Elmwood was given to the city of Holyoke in 1955. It is a very old cemetery with its oldest burial being from 1755.
- Private GROUP TOUR (COSTS) is one hour long for this Elmwood Cemetery walking tour. Also a one hour indoor presentation can be given.
- A free public tour comes up every five years.
- A self-tour is available for anyone using the maps and text seen below. – LOCATION
stop 1 – Lawson Long
Lawson Long (FINDAGRAVE) is the first medical doctor of Holyoke. He opened office on Nov 15 1847 on Race Street. In the summer and fall of 1849, the Patch section of the Hadley Falls area of Ireland Parish was hit by Asiatic cholera. Drought hit during the summer of 1849 and instead of drinking rainwater from buckets, people were drinking from the Connecticut River. Coffer dams had stopped the water. Cholera was not understood at that point. The water had developed the cholera and the people were drinking it. 1200 Irish immigrants were living in the Patch. 300 of them would die here in that year. (One family of 8 were all alive on Monday and all dead by Saturday. They were buried in the only Catholic cemetery in Western Massachusetts – Saint Matthew’s Cemetery in Springfield – where an enormous potter’s field was started.
stop 2 – Thomas Rand
Thomas Rand (FINDAGRAVE) was one of the many ministers of the First Baptist Church in Holyoke. He also started a school in 1805 on Back Street for the religious community – it was called the Baptist Seminary. Today Back Street is Homestead Avenue. The school was moved to where the Blessed Sacrament Church is now.
stop 3 – Bushman Fuller LINK
stop 4 – Eunice Day LINK
stop 5 – Nathaniel Parks
Nathaniel Parks (FINDAGRAVE) was accidently shot in the head by Luther Frink while out hunting. Parks was wearing a raccoon hat while in a small hole. Frink mistook his hat for a live animal. Frink is also buried within this cemetery.
Hope that you enjoy you stay in the Elmwood Cemetery. Wander around here and also visit the Calvary Cemetery that adjoins this cemetery.
Bonus – Holding Tomb
There once was a holding tomb behind the Joseph Morgan gravestone.