NYGenWeb Putnam County, New York History of Putnam County

Travis Burying Ground

On the east side of the creek, a short distance above the road that runs over Bryant Hills, is the Old Travis Homestead, now owned by chadwick Travis. This was the home of Titus Travis, who came here before the Revolution, and was the ancestor of several of the families of that name. Titus Travis died February 25, 1815, at the age of 76. His grandson, Chadwick, an aged man, is the only one of the name in the immediate vicinity. On the west side of the Peekskill Hollow road, a little way north of the road running west by the school house, are the remains of an old house, whose curious stone chimney dates back to Revolutionary days. This was the dwelling of George Travis, one of the sons of the original settler. At the corner of the main road and the one going over Bryant Hill, is the old Travis burying ground, where rest some of the former residents, among whom are the following:

Moses Odell, died Nov. 6th, 1885, age 81;
Titus Travis, Feb. 25th 1815, age 76;
Elizabeth, wife, Feb. 19th, 1821, 80;
Titus Travis, Jan. 1st, 1853, 76;
Elizabeth, wife, Oct. 2d, 1866, 89;
George Travis, June 23d, 1843, 83;
Joseph Nickerson, July 1st, 1868, 85;
Deborah, wife, Oct. 3d, 1826, 39;
Richard Satterly, born on Long Island, 1705, died Jan 17th, 1798;
Johannah, his wife, died Dec. 8th, 1798, aged 72;
James Satterly, April 6th 1831, 65;
Lawrence Odell, June 25th, 1821, 49.

William Dusenbury, who is mentioned before, had a brother Moses, who settled south of Adam's Corners. His son, Moses, jr., was here during the Revolution, but left no descendants. At the extreme southeast corner of the town, and bounded east by the Roger Morris Lot line and south by the bounds of Westchester, was the farm of Isaac Penoyer, a descendant of a Huguenot family, and who came from the lower part of Westchester. North of this was the farm of Col. John Hyatt, whose sons, John and nathaniel, lived on the same farm and were famed as being the best farmers in the neighborhood. The farm has been divided into several parts and the homestead is now owned by Walter N. Wood. Next north of the Hyatt farm was a tract owned in former times by a family named Lane. This, like the former, has been long since subdivided, a large portion being now owned by Mr. Wood. North of the Lane farm was a tract of 400 acres owned by Isaac Rhodes, who is said to have been a Baptist preacher in early times. This is also now divided among several owners, the place where the old house stood being owned by William Horton. The original farm was bounded north by the farm of Abraham Smith, the first settler in these parts, which has been previously described. Among the settlers before the Revolution was John Smith, who lived on the east line of the present town, on a farm now owned by Robert W. Lounsbury.

Village Cemetery

In quite early times, tradition states that Richard Curry came up to the Peekskill Hollow from White Plains. He travelled on horseback with his wife, bringing all his worldly goods with him, and settled below Adams' Corners. While sitting, one summer day, with a young child between his knees, a flash of lightning killed the child instantly, leaving the father unharmed. The young victim of the "fires from heaven " was buried on the hill, on the west side of the road and from that time to the present this place has been the village cemetery. Here rest the men and women of a long past age, and the following names and dates are taken from the tombstones:

The title of this burying ground seems to have remained in doubt for many years. October 5th, 1842, Charles Adams and others sell, for a nominal consideration, to "the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church of Philipstown Circuit, in Putnam Valley,"   "all that certain tract of land situate on the northwesterly side of the Peekskill Hollow road, beginning at an ash tree standing by the brook on the northwesterly side of said road, and running along the land of Nicholas Purdy, thence north  &ce., for the use of a burial ground for the neighborhood, and for all other persons, whom the party of the second part may permit to be buried there."

Carmel Valley Burial Ground

North of Tompkins' Corners, on the east side of the road, by the side of the creek, is a small burial ground containing many monuments to the memory of former residents in this part of the valley. This cemetery was incorporated May 14th, 1853, under the name of the Carmel Valley Burial Ground, at a meeting held at the house of William M. Hadden. The trustees elected were: Bartholemew Tompkins, Isaac Hulse, Hiram Adams, Isaac S. Austin, Ira Conklin, Moses Hadden, Norman L. Travis, William H. Hadden, Robert Baker, Ebenezer Lockwood, Daniel Lockwood, John Hulse, Samuel Christian and Titus Sackrider.

The following names and dates are copied from tombstones:

Return to the Table of Contents for the Chapter XXVIII .

Return to the Table of Contents for the History of Putnam County .

Return to the Town of Putnam Valley .

Return to the main page of Putnam County web site.

Return to NYGenWeb web site.

These pages are maintained by the Putnam County Coordinator, Cathy Horn.

© 1998-2002  Cathy Horn. All Rights Reserved.