Recently we were discussing Bassett's proposed parking solutions with neighbors when the question was raised as to whether or not there was a the cemetery on Beaver Street. We responded that indeed there was and remember having heard Ellsworth family stories about the relocation of the cemetery. However, since we certainly thought we were sketchy as to the actual facts, we turned to The History of Cooperstown by Cooper, Shaw, Littel and Hollis. And, although we discovered any number of interesting things, we did not learn anything about the cemetery on Beaver Street.

We then e-mailed Hugh MacDougall, newly appointed Village historian, to ask if he might have any suggestions as to where to start the search for the information we wanted. Hugh's initial response was "All I can tell you offhand is that the cemetery is still shown on the Cooperstown map in the 1903 County Atlas (as "Old Cemetery"), between the Orphanage and the home of Mrs. E.U. Johnson. Of course the bodies could have been moved before then. The 1868 Atlas shows it as "Cemetery." Hugh offered to do a little research on the subject and, in less than 24 hours, produced the required information. He discovered, in the Florence Ward file at NYSHA, a memorandum, prepared in 1963 by then librarian Dorothy Barak, entitled "Cemetery of the Second Universalist Society of Otsego, Beaver Street, Cooperstown, N.Y."

According to the memorandum, "The burying ground on Beaver Street, Cooperstown, was used for interments by the Second Universalist Society of Otsego during the latter half of the 19th century. In the early decades of the 20th century, bodies were gradually removed by kinsfolk to other cemeteries, and the few remaining in 1936 by the Society itself prior to the sale of the empty acre in 1937." And, although moving bodies from cemetery to cemetery would not seem to be such a common occurrence today, it seems that at one time it was not so very unusual. In fact, in The History of Cooperstown, we learned that in 1885 it was reported by the Trustees of Lakewood Cemetery that "...The total number of interments made since the opening of the Cemetery is 1478, of which 509 have been removals from other grounds..."

We gather that the cemetery on Beaver Street was used as early as 1841 and as late as 1900 as a burying ground for what we have always known as the Universalist Church, which was located on the corner of Church and Pioneer Streets and is currently under renovation, having been vacated most recently by Toad Hall. According to the memorandum, The Otsego Farmer reported on May 19, 1935 that "The board of trustees authorized the removal of the few bodies still remaining interred in the old Universalist burial grounds located on Beaver Street in Cooperstown." Ralph W. Ellsworth made arrangements to have the bodies moved to a plot in the southeast corner of the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery. In 1963 it was noted that there were 13 stones, laid flat on the ground, visible in the grass there. One of them was so worn that it was impossible to read, but the other 12 were, at that time, still in reasonably good shape.

Once the cemetery was moved, the Second Universalist Society of Otsego sold the property, for what we consider to be the amazing sum of $2,900, to Deuel C. Lake of Oneonta in July of 1937. He then sold it to Moses S. Lippitt, who in turn sold it to Stephen C. Clark in September of 1943. We suspect, although we really do not know, that the property remained vacant until 1967, when the parcel was made into a parking lot for Bassett Hospital, the use of which remains to this day.

So, thanks to the research of Hugh MacDougall, we think it is safe to say that yes, there once was a cemetery on Beaver Street, but no, there is not one now.

In closing, we discovered, during our search for the Beaver Street cemetery, this interesting entry from 1913 in The History of Cooperstown. "This summer marked the completion of the development of Pioneer street the last of the building lots on the east side of the street having been sold by Arnold and Cooke, who opened the tract ... New and attractive dwellings spring up rapidly and the street became one of the most important residential sections in the community." Ah ... some things never change.

We remain,

In these Otsego hills,

Where nature smiles,

The Ellsworths

The Ellsworths may be reached by mail at 105 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326, by telephone at 607-547-8124 or by e-mail at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com. They look forward to hearing from you.