Burial Ground
Burial Ground1st in Orleans County inwhich Revolutionary soldiersJohn Anderson - David Bullard and many pioneers are buried.First burial in 1812.
One of the oldest burial grounds in Orleans County, the earliest burial in Gaines Cemetery occurred in 1812. Over the years, the proximity of the graves to the historic Ridge Road and the number of pioneers buried within its limits has drawn attention to the location. Situated behind the Gaines Congregational Church, the last burial took place in the 1910s.
Noted Individuals:
David Bullard was born at Dedham, Massachusetts on August 31, 1761. Arriving at Gaines in 1814, he first settled on lot 23 west of Gaines and north of Ridge Road. He later settled on lot 21, south of Ridge Road on the present-day Gaines Basin Road. He lived the remainder of his life in the home of his son, Brigadier (m: Lovina Parker), on lot 21 – a cobblestone house now sits on the property. He died June 28, 1831.
John Anderson was born August 31, 1757 at Londonderry, New Hampshire. According to available records, he was present for the Battle of Bunker Hill and Ticonderoga where he served under Ethan Allen. Following his service, he married Jane Archibald on February 7, 1782 and eventually settled at Ira, Vermont. He arrived at Gaines in 1821, taking up land on lot 29 on the north side of Ridge Road. He died on that farm on October 22, 1827.
Dr. Thomas Anderson, son of John Anderson, was born May 14, 1792 at Ira, Vermont and later relocated to Fairhaven (now Childs) in 1816. While in the vicinity he practiced medicine with Dr. Truman Shaw, but was always feeble in health. He died September 2, 1829.
William Jenks Babbitt was born on September 15, 1786 at Providence, Rhode Island where he worked as a blacksmith with his father. Around 1810 he arrived in the town of Gaines, settling near Crandall Road and Ridge Road before moving closer to Fairhaven. He was active in having Gaines set aside from Ridgeway in 1816 and was selected as the first postmaster after Ridge Road was designated as a “Post Road.” He served as Gaines Supervisor and was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1831 to 1832. He was selected as a Justice of the Peace and serve in that capacity for over 23 years. He married Eunice Losey on June 27, 1810 and died at Gaines on July 20, 1863.
Selah Bronson operated the old Mansion House situated on the northwest corner of Oak Orchard and Ridge Road, holding the first meeting of the Orleans County Board of Supervisors and first Court of Common Pleas in 1826.
Gates Knickerbocker owned a small building on the northwest corner of Ridge Road and Gaines Road (Rt. 279), which he purchased for $30 on May 21, 1883. He used this building as a jewelry shop; the building was later given to the Cobblestone Museum and is now the J.G. Peters Harness Shop. Hiram Knickerbocker, the father of Gates, was a dry goods merchant in the vicinity. His father-in-law, Asa McOmber, was a wagon maker.
Alfred Jay Palmer was born September 30, 1844 at Waterport, New York, the son of Lemuel Palmer and Mary Hutchinson. Lemuel operated the “Two Bridges Hotel” and adjacent store in Carlton, now occupied by Narby’s Suprette. Alfred was a noted machinist and held a number of patents, including U.S. Patent 210,533 “Brace for Cutting Leather Washers” filed November 11, 1878 and U.S. Patent 236,836 “Fruit Evaporator” patented January 18, 1881. The Cobblestone Museum holds a model of the latter patent as part of its permanent collection.