Sinclairville Burying Ground

The, Sinclairville Burying Ground was the second place of interment set apart in the town of Charlotte.

On the 20th of June, 1809, John Pickett, of the Pickett
Settlement, piloted a party of pioneers down Mill Creek, and along the
grounds afterwards selected for burial purposes at Sinclairville, to
Cassadaga Creek. Here he felled a tree to enable the party to cross.
After pointing out the way that led through the woods to the Smiley
Settlement in Ellery, he returned to his home. No white man that we
have any account of had visited the place now occupied by Sinclairville
prior to Mr. Pickett, except the surveyors of the Holland Land Company.
They, in 1808, ran the northern line of Lot 41, which passed very near
to the northern limits of the village burying ground and cemetery.

In March, 1810, Major Sinclair, William Berry and his family,
and some others arrived at Sinclairville, completed and occupied the
first building erected in the village – a log house that had been
commenced the fall before. The first clearing made here in this
wilderness, was a tract of two or three acres that lay east and
adjacent to the burying ground, which in June following was planted to
corn. In the summer of 1810, a dam was thrown across Mill Creek, and a
saw-mill built northwest of the cemetery, not a stone's throw from its
western limits. It thus happens that the first openings in the forest
at Sinclairville, and the first settlement of the village, were made
close around this burial place.

A little later, and improvements were commenced further away.
Clearings began to be made, and buildings to be erected, on and near
Main street, and along what is now Railroad avenue. The barren
character of the soil where the burying ground and cemetery are located
was undoubtedly the cause of its not having been selected for
improvement, so that the thick forest and undergrowth of hemlocks, for
several years after the settlement of the village, remained
undisturbed, the natural habitation of rabbits and conies, which even
to this day haunt the locality.

No spot for burial purposes was allotted to the public for some
time after the settlement of the village. The first settlers were hardy
and vigorous people. But few died during the early years. The first
death that occurred within the corporate limits of the village was that
of Elisha Winsor, an infant son of Abraham Winsor, who then lived on
Railroad avenue, just north of the town line. He died in 1814, four or
five years after the settlement of the village. He was buried on the
bank or hill, that rises a little west of the iron bridge over Mill
creek, on Railroad avenue. Hiram Sinclair, an infant son of Major
Sinclair, died in March, 1818. He was buried in a little grove of plum
trees which then grew a few feet northwest of the hotel, near the east
line of the village lot now owned by James A. Clark. One or two other
young children may have died in the village, and been buried without
the limits of what afterwards became the burial ground.

About the year 1818, Mr. Sinclair set apart for the use of the
public for burial purposes, two acres of land, substantially what is
known as the Old Burying Ground. It occupies the southeasterly portion
of the lands enclosed and improved as Evergreen Cemetery. It is not
certainly known who was the first interred here. Many years ago, a
young traveler on his arrival at Sinclairville, was prostrated by
sickness. He was well cared for by Mrs. Sinclair at the tavern, and at
the house of Dr. Sargent, but died after a lingering illness, and was
buried in the Old Burying Ground. His grave was long known as the
“Stranger's Grave.” Upon a rude, unfinished head-stone, near the
central and western part of the Old Burying Ground, is carved in
distinct and well-formed letters, the following words, “Febr'y 28
1818.” This is the oldest inscription in the grave-yard, and may mark
the stranger's grave, and perhaps the place of the first burial. A few
feet from it, is an old, uncut headstone without inscription, while a
little way in another direction is a rude headstone, on which are cut
the letters, “S. W.” In the vicinity of these old stones are a number
of unmarked graves, while others near them have at the head undressed
stones, evidently gathered from the creeks and fields around, upon
which usually there is no inscription. These undoubtedly are the oldest
graves in the burial place, made before grave-stones, finished by
workmen skilled in the business could be readily procured. The first
well authenticated burial made in this ground was that of two infant
children of Sylvanus L. and Hannah Henderson. They died January 26,
1820, and were buried in the Old Burying Ground when it was nearly
covered with forest trees. The remains of these children were
afterwards removed to the lot of W. W. Henderson in the new cemetery.
Among the oldest graves is that of the infant son of Samuel Brunson,
who died November 21, 1821. In a conspicuous place, not far from the
center of this old burial ground, is the grave of Major Samuel
Sinclear, the founder of the village, and the person from whom it
derives its name. He belonged to a distinguished family of New
Hampshire. He was a near kinsman of Joseph. Cilly, formerly United
States Senator from New Hampshire, and of Jonathan Cilly, who while a
member of Congress from Maine, was killed in the celebrated duel with
Graves of Kentucky. He was a kinsman of Gov. Benjamin. F. Butler of
Massachusetts. In his youth Major Sinclear was a soldier of the
Revolution, in the regiment of his uncle, Col. Joseph Cilly, a
distinguished officer of that war. Mr. Sinclear was in the battles at
Saratoga that immediately preceded the surrender of Burgoyne. He was in
the battle of Monmouth, and at Valley Forge. He served in the campaign
against the Indians under Sullivan. At his grave is an ancient, but
fine headstone; carved from the quarry stones of .the county, and
finished with skill and taste, scarcely equaled by any other in the
burial ground.(2)

On the same lot is buried his wife, Fanny Sinclear, and her
mother, .Thankful Bigalow, who died in the year 1839, at the age of 96
years, 11 months, and 8 days. Pioneers of the county lie buried here,
in graves without head-stones, who have many descendants living in the
locality of the burying ground. Among the earliest residents buried
here, whose graves are marked, , are Nathaniel Johnson, and Sylvanus L.
Henderson his son-in-law, Abraham Reynolds, Samuel Hurley, Warren
Dingley, John M. Brunson, Justus Torrey, John Sinclair, David Cobb,
Melzer Sylvester, Lemira Camp, William M. Wagoner, Hannah Wagoner, and
John McAlister, who died at the age of 88. He was the founder of the
Baptist church in Sinclairville, and grand-father of Gen. John
McAlister Schofield, the general highest in rank in the armies of the
United States. Here are buried the Rev. Chester W. Carpenter, Rev. N.
H. Barnes, and Rev. J. B. Gale, esteemed pastors of the Congregational
Church in Sinclairville; Dr. Gilbert Richmond, and also Henry B.
Hedges, young and skillful physicians – over the remains of the latter
stands the first monument erected in the town; Albert Richmond and
Elezer M. Peck, well known lawyers of Sinclairville; Jarvis B. Rice,
once Sheriff of Chautauqua, and John M. Edson, a well known citizen,
formerly a Judge. He came to Sinclairville in 1810, with the family of
Major Sinclear, his step-father. He was prominent among the pioneers of
the county. Among other well known persons buried here are James
Williams, John Reed, Ulysses Tracy, David Sinclear, Henry Kirk,
Elizabeth Hedges, Jonathan Hedges, Asa Dunbar, William Strong, Ebenezer
Skinner, Caleb J. Allen, David Sackett, John Thorn, Ebenezer and
Erasmus Brown, Anna Brunson, Nelson Mitchell, John Arnold, Isaac
Newton, Susan Marsden, Henry Smale, a citizen of Cuba, West Indies, Dr.
Samuel Parker, and Robert LeGrys.

Although the land constituting the Old Burying Ground was fully
dedicated to the public, and for many years actually used as a burial
place, yet no written conveyance was made of it by Major Sinclear in
his life-time. Upon a carefully prepared map of the village of
Sinclairville, made by Simeon Clinton, May 10, 1836, is accurately
delineated all of the village lots, including that of the Old Burying
Ground, giving the length and bearing of its boundary lines. Upon a
still older map, the burying ground appears, carefully plotted with
respect to its dimensions and boundary lines, while upon the earliest
plot of the village that has been preserved it is not delineated. The
first conveyance of these grounds made to the public was by deed
bearing date March 3d, 1849, executed by Elias S. and Jonathan Hedges,
and Lucy his wife, to “John Reed, John M. Brunson, and Nelson Mitchell,
trustees, duly appointed by the town of Charlotte, to superintend the
burying ground situate near the village of Sinclairville.” Subsequently
the boundary line of the old burying place was slightly changed by the
conveyance of a small portion of its grounds to Richard D. Sherman, in
exchange for a strip of land nearly twenty feet in width, extending
along its western limits. The ground was regularly surveyed, and
divided into lots, probably not long after it was dedicated to the
public, but during many years afterwards, no one exercised any special
authority over it. Nothing was charged for lots. People buried their
dead where they chose, and no inconvenience or misunderstanding
resulted. Such money and labor as was expended to keep the grounds in
order, was raised by subscription. A sufficient amount was raised in
this manner, at one time, to build a good and substantial board fence
around it. No one regularly served as sexton. The graves were dug by
such persons as happened to be at hand. At a town meeting held March 7,
1848, John Reed, John M. Brunson, and Nelson Mitchell were chosen
trustees. These were the first persons who had lawful authority to
exercise control over it. At a town meeting held March 6, 1849, Isaac
Newton was also chosen trustee. For many years, Harrison Nichols was
usually employed to dig the graves, and perform some of the duties of
sexton. At a town meeting held February 21, 1865, the Board of Trustees
of Evergreen Cemetery were duly elected trustees of the burial ground,
and at a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Evergreen Cemetery, held
April F, 1865, B. W. Field was elected Superintendent of the burial
ground, and John Dewey its Secretary and Treasurer.

(2) This and several other fine
grave-stones, in the Old Burying Ground, were made by the Damon
brothers. The parents of the Damons came to the town of Pomfret in
Chautauqua County, in the year 1816, with their four sons, Stephen,
Martin, Joseph, and North. The sons were rough, intemperate men. They
lived upon a farm in the south part of Pomfret, near the residence of
the late Elisha Norton, on the Old Chautauqua Road. Little is known
about Stephen. He was a half-brother of the others. . Martin was a
stone-cutter, and fashioned many of the grave-stones that are so
numerously seen in the early burial places of the county, particularly
the old cemetery at Fredonia. These grave-stones are readily recognized
by the style of the work, as well as the material out of which they are
made. They are usually in a good state of preservation, and are
valuable as fine specimens of early skill. Martin carried on his
business for a short time in a shop at, or near, the village of
Fredonia. He was the most respectable of the family, and his work
proves him to have been a man of ability in his business, possessing
skill and taste. There is an unique and almost grotesque specimen of,
his work in the old cemetery at Fredonia. Upon an ancient stone, set at
the grave of Capt. Thomas Abell, who died in 1814, he has represented
the Day of Judgment. The angel Gabriel is seated on a great cloud, with
a trumpet nearly as long as his body, out of which issues the words,
“Ye dead arise,” “Come to judgment.” Other angels are seated on the
cloud, hiding their faces in their hands, as if weeping. Beneath them,
tombstones are represented as falling into confusion, and the dead,
with bald beads, and curious, chubby faces, appear to be ascending out
of opening graves. The execution of this rather remarkable design is
fine, much of the work being in high relief. The stone is fast going to
decay. It would be well worth the trouble for those having the cemetery
in charge to preserve a fac simile of this curious piece of workmanship
as a relic of the past.

It told of Martin, who had a ready and sarcastic wit, that a
leading Fredonia physician who saw him at work, jocosely asked him if
it was his custom to letter the grave-stones before the person for whom
they were intended had died. Martin grimly replied, “Not unless I hear
he is your patient.”

Joseph quarried the stone on the farm, from the quarry still
known as the Danion quarry. On the 24th of April, 1834, he committed
murder upon the person of his wife. He was tried at Mayville in
September of the same year. He was ably defended by James Mullet of
Fredonia, one of the most talented and eloquent lawyers in Western New
York. He was convicted, and hung at Mayville, May 15, 1835. This was
the first execution for a capital offense in the county. It occurred in
the open field, in the presence of a large concourse of spectators. It
was regarded as a prominent event in the early history of the county,
and a deep impression was made upon the many people who witnessed the
melancholy scene. The skull of Mrs. Damon, and the iron bar with which
the murder was committed, are now in the possession of Elias Forbes of
Fredonia. Joseph left two children.

Soon after his brother's execution, North Damon went to Canada.
Subsequently dark rumors came back, that he too had been executed for
murder. Martin died soon after the death of Joseph.

I am indebted for many of these facts respecting the Damons, to Hon. F. F. Warren. 
O. E.

Source: Page(s) 9-15, History of Evergreen Cemetery.  by Obed
Edson. Sinclairville, New York, Press of the Commercial, 1890.