Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Buffalo Cemeteries, An Account of the Burial Places of Buffalo From the Earliest Times Read Before the Buffalo Historical Society, February 4, 1879 by WILLIAM HODGE Pub. Bigelow Brothers, Buffalo, N.Y.; 1879 [20-22] ROMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERIES ------- Of these there have been and are quite a number. I mention these in order of the times of opening for use. OLD ST. LOUIS. —This was situated in Edward street, near Main. Burials commenced here in 1830, in ground given by Mr. LECOUTEULX for the purpose. But in 1832, the city authorities prohibited them, as they had done in other cases, and the use of this ground was discontinued. The bodies were, so far as they could be discovered, removed to the then new grounds next below mentioned ; and the place became the site of the priest's house. NEW ST. LOUIS. —Thus it is proper to distinguish the lot referred to (page 8, above) as set off from the city Potter's Field. It is situated between North and Best streets, having 88 feet front on each; It being a strip taken from the west part of the original five acres. contains perhaps an acre of ground, more or less. It was opened in 1832, and closed in 1859. OLD ST. MARYS. —This is situated on the southeast corner of Johnson and North streets. It was opened in 1845, and closed in 1860. It con- tains about one and one-half acres. Many bodies have been removed to the new ground at Pine Hill; though the place has not been devoted to any other purpose, and bodies are yet lying there. ST. FRANCIS XAVIER. —This ground is at North Buffalo (Lower Black Rock). It was opened about 1850, and is still in use. It is situated near the crossing of Bird street by the Falls branch of the New York Central Railroad, and contains about two acres. St. John's church. North Buffalo, has also use in common of this ground. ST. JOSEPH'S. —This ground is situated at Elysville on Buffalo Plains, just south of the Poor-house — about five miles from the Buffalo postoffice. It was opened in 1850, and is still used. It contains about six acres. HOLY CROSS. —This cemetery is at Limestone Hill, South Buffalo, about four miles from the postoffice. It was opened in 1855, and contains about eighty acres. It is distinguished as being the Bishop's cemetery, as the title is solely in him. In this it is different from all the other Roman Catholic grounds, which are either under the state law incorporated and held by trustees, or are owned by the various parishes whose names they bear. This cemetery is also peculiar in that it is used exclusively for burial of those of Irish birth. UNITED GERMAN AND FRENCH. —This is used for the burial of Roman Catholics of these two nationalities, as the Holy Cross is for Irish persons. It is also a corporation under trustees, as noted in the preceding article. Besides this, it should be specially stated that somewhat as Forest Lawn has become the chief Protestant and general cemetery, into that just named have been merged all the Roman Catholic cemeteries which were within the city limits, except that at Limestone Hill. Of it, the original fourteen acres purchased in 1858 and opened in 1859 for burial purposes are now entirely filled with graves, and the twenty-eight acres purchased nine years ago are rapidly filling up. The grounds are laid out with much skill and taste and by a system of records of great minuteness and accuracy, followed for twenty years, the Secretary is able to give in a moment the exact place of burial, and numerous chief descriptive and identifying facts concerning every person buried within this cemetery, in that time. It contains in all 42 acres. Pine Hill, where this and several other cemeteries below mentioned are located, is on the direct Batavia road (New Genesee street) about a mile beyond the present city limits. It is, on the whole, a very favorable location for cemetery purposes. =========================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access the more of our information about Erie County, N.Y., by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/ny/erie/ ===========================================================================