Depot Hill Native American Burial Grounds

61 Native Americans were found buried on Depot Hill. 59 were found within a three year span from 1868 to 1870. 29 of these were found in the digging season of 1868 when the Bowers and Moshers Property was graded. The Bowers and Moshers Company held the plot of land as seen in the above map in green. They found 30 more Native Americans in the next two digging seasons – 1869 and 1870. These 59 burials were not plotted out systematically. Diagrams were taken of the implements.

Another burial was found on the southern end of Bowers Street in 1895 by Holyoke Gas and Electric workers. Then the 61st was found in 1935 by William Howes within Deroy Park.

More burials are thought to be in the Flats area of Holyoke and certainly more within the Bowers and Moshers district. Native American research is very restrictive so any future digging might not happen.

To read more about these digs, see Historical Magazine of January 1869.

Also, Antiquities of the New England Indians by Willoughby 1935.