LEWIS CEMETERY
ALSO KNOWN AS
LEWIS - UNION CEMETERY
ALSO KNOWN AS
LEWIS BURYING GROUND
IN TOWN OF ELLERY
COMPILED BY LORAINE C. SMITH, TOWN OF ELLERY HISTORIAN, 2005
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LEWIS CEMETERY
The Lewis Cemetery, named for Abel Lewis, is located on the north-west corner of Lot 59, Township 3, Range 12 (on Lewis Road.)
Abel Lewis, of the Town of Ellery, gave a warranty deed to J. Winchester, supervisor of the Town of Ellery, consideration $10, part of Lot 59, and to his successors in office, in trust for a certain society formed in the Town of Ellery by name, "Union Society" to be used and occupied as a Burying Ground, and for no other purpose, containing one-half acre, they to keep this parcel well and sufficiently fenced with rails, boards, or other materials.
The deed sealed and delivered in the presence of Ira Haskin. This warranty deed dated September 9, 1828, acknowledged December 8, 1828, recorded August 11, 1841, in deeds Liber 33, page 86.
On September 21, 1892, Levi Carpenter was taking subscriptions to build a fence around this cemetery. On the road side of the cemetery the fence was set on the first row of Lots 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
The oldest burial on record is of Emily Sumner, died April 30, 1825, age 12 years, the daughter of Darius and Desire Sumner.
There is a rumor that an early map of this cemetery existed showing the lots and names of those buried thereon. This map was said to be mounted on the back of a wooden checker board, however, no map could be located ca. 1933, when the cemetery was cleared of all poison ivy, berry bushes, etc., by the American Legion.
On February 22, 1934 the American Legion, Ellery Memorial Post No. 947, made a map of the cemetery lots with what is believed to be the names of the early lot holders.
The Legion paid for help to care for the cemetery and mowing of the grass for several years.
In years past a wagon load of gravestones had been carted off to construct a private home walk. At this time the Lewis Cemetery was in a state of being restored. There were numerous stones piled in corners along the edge of the cemetery.
Today the cemetery is cared for by the town of Ellery.
File cards with data of Town of Ellery residents, notes, letters, from the personal collection of the late Doris W. Carlson and Loraine C. Smith, Bemus Point, NY.
Town of Ellery Veteran Records - personal collection of Loraine C. Smith, Bemus Point, NY.
List of copied tombstone inscriptions in 1933 by the late Claybourne B. Sampson.
List of copied tombstone inscriptions in 1905 by the late Charles Alvan Hoag and his notes on Ellery Friends, (Quakers).
Newspaper articles and Census records.
Materials of the late Mrs. Edna Ingham, Jamestown; the late Miss Carrie Young, Bemus Point, and the late Leon Niles, Stockton.
Publications:
HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N.Y. AND IT’S PEOPLE by John P. Downes, Vol. I - II, published in 1921.
HISTORY OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY 1875 By Young
PIONEER HISTORY OF HOLLAND LAND PURCHASES 1849 OF WESTERN NEW YORK by Towne.
The Descendants of Timothy Carpenter of Rensselaer Co., N.Y. compiled by Charles Lorain Carpenter, Rear Admiral U.S. Navy Ret. 1976
Annis Family compiled by Verle L. Annis 1978
The Thomas Brownell Family 1619-1910 Vol. 1, compiled by George Grant Brownell.
Pickard and Allied Families compiled by Marilyn Ford Anderson and Anna Carpenter Waite 1979.
Speeches from 1902 Haskin Reunion.
Assistance from relatives.
Assistance from the many computer friends.