HISTORY

COL. JOHN SWEENEY RURAL CEMETERY INC.

FEBRUARY 2002

by

DANIEL BILLE CITY HISTORIAN

The Col. John Sweeney Rural Cemetery Inc. was originally the Sweeney Family burial ground; the property was owned by James Sweeney and located on his farm north of Tonawanda Creek, in the place we now call North Tonawanda.

The burying ground was probably established shortly after the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, and the first burials were said to occur about 1837. The cemetery was established by 1857 when it was drawn on a map by civil engineer Tobias Witmer. As a private cemetery the records must have been maintained by the Sweeney Family, (Editor’s note: I use the phrase “must have been maintained” because no records of the early burials have been found). Statements about the lack of early records can often be found in printed articles about the Sweeney Cemetery.

In 1868 (Editor’s note: The date 1868 is a quote, the original date on the resolution is 1863) the cemetery was organized into an association, which offered lots for sale. The following statement is an account of that event; the statement is quoted from “the Early History of Wheatfield” found at the Niagara County Historical Society in Lockport, NY.

“The village has a cemetery which was organized under the statute in the year 1868. The incorporators were Benjamin F. Felton, Garwood L. Judd, Franklin Warren, Hiram Hewell, Sheldon G. Johnson and John Simpson. Mr. Hewell was the first president and Mr. Felton the first secretary of the Board of Organization.

At the first meeting of the board of trustees, Mr. Felton presented the corporation with a splendid book for the keeping of the records. (Editor’s note: Mr. Felton was a printer) Much credit is due to Messers, Felton, Warren and Judd for their Labor and interest they took in organizing the enterprise.

Mr. Judd drew up the article of association, and being an attorney obtained the requisite order from court, sanctioning the article of incorporation, which are duly recorded in the office of the county clerk.

Many of the citizens have purchased lots in the cemetery and beautified them. Among that number are Honorable Henry J. Smith, Honorable John Simpson, Franklin Warren, Benjamin F. Felton, Honorable Lewis S. Payne (Editor’s note: No Payne’s are buried in Sweeney Cemetery), Garwood L. Judd, James Carney, Asa Ransom, Fredrick Sommer, James G. Primer and others. The cemetery is situated on the easterly side of Payne Avenue.”

In 1919 a deed to the cemetery was presented to the association by Sweeney descendant J. S. Bryant of Lakewood, New Jersey and an attempt was made to incorporate the cemetery again. However, between 1919 and 1921 the papers were “mislaid” and the cemetery was reincorporated in 1921 as the Col. John Sweeney Rural Cemetery Inc. The listed officers were:

B. L. Rand- President

Frank McCoy- Secretary

John Calkins- Members

Coincidently, in 1919 someone began a burial book listing name, date of birth, date of death, cause of death and funeral director; this method of recording was continued until 1951.

Beginning in 1947 there was intensive negotiations between the cemetery association and the city of North Tonawanda for the city to assume ownership and care of the Sweeney Cemetery. North Tonawanda accepted ownership from the association in 1977 for the sum of $1.00.