History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, 1879.



Burial-Places.



"This place, set free from common use, is hallowed ground;
of Love, of Memory, the chosen shrine."

The need of a cemetery more convenient of access and adequate to the wants of an increasing population had long been felt by the citizens of Holyoke, and, in the autumn of 1860, the necessary legal steps were taken to form a cemetery association, and purchase suitable grounds. At a town-meeting holden in October, the sum of $1500 was appropriated to aid in the purchase of such grounds upon certain conditions, which have been fulfilled. An association was duly formed, Nov. 1, 1860, under the name and style of the Forestdale Cemetery Association, and 24 1/4 acres of land purchased of Hon. R.A. Chapman and W.T. Davis (surviving trustees) at $100 per acre. In order to obtain a regular boundary, 4 1/4 acres of this land were exchanged for an equivalent amount belonging to the Holyoke Water-Power Company. The Lyman Mills, Hampden Mills, Holyoke Water-Power Company, and Holyoke Machine-Shop aided the project by liberal purchase of lots.

The work reclaiming the grounds was attended with much difficulty, and was carried on energetically during the whole eof the following year, under the direction of Mr. J.S. Davis, the president of the association. The cemetery was finally laid out by the joint labors of the president and Mr. Wm. Grover, of Holyoke.

The first board of officers were as follows: Jones S. Davis, President; Porter Underwood, Secretary and Treasurer. Board of Trustees: Jones S. Davis, Porter Underwood, J.M. Whitin, Henry Wheeler, Edwin H. Ball, S. Steward Chase, S.J. Weston, Austin Ely, Asa O. Colby, S.H. Walker. Auditors: R.B. Johnson, Chester Crafts.

The cemetery was dedicated June 22, 1862, and the services were of an impressive and interesting character. The dedicatory address was delivered by Prof. J.G. Voss, of Amherst College, and the address on behalf of the trustees by George C. Ewing, Esq. An interesting part of the services was the reading of a poem by Rev. Roswell Foster.

The people of Holyoke manifested a general interest in the cemetery from its inception, and are entitled to great credit in beautifying this sacred spot. It is delightedly located on a gentle eminence in the suburbs of the city, and it is one of the finest rural burial-places in New England.

The present officers of the associations are as follows: William Grover, President; R.B. Johnson, Secretary and Treasurer, William Grover, C.H. Heywood, H.A. Chase, Levi Perkins, J.F. Allyn, G. Cox, William Whiting, O.S. Tuttle, G.W. Prentiss, and W.S. Loomis.





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