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Volume 4 Edition 9!
LOCATING BURIAL GROUNDS
WITHIN THE TOWN
I feel that it is important to add burial
grounds, both active and inactive throughout the Town of North Collins and
the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation as well. I believe that a discussion of
the geographical evolution of the Town of Collins is in order. Understanding
this evolution can be a great asset to those researching their ancestors
they believe to have lived in the area.
Situated in the southwestern portion of
Erie County; the present Town of Collins is bounded by the Cattaraugus Creek
to the south; the Town of Concord to the east; the Town of North Collins to
the north; and a portion of the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation to the west.
Until 1772, although no township had been
designated, the area remained under the claims of Massachusetts, and was
known as Albany County. In 1772, the area became designated Tryon County.
This was changed to Montgomery County in 1784, with the Township of
Whitestown finally being designated in 1788.
During 1789 the area became known as
Ontario County and the township Northampton. A further division of territory
came the same year, creating Genesee County which remained intact until
1808. During the Genesee County reign two separate townships were
designated, first Batavia (1802), second Erie (1805).
In 1808 a further territorial division
occurred, creating Niagara County, thus the terminology "The Niagara
Frontier" which remains today. The Township of Willink was also
designated in 1808, in 1812, the area became the Town of Concord.
While the present Town of Collins
celebrates 1812 as it's original inception, it was not until March 16, 1821,
that the Town of Collins was actually set off from the Town of
Concord. Two weeks later, on April 2, 1821, the County of Erie was set
off from Niagara County.
The area remained known as the Town of
Collins, Erie County until November 24, 1852, when the final geographical division
was creating, setting aside the Town of North Collins and giving the area
the geographical territories known today.
Collins - Collins Center
Erie County
New York
BURIAL GROUNDS
- INACTIVE
Clear Creek Friends Cemetery  
As was the custom in the "Old World" early
Americans "lay their dead in a shadow of the church;" The Collins
- Collins Center area shows little exception to that rule. Relatively
speaking, if you locate a church, or the location of a past church, you will
also locate a burial ground.
The early Quaker meeting-house at Bagdad, also known as Clear-Creek
Friends, had its own burial ground as well. In the ALNORCA Series
the burial ground was said to have been located "on the abandoned
road which ran across the farm owned by Mr . Taylor Martin."
In reality the burial ground and Meeting House were located on a slope just a
bit northeast of the corner of South Quaker street and West Becker
road. According to notes maintained by the Collins Friends, a log Meeting House was constructed at this site in 1819. A frame Meeting house was erected here in 1838, a few years later, another frame meeting house was constructed a northern section of Clear Creek near the present Route 39. The Clear Creek Meeting House was discontinued in 1850. It has been noted that more than 300 families are buried here, mainly
persons of the Society of Orthodox Friends, a group allowing no stones
to mark their resting places. The Collins Friends have invited me to utilize their records and resident cemetery expert in search of documentation concerning persons buried in this cemetery.
Any stones that may have been placed had disappeared long before the
1930's leaving any newer residents to believe that a mere empty field lay in
its place. The slope today is a field, plowed, planted and harvested by a
local farmer.
For posterity sake, we shall quote the ALNORCA Series to offer some
evidence of the people who were laid to rest in the Clear Creek Friends
Cemetery: "David Aikens was the first person to be buried there. He
was a blacksmith who had a shop in Taylor's Hollow as early as 1822. The
second was Mrs. Deborah Tucker. Members of the Soule family occupied a long
row of graves through the center of the yard. No trace of this cemetery
remains." The
Harris Cemetery Lying in the tangle of overgrowth and trees, on the back portion of the Ken Martin farm, lies the old Hicksite Friends cemetery (Hicksite
Friends were thusly noted because they were members of the
``liberal'' party, headed by Elias Hicks. Due to a change of views
concerning the divinity of Christ and the Atonement, this group seceded from
the conservative portion of the Society of Friends in the United States, continued next column
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Continued from previous colum in
1827). This cemetery, also known as the Harris Cemetery is located west of
Jennings road near the south branch of Clear Creek (near Conger Road). As
the other noted Quaker burial grounds, this location also marks the
location of a former Friends Meeting house. As early as the 1930'
notations concerning the cemetery read: "Only a few stones are left
standing among the almost impenetrable tangles of weed and eglantine,
presumably the more recent ones." In the 1960's a similar notation
was made: "the few stones are now covered with vines and
underbrush."
The ALNORCA Series noted: "Among the
inscriptions on these are: Mary Edmunds-1843, Elizabeth, wife of Abner
Taft-1855, Jonathan Soule-1849, Rhoda Boyce-1853." Today, these few
inscriptions are all that are remembered of the burial ground.
Quaker
Cemetery  
The old inactive burial ground located on the north side of Route
39 and midway between the hamlets of Collins Center and Collins, in the Town
of Collins, marks the location of another Friends meeting house. This
House of Worship, which is said to have been located across the present
Route 39, was abandoned about 1885, and a new place of worship was
established within the hamlet of Collins. The burial ground, established in 1811 remains,
although year by year more markers fall prey to the elements of nature. The irony of the gate that remains, while the fence surrounding the cemetery has long since vanished, is another disaster so many cemeteries face these days. 
There are a few markers that have persevered, such as those marking the graves of; Augustus Smith, who is said to be the donor of the land for the burial
ground. 
He, along with Joshua Palmerton, one of the first pioneers to
the area, attributed to the first house creating the settlement of Collins
Center are interned here. 
The
Irish, Cook or Shaw Cemetery 
Known as the Irish, Cook or Shaw Cemetery on Foster Road, is located on a ridge, away from the
road. As fall approaches, the cemetery is an easy find, in the cover of the
summer brush, unless you are familiar with the area, the cemetery remains
hidden from those seeking it. I suppose that may be why this cemetery seems
to have maintained its self-respect and dignity. Those willing to desecrate
burial grounds, have not realized it exists. 
In the ALNORCA Series it is stated that the cemetery lies:
"within sight of the great elm by the schoolhouse." I
have been unable to understand whether a second school house was located
near the burial ground, or if the inference relates to the "Little
Red School House" situated a quarter of a mile east.
ALANORCA also indicated: "Here are found examples of an old-fashioned type of tombstone in which is
embedded a picture of the deceased, protected by a swinging cover. During a recent visit to the location (July 17, 2002) I was unable to locate any such tombstones, although I did note that the inscriptions dated back to 1840.
Another quote from ALNORCA that I found rather interesting indicates: "Irish, Cook, Bates, Lindsley, Phillips and Shaw are among the names that
appear-forebears of Mrs. Elton Wells, Grant Shaw and Lloyd Phillips of
Gowanda and Mrs. Isaac Skuse, Mr .Everett Potter and Mr .Arthur Cook of
Collins Center. Here, too, are buried Samuel Warner and his wife Mary-
grandparents of Sumner Warner of Collins and "Pop" Warner of the
gridiron." One of the more infamous persons buried here is Col. Sylvanus Cook who obtained the rank of Colonel in the 198th Regiment of Infantry in 1838. His commission was signed by the governor of New York, William Marcy. Cook's most prized possession, a sword with a bone handle mounted with a brass eagle head, was still possessed by his descendants in the Collins Center area as late as 1933  
NEED SOMETHING SPECIAL?
issuesny@hotmail.com JUST DROP US A LINE, WE'LL BE GLAD TO HELP YOU FIND IT! More Genealogical Resource Pages can be located via the Archives.
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