Fall History Day and Lecture on the Historic Eaton Cemetery

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 lecture and virtual tour of the cemetery tour on Sunday, October  19th at 3 pm at the site of the Old Auction Barn on Rt. 26 in Eaton.  The talk and tour are free with a hope that you will donate something to the Cemetery Association and the Eaton Museum. 

Backstreet Mary will be giving the lecture for Fall History Day. On Fall History Day the Museum will be open from 1pm until 3 with the lecture to start at the auction barn site at 3.30. The museum is a stones throw away on River Road in walking distance. Refreshments will be served to celebrate Fall and all the  local history of many colors!

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. 

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 including Col. 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, For more informatio on the Old Town of Eaton Museum you can email backstreetmary@yahoo.com.

Up Coming Memorial Day, Museum and History plus Fun

Well...while thinking about the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday I was struck by the fact that this year will really be unlike so many before.  Our little Museum crew was going to do a celebration for the 25th Anniversary of the Neighbors for Historic Eaton the group that started this whole history of Eaton gig.  Doesn't seem possible but its been 25 years. But the Covid 19 has ended these thoughts for this year.

What started as a parade and cake in 1995 has now expanded to two museum buildings, websites and history research area, as well as a place in the historical community of New York State.  There is much work to be done though, especially on getting our research work labeled, setting up cleaning for old documents and sorting etc, ...for this we will need volunteers,,,but that must wait just like the Memorial Day Celebration this year.

In a week I will start a series on the Revolutionary War and the early settlers of Eaton who served in that war and I am hoping to do a presentation on video of the cemetery and the man who we have chosen to honor this year.  He has a famous name... Myles Standish, and yes he is a direct descendent of Myles Standish of the Plymouth Colony.

So while wandering around the Cemetery I came across the grave of Melville Landon, better known as Eli Perkins.  He was a Civil War Veteran, a Major and helped set up defenses for Washington DC before the War.  His later life made him a lecturer and comedian.  So to cheer us up a bit I am going to include a piece of humor he wrote on one of Eaton's past residents...a real businesses man whose store was on Main Street across from today's gas mart.

Uncle Hank

Uncle Hank Allen was perhaps the smoothest and most accomplished liar in central New York. There were other ordinary country post-office liars in the beautiful village of Eaton, New York, where I was born but Uncle Hank could lie like a gifted metropolitan. 

Every night Uncle Hank’s grocery was filled with listening citizens, all paying the strictest attention whenever the good old man spoke. When Charley Campbell or John Whitney lied nobody paid much attention because they were clumsy workmen. Their lies would not hold water like Uncle Hank’s.

Why, the old man’s lies were so smooth, so artistic, that, while listening to them, you imagined you were listening to Elder Cleveland’s Bible stories.

One day they were talking about potato bugs in Uncle Hank’s grocery:

“Talk about potato bugs,” said Dr. Purdy, “why, up in my garden there are twenty bugs on a stalk.”

“Twenty bugs on a stalk! Only twenty!” mused Charley Campbell contemptuously, “Why..they ate my first crop of potatoes two weeks ago and they are now sitting all around the lot on trees and fences waiting for me to plant them all over again.”

“Why you don’t know anything about the ravenous nature of them potater bugs!” exclaimed Uncle Hank. “You may call me a liar, but I’ve had potater bugs walk right into my kitchen and yank red-hot potaters right out of the oven! ‘Waiting around for the second crop,” exclaimed Old Hank with sneer. “Waiting? Why, by gosh and blast your souls, I was up to Townsend’s store yesterday and I saw potater bugs up there looking over Townsend’s books to see who bought seed potaters for next year. I did, by gum!”

The whole grocery was still when Uncle Hank finished. You could have heard a pin drop. Finally, a long lean man from Woodman’s Pond raised himself up. The stranger, evidently a new-comer and not acquainted with Mr. Allen, pointed his long finger at Uncle Hank and exclaimed with a hiss “You are a liar!”

Uncle Hank looked over his glasses at the stranger long and earnestly. Then holding out his hand, he inquired with a puzzled look:

“Where did you get acquainted with me?”

The Bark Hut and the Revolutionary War Veterans

If the Memorial Day Celebration is able to take place, I decided this year we would honor the Revolutionary War Veterans who settled this area, including Smith's Valley.

One of the more interesting aspects of our area is the old historic marker that stands on River Road marking Madison Counties Early settlement history.  The marker lies just below the Old Town of Eaton Museum and lists the first clearing in what is now Madison County.. 1788...The Bark Hut.

If one takes the time to pick threw Mrs. Hammond's History of Madison County you will note many stories on our early founding including where men forged into what was still considered" indian country," and upon arrival made a rudimentary hut to stay in. This area actually formed what was eventually a set of log homes that stretched from Lebanon to Eaton then dubbed "Log City".

Most of these men and those that came later were veteran's of the Revolutionary War and some had followed Col. William Smith to his land patent set up by Joshua Smith (not a relative) who served under him. Joshua was sent by Col. Smith to find him the best tract of land in the area...which Joshua did, and where upon he built a bark hut.These actual squatters were indeed our first settlers and ironically today over two hundred years latter,  many of these families names still live on here.

Col.William Smith is buried inWest Hill Cemetery in Sherburne, but members of his family (sisters & brothers) owned land in Eaton.  It is interesting to read the many storied by Harry Hart, and one in particular that accused Smith's brother Justice of trying to hold up deeds from purchasers.

We have many veterans buried in the area and some like Miles Standish who is buried in the Eaton Village Cemetery,

To honor these men we decided to do a talk on the Revolutionary War to open our Memorial Day
Celebration if it is possible.

Cemetery Tours, Hammond's History of Madison County and a mystery solved!

This has been an unusual few days. I have stated that I am retiring from history…and everyone says they don’t believe me.  History is your passion they say…you will be back!  Humorously, if I have something to say about it I won’t be!  There comes that moment when you no longer care…when the results no longer benefit the time, money and effort you have put into it.  And so…I am retired.

I did the cemetery tour for the last time today…tours we started back in 1995 and have carried out in October or on Memorial Day Monday since then.  The amount of information has been compiled I have written a book out on it…so I no longer have to do it I think.

As for the history of things…the history will always be there…it is up to the individual to discover it!  I have discovered much history in the Eaton Cemetery that has never been known and written about.  One such piece is the story of Mrs. Luna Chase Hammond’s History of Madison County.  This is a mammoth book put out in the 1870’s that covered the history of Madison County up to that time.  But as many times as I opened the book over the past 20 years I have wondered what ever happened to her brother James that helped her write it.

The answer to the quest for this answer came in a most unexpected way…by accident.  I was writing the book on the Eaton Cemetery and was researching the Chase Family graves, graves that include Luna Hammond the author, her mother Deiadamia Button Chase the first female Physician of Madison County and what appears to be 7 direct relatives who became doctors, some very famous in our area.  Among them was a Col. Julius Chase.

So I looked him up…and after a fashion I found him.  Lo and behold…there was the answer… Julius had become a member of the United States Historical Society in Washington, DC.  To qualify for this prestigious group he presented a book he had written… the book was called “The History of Madison County.”  Yes I had finally found James…he was Col. Julius Chase,,, buried right there with all of his famous relatives.  Who would have guessed!

So to you in the Blogosphere I will continue these little blog quests…but the rest I put to rest! More next Sunday!

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.