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Rohan Park and its Neighborhood

1911 Richards map

Rohan Park is in the location of the former Kirtland School. This school was at first called the New Oakdale School. It was opened in January of 1909. Sure it was built in 1908 but in 1916 it already received an addition to its back. (the school was at 298 Sargeant Street)

The park is defined by parallel streets – Sargeant and West Franklin Streets and then Chapman and Saint Jerome Avenues. It closed in 1991 and was razed in 1997.

The school is named after Edwin Kirtland a former superintendent of the Holyoke school system. The school was an elementary school and a neighborhood school. PHOTO – Kirtland died in 1910 and the school soon after was changed into his name.

Edwin Kirtland obituary part A

Edwin Kirtland obituary part B

The park is named after Robert Rohan Sr who was a state representative for Holyoke for 18 years. (1975 to 1993) FINDAGRAVE Robert Rohan’s father was Patrick Rohan who was a driver for the fire chief of Holyoke.

The John Stacy Apartments are from 1910 and are at 320-322 Sargeant Street. These were built as the Oakdale neighborhood developed into a trolley neighborhood. In 1892 the Holyoke Streetcar trolley line went up Sargeant Street. See Line G at this LINK.

In 1914 the apartment complex at 321 Sargeant Street across the street from the Stacey were built. The trolley allowed mill workers to move out of the downtown area.

Down Pinehurst Road is the house of James Newton. This Colonial Revival house was built in 1909 on the massive homestead that Newton had in the Oakdale area. Newton lived at 159 Chestnut Street for many years and then in 1909 moved to the Pinehurst. Read about his original HOME. Then read about the many addresses of this Pinehurst mansion HERE. Lastly, read about his MILL. He would have this beautiful mansion built at 21 and 25 Pinehurst Road.

The house has an address of 25 and the carriage house has an address of 21 but both point to Northampton Street since there was once a private driveway from the west. Thus the front of the house is now in the backyard.

Across the street in 1911 the James Bertram Newton house was built at 6 Pinehurst Road. This house had many addresses through the years including a Franklin Street address. James Bertram Newton was the son of James Hale Newton and would live in this second Newton house on Pinehurst Street. FINDAGRAVE

At 243-245 Sargeant Street is the Skinner Workers House. William Skinner had his manager living in this house. The house is from 1892. Around 1917 Robert Inglis a baker had changed this into a bakery. The bakery was at 408 High Street in 1916 but moved here. This was the home for Robert Inglis (245 Sargeant). The bakery was Inglis and Oliver.

1874 area map of Holyoke

Sanborn map

1915 map

1949 map A and map B

1956 map A and map B

Saint Mary’s Cemetery

Saint Mary’s Cemetery most likely formed in 1862.

MAP of the cemetery (external link)

Story about the church. LINK

Chapel

Priests Circle

Patrick Dowd – 1951 – FINDAGRAVE

Vincent Puidokas – 1980 – FINDAGRAVE

pastor of St Casimir’s Church 1934 to 1977 – ordained May 25 1929

George Fitzgerald – 1929 – FINDAGRAVE

Sanborn – none

Babies Section in the Cemetery and the Paupers Section

South Amherst Cemetery

The South Amherst Cemetery is between South East Street and Middle Street in Amherst. The land was purchased in 1818. External LINK to its history page. In 1846 trees were added.

Moody Family

David Moody sold this land to the town so they could add a cemetery.

FINDAGRAVE

Oldest Burials

Neighborhood Burials

Jonathan Dickinson – FINDAGRAVE

Elisha Smith – FINDAGRAVE

Hiram Allen – FINDAGRAVE

Charles Edwin Smith

Holding Tomb

Merrick

Modern Burials

Sanborn map – none

West Street Cemetery

West Street Cemetery – FINDAGRAVE

Corbin analysis

Granby was formed June 11 1768 from the eastern portion of South Hadley. Granby had been settled in 1727. The West Street Cemetery in Granby was founded while this land was still part of South Hadley. It is a churchyard cemetery since it is very close to the former Meeting House (or Congregational Church) that was on West Street. The old part of this cemetery is on land donated by James Smith on July 10 1769.

There are two reburials from the Old South Hadley Cemetery when it was moved from 1903. These are confirmed.

Samuel Dickinson husband of Esther White Dickinson – FINDAGRAVE – stone is there

CORBIN Collection CARD

Samuel Moody – FINDAGRAVE – no stone

The apparent burials that are older then 1769 are most likely reburials from the Old South Hadley Cemetery when it was moved from 1902. These are:

Mehitable Smith Taylor wife of Ebenezer Taylor – FINDAGRAVE – no stone

Ebenezer Taylor Junior – FINDAGRAVE – stone is there

Infant Son Taylor – FINDAGRAVE – no stone

Elizabeth Smith Negrus – FINDAGRAVE – stone is there

Rocce Smith – 1769 – FINDAGRAVE

The North Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Granby. The cemetery is from 1764 and the West Street one is from 1769. North Cemetery

Granby Girl is buried here. (Her LINK)

Also here are two Granby hit and run victims. (LINK)

Joseph Taylor died in Maryland in 1864 during the American Civil War.

Myron Pease is buried in Lynn Massachusetts but has a cenotaph in Granby.

FINDAGRAVE

William Dewitt

FINDAGRAVE

John Chapin – died in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War

Benoni Kellogg

FINDAGRAVE

Deacon John Moody

Phineas Smith

Some of the old burial of people in this Second Parish neighborhood are:

Chester Smith – FINDAGRAVE

Eli Moody – FINDAGRAVE

Timothy Smith and Hannah Moody – FINDAGRAVE

Levi Smith – FINDAGRAVE

Sophie White Smith – age 2 – FINDAGRAVE

Phebe Tufts is a cenotaph – CORBIN

Sylvester Breed Barton – FINDAGRAVE

Clarissa Warner Burnett

Batchelor Street Cemetery

The North Cemetery (Batchelor Street Cemetery) was started in 1764. Since Granby was incorporated as a town in 1768, North Cemetery was on South Hadley land for its first four years. This is a family cemetery. There were several families that settled in this part of Granby in order to form a Baptist Church but the church was never built. This cemetery might have been a churchyard cemetery but many of those Baptist families moved to land close by in Belchertown or in Wilbraham to form a church. The West Street Cemetery was not formed until 1769 so this North Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Granby.

Prove of this is that the two children of the reverend Seth Clark and Mary Edwards his wife are in this cemetery. The children are Levi Clark (FINDAGRAVE) and Ruth Clark (FINDAGRAVE). Once Seth Clark had an inclination toward being a Baptist minister, he would have the inclination to moved away from the Congregationalists and also to form a new church, village, and cemetery. The church never formed in Granby but he did move to Wilbraham to be a Baptist minister. The village and cemetery did form in Granby along Batchelor Street. The children Levi and Ruth were born in Wilbraham but they were buried in Granby. This strongly suggests that there was a family member that died in Granby and was buried here in 1861 to 1864.

Elliot Ferry

Elliot Ferry died in 1862 in Annapolis Maryland in his 20s. He was a soldier for the Northern forces.

FINDAGRAVE

Ashael Smith

Lifelet Green

FINDAGRAVE

George Weatherby – FINDAGRAVE

Martha Bell Ayres

Second oldest burial in the cemetery. FINDAGRAVE

Eunice Preston

Eunice is the 2nd great granddaughter of John Preston the founder of South Hadley and Granby.

Electra Barton Preston

FINDAGRAVE

Gad Preston

Gad was the 2nd great grandson of John Preston of South Hadley fame. FINDAGRAVE

Hunter family

Luther Newell and Polly

The Samuel Ayres and Martha Bell house is at 218 Batchelor Street. – FINDAGRAVE – Martha is buried at the North Cemetery. The house is a mid-1700s colonial house in the salt box style. Macris PDF

The Eleazer Ayres and Sybill Clark house is at 232 Batchelor Street and is from 1762. – FINDAGRAVE

The Eliphalet Green and Mercy Selden house is at 326 Batchelor Street. – FINDAGRAVE

The David Smith Cook Jr. and Lucinda Taylor House is at 7 School Street. – FINDAGRAVE

The Asahel Smith and Elizabeth ? house is at 117 Batchelor Street. – FINDAGRAVE – The house is a mid-1700s colonial house in the salt box style.

The John Warner and Margaret Shumway house is at the same address but with a red barn added. – FINDAGRAVE