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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
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Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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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

  [4-5]

                        THE FRANKLIN SQUARE CEMETERY
                                  -------

        The reasons for this change, which was made at a very early day,
     were, first: the title to the JOHNSTON place was yet in the dower, and
     if it was not deeded to the village, there might be trouble in after
     years from a change of owners. This proved to be the case; for JOHN
     (or JACK) JOHNSTON (son of the old Captain) who inherited the pro-
     perty, incumbered it by a mortgage to JASPER PARRISH as agent and
     trustee of the Cayuga Nation; and this mortgage not being paid, was
     duly foreclosed, and the place sold in 1811.
        And second: this site was deemed to be too near the center of a
     population numbering but a few score, This "Franklin Square" lot was a
     central portion of the then beautiful Terrace, on whose grassy surface
     the Indians used to recline, and view the lake in all its pristine
     beauty; a scene which Judge PEACOCK described when he first came on
     the spot (being then nineteen years of age), saying "It is one of the
     most beautiful views I ever put my eyes upon."
        In the new cemetery the first interment was that of JOHN COCHRANE,
     a traveler from Connecticut, who died at BARKER'S tavern, a log house
     facing south, standing on the Terrace near the corner and west of Main
     street. As a verbal consent had been given by Mr. ELLICOTT to use the
     lots, the man from "the land of steady habits," was there buried; and
     from that time most, if not all, burials ceased in the Washington
     street place, except those of JOHNSTON'S family or relatives thereof.
     Tradition says that a very tall Indian, from his altitude termed the
     "Infant," was the second silent inhabitant of the village cemetery,
     and it soon became the recognized place for burials; though with the
     usual carelessness of early settlers, the title to it was not obtained
     from the Holland Land Company until 1821.
        This can easily be accounted for, as there was no village corpor-
     ation to hold the gift; and after it had been in use some years, it
     was believed that the village had a right by possession. There was no
     individual ownership of the lots; but persons, on application, had
     family or single lots assigned them by the trustees, until 1832, when
     burials as a general thing were discontinued there. The last was in
     1836, being that of the wife of Hon. SAMUEL WILKESON, a daughter of
     GAMALIEL ST. JOHN; and a special permit was granted for this purpose.
        The old burying ground was remote from the village proper, and was
     covered with a growth of bushes and scrub oak, with a few larger
     trees. A part of it was used at one time as a site for a small wooden
     building, in which was kept an infant school.
       In addition to the villagers, those who resided even as far out as
     the "Plains," (with the exception of a few families who buried on
     their own premises), brought their dead to the general gathering
     place. This irregular proceeding was stopped as far as the city
     authority extended in 1832, when the advent of the cholera caused
     very stringent sanitary measures to be taken.

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