Our Cemeteries
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Show me your cemeteries and I will tell you what kind of people you have.”
Cemeteries first appeared next to local churches or on family farms, but as the population grew, large suburban areas were chosen as cemetery sites. These areas were frequently beautified with ponds, fountains, and tree plantings. In the Victorian era, families often took Sunday picnics by the family plot in good weather.
Johnstown has three publicly operated cemeteries. The oldest is the Colonial Cemetery on Green Street, next to the historic Drumm House. The Johnstown Cemetery is on North Perry Street at the foot of the Perry Street Hill and the Ferndale Cemetery at 545 North Perry Street next to the Gloversville/Johnstown city line.
There are two more cemeteries, St. Anthony’s located at the intersection of Briggs Street and East Avenue, and Mount Carmel located on State Highway 29 just east of St. Anthony’s.
As you wander through the cemeteries you may notice some interesting epitaphs. One that is not in a Johnstown Cemetery, but poses an interesting observation reads:
“Take heed stranger, as you pass by
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be,
So prepare for death, and follow me.”
Cemeteries are a link to our past and contain a wealth of information if one takes the time to learn. What materials were used to mark the final resting place of those buried there? How young was the youngest? How old was the oldest? Who was the earliest burial? How many lived to be 90 plus years? What was the child mortality rate? How many children died before the age five? Which year saw the largest number of burials? Was there some reason for the high rate i.e. smallpox, diptheria, cholera?
Watch for our cemetery tours and perhaps learn the answers to these questions.