Eaton Village Cemetery History and a Special Halloween Cemetery Tour!

Sometimes a cemetery is historic for a number of different reasons as well as for the famous people buried in it. One such cemetery is the  Eaton Village Cemetery which occupies a hill outside of the Hamlet of Eaton and contains the remains of many famous and near famous people.  As a special treat we will be holding a fall cemetery tour on Saturday, October 31st....yes Halloween...at 1pm.  The tour is free with a hope that you will donate something to the Cemetery Association and of course...Back street Mary will be giving the tour! The Cemetery is located just off Route 26 in the Hamlet of Eaton.

M E Messere

The cemetery itself dates to before 1800, on a piece of property donated by Squire Eldred. It rests on the side of the Old Indian Trail and a recently discovered map shows that the early road was exactly where the current road is. Also open at 1pm is the Historic Eaton Museum on River Road!

Little care or attention was given the site for a number of years with cattle roaming it and overgrowth covering it, but in 1852, George Morse grandson of the famous Joseph Morse, bought a piece of property next to the cemetery which started him on a labor of love keeping the grounds for his lifetime.

Morse took care of the grounds planting trees & planting the myrtle that still covers the hill today.  Morse also installed fences to keep the cows that roamed nearby out. Other early pieces of property that added to the cemetery's size belonged to J. T. Whitney.  In 1884 the present Eaton Village Cemetery Association was formed, an association that still cares for the cemetery today.

Buried within its borders are the founding Morse family, the Landon Family members including the famous Eli Perkins (Melville Landon) who is buried at the top of the cemetery steps. There are Chubbucks, including the father of Samuel W. Chubbuck inventor of the camelback key and sounder for Morse’s telegraph and siblings of Emily Chubbuck Judson,  the author and missionary.

Many Civil War veteran's includingCol. Henry Bagg Morse of the famous 114th Regiment of NYS Volunteers and relatives of Charles Grandison Finney who once attended school in the one room school house that was located in the cemetery.  In a special section lies the first female physician of Madison County Diedamia Button Chase and beside her is her famous daughter, historian Luna Chase Hammond. Near the front of the cemetery lies Allen N. Wood  founder of the world famous Wood, Taber & Morse Steam Engine Works, and many more.

So take a short hop on the NYS Scenic Highway Route 20, and visit the historic Eaton Cemetery. For more informatio on the cemetery or to tour the Old Town of Eaton Museum you can email backstreetmary@yahoo.com.