets?
In June 1966, the Veterans of Foreign Wars' William Jackaway Post, secured from the town of Chautauqua, permission to renovate this cemetery under the leadership of Alfred Tanner, Commander of the Post. They have to date contributed well over 100 hours of labor as well as machinery and as the photographs show, the place is much improved. A plan to continue with the work and to keep the place in repair.
BALDWIN, Mary, see Levi Steadman.
BARNHART, Reuanna (correctly Rheuama) wife of Henry Barnhart died 3 July 1879 age 78.
BEATMAN, William died 5 May 1844, age 28.
BARNES, Silas, 1761-1826.
BOGARDUS, Elizabeth Ann, wife of Robert, died 15 April 1870, age 52.
BRIGGS, David, died 7 Nov. 1913, age 100.
BRIGGS, Izita, wife of David Briggs, died 6 Feb. 1863,
age 21.
BRIGGS, Phebe E. died 4 Jan. 1895 age 57 (she is the
second wife of David).
BRIGGS, David E. son of David and Phebe E. died 17 Dec.
1874, age 5.
BROADFOOT, Anthony, died 7th Aug. 1855, age 72.
BROWN, In memory of Julia Helen, daughter of Duane and Phebe C. Brown who died 8 Oct. 1826, age 2 mos.
CRANDALL, Nancy, wife of James Crandall, died 22 Sept. 1853, age 27.
DENTON, Fowler died 30 March 1874, age 70.
DENTON, Sophia his wife, died 16, Dec. 1850 age 47.
DENTON, Sophia, dau. Died 13 March 1841, age 5.
DENTON, Solomon E., son, died 24 June 1860, age 29
(copied 1947).
DENTON, Samuel W., son died 12 May 1861 age 21.
DENTON, George, son, died 5 Jan. 1862, age 19.
DRAKE, Isaac A. 1836-1887.
DRAKE, Mary A. 1841-1867.
DRAKE, Albert W. 1867-1882.
ENSIGN, Seymour, died 30 July 1881, age 59.
ENSIGN, Sirena C., his wife, died 3 May 1873, age 47.
ENSIGN, Etta G., dau. Died 30 July 1870, age 15.
ENSIGN, Adelbert E. died 1 Aug. 1871, age 26.
ENSIGN, Ella, wife of E.A. Freeman died 14 Oct. 1871, age
23.
ENSIGN, Adelbert and Ella, one stone and inscribed
"Both buried at Minneapolis, Minn."
FLANDERS, Thomas died 9 June 1845, age 68.
FLANDERS, Margaret, his wife died 1 Feb. 1845 age 65.
FLANDERS, Betsey, dau. - stone broken and mended.
Leon Niles calls her wife of Thomas aged 90.
Neither Clayburne Sampson nor I found this data about
her. 1947 plainly called her "dau. of."
FREEMAN, Jonathan, died 17 May 1854 in the 73 yr of
his age. Soldier of 1812.
FREEMAN, Nancy, his wife, died 23 Dec. 1845, age 57.
FREEMAN, Peter E., born 24 Dec. 1803, veteran of Civil
War (no death carved). (He is probably a son of
Jonathan but we have no proof.)
FREEMAN, Anna, his wife born 20 Feb. 1807 died 4 June
1883.
FREEMAN, Laura J., dau. born 1 June 1832, died 21 Nov.
1883.
FREEMAN, John E., son born 7 Aug. 1842 "killed in
Battle of Cold Harbor June 1864."
FREEMAN, Eldridge A., son born 13 March 1837, died 15
Sept. 1840.
These are on a shaft.
REYNOLDS, Melissa F., wife of Henry Reynolds, died 3
March 1867, age 36, is beside it and one might issue she
was a dau.
Also on a separate stone in 1947 but now gone - Eldridge
(stone broken through the final e) son died 15 Sept.
1840, age 2.
These 2 stones are behind Eldridge and probably are a
part of Peters lot.
FREEMAN, Milton G., died 23 May 1862, age 40. Young
lists him as a Supervisor for Town of Chautauqua in 1860.
FREEMAN, Mark J., son of MG and ME Freeman, died 1 June
1872, age 18.
GRAVIT, Henry K. 1801-1890.
GRAVIT, Thankful (first wife) 1803-1864. I think
hers was a stone I found over the fence in 1947 for I
have a second date: died 20 April 1864, age
60. All the children are by Thankful.
GRAVIT, Eliza F., wife of Henry Gravit, died 5 July 1866,
age 39. I have a query written on this card from
years back "Did Mrs. M.E. Freeman marry Henry
Gravit between 64 and 66?" Does
anyone know?
GRAVIT, Almedia, dau., died 12 May 1872, age 29.
GRAVIT, Delila, dau., died 31 May 1856, age 19.
GRAVIT, Fluvilla, dau., died 10 Sept. 1841, age 11.
GRAVIT, George, son, died 19 March 1841, age 3 mos.
GRAVIT, John W., died 21 Sept. 1859, age 33.
GREEN, Joseph, died 19 Sept. 1831, age 48, veteran of 1812.
HARDENBURG, James died 16, 1839, age 65.
HARDENBURG, Jane, his wife, died 14 July 1859, age 83.
HARDENBURG, Warren D., son of J.M. and Julia A., died 27
Feb. 1859, age 1.
HAYWARD, In memory of Nathaniel, son of Col. C. and A. (broken and patched) who died 23 March 1824, age 1. (We are unable to identify Col. C.)
HULL, Aaron, born at Killingworth, CT, 1 May 1785,
died 2 April 1836.
HULL, Jennett, dau. of Aaron and Ruth died 5 April 1836,
age 10 mos.
KELLEY, Eleanor L. 1854-1885, she was born 23 June 1855, died 1 Feb. 1885. Parentage unknown but probably a granddaughter of Henry and Thankful.
LOOK, Elijah "A Soldier of the Revolution and of
the Cross of Christ" died 27 Aug. 1852, age 95-5-?
Has DAR marker.
LOOK, Mary, his wife, died 12 March 1844 age 78.
LOOK, Augusta, wife of Deacon Elijah Look, died 5 July
1852, age 53. She is the same age as his son
William. Is she his wife or the wife of a possible
son Elijah Jr.?
In 1947 outside the fence were the original stones for
William and Matilda.
LOOK, William R. died 18 May 1869, age 80.
LOOK, Matilda his wife, died 7 Dec. 1880, age 66.
LOOK, Rosella 1842-1880-8.
LORD, E. Louisa, wife of Wiard Lord, died 12 Jan. 1852, age 24. Clayburne Sampson deciphers this as 4 months. She is buried on the Gravit lot. Wiard Lord is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in the Town of Stockton with his second wife.
MALONE, James died 15 Sept. 1832, age 44.
MILES, Youngs History of Chautauqua County p.
268 says John came 1810 with these sons: Rand, Orrin,
Corey, Daniel, Ammi, and Arnon
John died 29 June
1840, age 73, veteran of 1812.
MILES, Lydia, his wife, died 2 Feb. 1850, in her 85th
year.
MILES: Sacred to the memory of Arnon their son who
died 5 Nov. 1811, age 18-6-14 (killed by the falling from
a tree).
MIELS, Lydia, dau. of John and Lydia Miels (note
spelling), died 11 March 1869, age 66. (Dont
know why she is buried so far from her parents.
MILES, Cory, died 28 Dec. 1861, age 66.
MILES, Reuama, his wife, died
.
MILES, Amma, son, died 22 July 1833, age 2.
MILES, Daniel, son, died 17 Oct. 1825, age 7 mos.
MILES, Jared, son died 7 Dec. 1845, age 22.
MILES, Daniel 1805-1895.
MILES, Phebe (first wife) died 19 Aug. 1840, age 29.
MILES, Luelsa, dau., died 17 Jan. 1837, age 3.
MILES, Isaac D., son, Co. H 112 Rgt NYSV, died at
Beaufort, NC, 2 Dec. 1863, age 25.
MILES, Morgan C., son, died 30 Aug. 1840, age 4.
MILES, Catherine (second) wife of Daniel, died 5 Sept.
1873, age 60.
MILES, Arnon, their son, died 17 March 1846.
MILES, Amma, died 16 Feb. 1886, age 76.
MILES, Electa, his wife, died 19 May 1864, age 46.
MILES, Alvira, dau. died 11 April 1849, age 2
MILES, Almira, dau. died 3 July 1853, age 6 (twins).
MORSE, Finey A., son of Asa and Olive Morse, died 6 Aug. 1837, age 4.
PARKHURST, Erected to the memory of Nahum Parkhurst
who died 28 Aug. 1833, age 65. A worn inscription
and a 1776 flag "With Wayne in battle, side
by side, unharmed our hero fought."
PARKHURST, Abigail, his wife, died 6 May 1850, age 78.
RUSSELL, Ashael, born 8 July 1786, died 20 Jan.
1866. War of 1812.
RUSSELL, Mary, his wife, born 4 Sept. 1789, died 21 Dec.
1868. Erected by W.S. Russell.
RUSSELL, Mary, their daughter (on stone by Bogardus),
died 25 Dec. 1842, age 20.
RUSSELL, also a footmarker, JJR.
SCOFIELD, Betsey, wife of Shadrach Scofield, died 24
Sept. 1843, age 61. She was Betsey Waterbury.
SCOFIELD, Rheuama, their dau., died 14 Feb. 1819, age 7.
Shadrach is probably here. He was the son of Neazer
Scofield and Thankful dau. of Silvanus and Hannah (Seely)
Scofield, born 19 May 1780. He had 2 daughters,
Eliza and Polly. (From the Scofield Family compiled
by Harriet Scofield of Western Reserve Libaray.)
SQUIRES, Amos, died 17 Ja. 1846, age 48.
SQUIRES, Mary his wife died 8 Jan. 1846, age 39.
SQUIRES, 3 infant daughters at one birth. Died Jan.
1846.
SQUIRES, 6 infant children of Amos and Mary.
STEDMAN, Here lies the body of Levi Stedman for 7
years and 8 months a faithful Soldier of the Army of the
Revolution died 26 Oct. 1834, age 76. DAR Marker.
STEDMAN, Anna, relict of Levi Stedman of the Army of the
Revolution, died at Stedmanville, NY, June 27, 1857, age
91. "A faithful and devoted wife and
mother. Having served her own generation by the
will of God she fell asleep and here awaits the final
resurrection."
STEDMAN, Levi (Jr.) died 5 Oct. 1865, age 72.
STEDMAN, Amy, his wife, died 12 July 1867, age 74.
STEDMAN, Malvina, dau. of Levi and Amy died 7 July 1840,
age 17.
STEDMAN, Susan C., dau. died 11 April 1850 in her 16th
yr.
STEDMAN, Mary Ann wife of David Baldwin and dau. of Levi
and Amy Stedman, died 29 Oct. 1859 in her 31st year.
STIMPSON, Thomas L., died Jan 1862, age 80.
STIMPSON, Sally his wife died 4 March 1857, age 69.
TABER, Asa, died 19 April 1830, age 47.
TYLOR, Ebenezer, died 30 Jan. 1827, in his 41st year.
TYLOR, In memory of Ann Augusta dau. of John and Jane
Tyler who died 8 Aug. 1825, age 7. She is on
opposite side of cemetery from Ebenezer, but both near
entrance.
WASHBURN, Stephen, died 12 Nov. 1820, age 29, War of
1812.
WASHBURN, Anson, son of Stephen and Reuama, died 22 Dec.
1819, age 3.
Where is Reuama?
WATERBURY, Samuel, died 16 March 1834, age 72. A
Soldier of the Revolution. He came from Saratoga
Co., in 1810 with son David and Shadrach Scofield.
WATERBURY, Rachel, his wife, died 26 Feb. 1838, age 79.
WILLIAMS, Stephen died 10 Feb. 1833, age 61.
WILLIAMS, Hannah, his wife died 5 Feb. 1845, age 72.
WORDEN, Emily E., dau. of Albert and Clarissa Worden, died 9 May 1844, age 5.
FELDER?, S. Leo, Oct. 1825. Not sure of spelling in 1947, gone now.
Field Stones
OBL beside Leo above.
By Washburn SW, AW., DM, AM, RB.
By Taber is PM.
By Baldwin is MD and GD.
By Worden is LS (others by right graves.)
ANSWERS
PLEASANTVILLE CEMETERY
Have had several comments on how very nice this cemetery is
looking. We had a letter from Doris Sanford Arnold of
Elmira who says that this cemetery was originally known as the
Freeman Cemetery; that her great grandfather Milton Griswold
Freeman gave the land as a donation. It was part of his
original 300 acres from the Holland Land Company. Milton G.
Freemans death at 40 years, left his wife with four
children. He had been Supervisor for the Town of Chautauqua
where he owned land. The Freeman Cottage was one of the
first built on the Assembly Grounds and is still standing near
the Bell Tower. Mrs. Freeman sold some of the 300 acres at
Pleasantville for what became the County Home but she kept the
land next to the cemetery. She later went to California to
live with her unmarried daughters Frances and Henrietta.
She died in 1902 and is buried out there in Evergreen Cemetery in
Los Angeles. She was the daughter of James Bennett whose
parents were born in Pawlet, VT and his wife Elizabeth Ensign.
Peter Freeman, born 1803, married Anna Miles in 1829. He was a
brother of Jonathan Freeman and an uncle of Milton G. Freeman,
according to Mrs. Arnold. Peter lived to a ripe old age in
Mayville with his son Ancel.
She also says that Henrietta was on the staff of the Los Angeles
Times but had to work under a mans name, using Sidney Ford,
because of the prejudice against women in business. The
Times sent her around the world as a correspondent.
PLEASANTVILLE CEMETERY
Louiella Eleanor Gravit Kelley born Dewittville 1854 married
Woodley Kelley 18 April 1874 and she died 1 Feb. 1885.
Besides her husband she left 3 small children, Burton, Edith, and
Earl. Whe she was married her father gave her a small farm
nearby on the Maring Road. When she died in 1885 they were
probably living on that farm and the cemetery being nearby she
was buried in it. Besides there were other Gravits buried
there. GLK, Clearwater, Fla.
SOURCE: Fenton Historical Society Deserted Cemetery Series. From the Jamestown Journal 28 June 1969, compiled and written by Edna Ingham.