"Then by direction
of the Selectmen of the town of Harwinton Viz. Moses
Beach & Adin Phelps I laid out a burying ground
on the Phelps farm in the East part of said Harwinton
before owned by said town."
"First from
stake & stones on the rise of ground far enough
north to clear the grave of Frederick G. Phelps, about
7 feet, & east to clear the same about three feet
by the corner hereafter described - thence South 16
(degrees) 30' E. 12 rods 26 links to stake and stones,
thence W. 22 (degrees) 36' 26 rods 14 links to stake
and stone, East side of North and South road thence
Northward by said road 9 rods 20 links to stake and
stones in fence near the brook - thence E.31 (degrees)
36' N. 26 rods 14 links to the first mentioned bounds."
Harwinton Wm B.
Webster, County Surveyor
October 27th, 1845
Moses Beach
Adin Phelps
Selectmen
The following spring,
at a Town Meeting on April 7, 1846, it was "Voted
to instruct the Selectmen to build all the fence around
the Burying ground near Josiah Phelps."
One year later at
another Twon Meeting on April 5, 1847, it was "Voted
to instruct the Selectmen to remove the old fence in
front of the burying ground near Josiah Phelps."
Also it was "Voted to instruct the Selectmen to
lay out the burying ground in suitable alleys."
Apparently the Selectmen
failed to carry out the instructions of that meeting
because five years later at a Town meeting on December
24, 1852, it was "Voted to instruct the Selectmen
to divide and lay off the East burying ground into alleys
& lots in such a manner as not to disturb the graves
already there." Here it will be noted for the first
time it was described as the East Cemetery.
Then two year later,
on October 2, 1854, it was "Voted to authorize
the Selectmen to sell lots in the East & West Burying
Grounds no to exceed one half of the ground."
Apparently the cemetery
was cared for by the town for the next seventy four
years. Then, in 1929, the Harwinton East Cemetery Association
was formed and incorporated. A later entry in the Secretary's
record reads: "Eddie A. Carlson, woodchuck Lane,
has resigned as superintendent of the East Cemetery
Association after thirty one years of continuous service."
"He is a charter member of the association which
was formed in June 1929 when he was elected. He was
also elected Sexton September 24, 1935 and held that
position until 1959."
The association
had to care for more than one half of the occupied lots
before they could take over the cemetery from the town,
which they did in 1935.
The above is written
from excerpts from
"THIS AND THAT OF EARLY HARWINTON"
by Raymond G. Bentley
Published in 1999
