Buried in Our Backyard

Henry Daniel Gordon. Born Mar. 2, 1886, died Dec. 6, 1939. Interred at Greenmount Cemetery, according to obituary. No verification of headstone as of yet. Henry was a lifelong resident of Whitehall. He was a WWI veteran serving with Company I, 105th Infantry during the company's entire overseas deployment as well as a boatman and laborer in the canal industry in town. He and his family resided at several houses over the years including 25 High St., 24 Bellamy St., 248 South B...ay Rd which may explain the 1910 census addresses as "Lake Basin". Historically contextual perspective: There were only 38 U.S. states when Henry was born.

Charlotte Adams (Howe). Born 1833, died 1895. Aged 61-62 years. Greenmount Cemetery. No headstone picture as of yet. Charlotte married James Adams who lived for 90 years himself, passing 23 years after his wife.

Lemma Bartholomew. Born Sept. 6, 1759, died March 22, 1790. Aged 30 years. Bartholomew Cemetery. Note there is a discrepancy between the gravestone and what is written for us concerning his birth year. Lemma came with his parents, Lemuel and Mary, from Conn. and were original tenants of Philip Skene's land grant. Sadly, he died from a mortal wound; the result of falling from a hay loft onto a pitch fork. What we all know of Lemma, for those who have read the historical road s...Continue reading

Cpt. Benjamin Delamater. Born Mar. 31, 1773, died Jun 4, 1815. Aged 42 years. Interred at the Hatch Hill Cemetery. His headstone is one of so many that I do not have yet but I have included a picture of the cemetery entrance. He and his wife Anna parented 8 children, she passing away in Pennsylvania 38 years after his death. Capt. Delamater served during the War of 1812.

Mary Ryan (Sweeny). Born 1822, died Aug. 19, 1848. Williams Street Cemetery. Inscription: Mary Sweeny Wife of Matthew Ryan... Died Aug. 19, 1848 in her 27th year Mary was born in Ireland though it is unclear when she arrived in Whitehall. Her husband does not appear to be buried in town but previous surveys of cemeteries have proved mediocre in both adequacy and info. The picture is inverted due to the stone being grossly shoved haphazardly in the ground. If the actually base, or grave plot, is even close by the stone it would be anyone's guess. Williams St. Cemetery is in desperate need of a proper survey and restoration before original stones crumble, become weathered and unreadable, and we are left with only the sin of history lost forever.