Are your ancestors in a mass grave in Springfield, Massachusetts?

Question

I researched a direct line of my ancestors back to Springfield, MA.  I noticed at least 3 generations (4x GG Parents to 6x GG Parents) who died between the mid-late 1700's until up to the early 1800's that are missing gravesites.  I've also noticed some of their children don't have graves either.  There are more gravesites missing in other related family branches.  I checked all the old cemeteries in the Springfield area that were around during that time period and still around today, but did not find anything. I heard the church that was located in the center of town (where the town settler's were buried) sold it's cemetery located next to the church to the railroad in the early 1800's who wanted to lay down their tracks over it.  After selling to the railroad, they moved 2,500 graves to the Springfield Cemetery and only about 500 that were moved were identified in the new cemetery.  Around 2,000 people were placed in a mass grave in the Springfield Cemetery. Are there more people out there who came across missing ancestors in Springfield between the 1700's to early 1800's? How many do you think you are missing in your family tree that you believe are in that mass grave?

Comments

Oh wow, I was not aware of this place. I'm from MA and will have to look into it a bit. Thanks for bringing this up.

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I absolutely believe this, it’s horrible to think. I believe land became fair game at any price and they wonder why spirits are unrest.

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Thanks for sharing this info, Renee. This will be of interest to many WikiTreers.

I retagged your post to include the tags "massachusetts" and "cemeteries" (tags that many members follow), which unfortunately meant that I had to remove two surnames.

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In my town the story goes that they moved the old burying ground to make room to build the Grange Hall, still standing and active.  There were people who would not set foot in that building for years.

Answer 1

UPDATE 2023:  I contacted the Springfield Cemetery about a year ago and tried to work with them on obtaining a better memorial for the mass grave.  It would have not costed the cemetery any money.  I researched and found out that they could apply for a Springfield grant to improve the current memorial since it will be 100 years old this year.  The application deadline each year is in March.  The manager at the cemetery kept emailing me that it has to go before the cemetery board to get approval.  I was told a couple of months ago that the board denied my request and that they have other projects they need to attend.  I believe if there is a group rather than an individual trying to coax the cemetery board to apply for the grant, it would have been approved.  I am only one person and do need help from a larger group to persuade the board.

Comments

Renee,

I suggest making a new g2g post and linking in your post to this for context.  But in the new post, with similar tags, discuss this updated comment about how you'd love to get folks on board with you to help present to the board about the grant funding etc.  Maybe you could create a write-up that folks could digitally sign, like a petition of sorts.

It's possible this update comment will suffice, but I'd hate to see your efforts get lost and unanswered.  A new post might pop into folks feed better.

Good luck with your quest!  This was a fascinating story and I hope it gets the happy ending you're hoping for.

Answer 2

That is awful.

Was the relocated cemetery the Old Burying Ground?

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2351895/old-burying-ground-(defunct)

Comments

I was shocked and it is awful.  Yes, I believe they were in the old burying ground.  This cemetery had burials from the 1600's, so I may have more ancestors there.

Answer 3

Thank you for sharing this info ..I have a brick wall ancestor from Springfield .I was told there are not many records and what records there are ,are in boxes in a basement and there isn't enough personel to get them scanned etc... I was told I was welcomed to look in the records .just need to get to Springfield .

Comments

I may be taking a trip this summer.  Thanks for the info.

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How about maybe posting a question asking for volunteers in the Springfield area to go there, look at the records, photograph them, and then upload the photos to WikiTree so that cemeterists could have a challenge or thon or whatever to make profiles from them?  Others could also look at the photos to see if any of their family members are among them.

Answer 4

I am a descendant of Miles Morgan and his first wife Prudence Gilbert. Miles has a statue in Springfield. I have read about the removal of him and many of the early settlers who were buried in the old cemetery/ cemeteries. It is also mentioned his home site was now part of the railroad property after they came through in the 1800's. You can google him , check him out on Wiki or many other sites. I am sure I have other ancestors there that were moved too. Sad this was done. I was told to go to Springfield as there is information there about him. Much of what is out there is incorrect based on earlier publications. On Wiki we have removed much of what was claimed in those publications based on recent information from a contributor researching in England. Unfortunately Find A Grave has some of this incorrect information . I have sent the memorial manager my suggestions for correcting it!  There are markers in the place where my ancestors were moved. One reads : IN THIS ENCLOSURE ARE THE REMAINS AND MONUMENTS REMOVED FROM THE OLD BURIAL PLACES AT THE FOOT OF ELM STREET IN 1848. Another marker inside is : WITHIN THESE 4 MARKERS ARE THE REMAINS OF, the rest I can not read on the Find A Grave site for Miles Morgan, Prudence and their son David Morgan [Sr] my ancestors. I would also descend from David Morgan's wife and her family and his son Deacon David Morgan and his wife and her family. Likely many of these people were in the old burial places. I am wondering who may have been buried there during King Phillips War when they attacked and burned much of the settlement in October 1675.

Comments

Miles Morgan is my 8x GGF through his wife Prudence, son Jonathan and granddaughter Sarah who married Jehojada Bartlett. Hello cousin.  With 2,500 unidentified pioneers in that grave, it certainly is a pitiful memorial marker there.  Imagine how many Descendants come from that many settlers.  My Bartlett line has 2 Townsmen who are father and son (DAR applications pending) in that line alone who are missing gravesites.  I'm sure there are many more prominent settlers just thrown into the mass grave there.  I would like to contact the City of Springfield to get a better memorial for the mass grave.  Maybe if I could get a list of missing ancestors (who lived there during the time), maybe they could be listed on the memorial and finally get their names written in stone and remembered.  Anyone else interested, please message me or comment here.

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Hello cousin, I have worked on my Morgan line for over 30 years. It has been in recent years that I have made the most headway. There are so many errors still on other sites because of these earlier publications! I contacted the Find A Grave memorial manager for Miles Morgan. He is asking me to send him info about Wiki-tree's recent removal of the previously claimed parents William and Elizabeth Morgan. Others also claim my ancestors came from son Jonathan Morgan. My research indicates I descend from son David Morgan brother of your Jonathan. They recite what they interpret from the same 1904 publication which has so many other mistakes pertaining to Miles Morgan. It is difficult explaining why they are wrong so they understand. You can read the recent changes in Miles Morgan's profile and the comments. I mention to others not familiar with Wiki that things can be changed. Miles' profile is a classic example. New information has proven errors in those old accepted publications.

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Dear Morgan cousin, I have commented on some of Jonathan Morgan's descendants over the years. They are an interesting group. Murder, Civil War Confederate officers, foreign ambassodors, Cherrokee Trail of Tears, Revolutionary War Patriot, State and Federal office holders to mention a few. We also are cousins of J.P. Morgan through Mile's second wife and son Nathaniel Morgan.

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Hey cousin,  Thank you for the information.  Do you have any info on Jonathan Morgan or the Cherokee Trail of Tears.  I live in Georgia and need to check out the trail sometime.  If you have any information, message me through Wiki.  Thanks.

Answer 5

Fascinating. I'll have to check my family lines.

This story sounds worthy of a space page/mini-project.

Comments

I'm certainly interested in being involved in a mini project.  Let me know.

Answer 6

Here is a candidate: [[Dorchester-6|Sarah (Dorchester) Stebbins]], died in Springfield 1746.

Comments

Sarah died after her husband, so she may have been buried next to him in the Springfield Cemetery and did not receive a gravestone.  If she didn't get remarried, then I'm sure she was most likely placed next to her husband.  It could be possible that her stone was damaged and not moved to Springfield with her husband's stone?  I can't tell by Joseph's Find A Grave page if it was moved from the old cemetery or originally buried in the Springfield Cemetery?  Do you know if he buried in the same section where the others were moved from the "old burying ground"?

Answer 7

So sorry this happened! This is important information, so thank you for spreading word of it.

My own Reed/Read 5th gr grandparents were removed from the Old Kirk Yard Cemetery in Attleborough, Massachusetts to make way for the Boston & Providence RR, but thankfully, they were very careful to move the stones with them to the new Woodlawn Cemetery. In that case, only about 20 graves needed to be moved so there was more time to take care. I feel lucky in that.

Answer 8

Yes this appears to be true. There is a plaque listed at the site where the remains of my ancestors Miles and David Morgan were re-interred? Miles Morgan has a statue in Springfield to honor him in his role as an early settler. His compound was one of three that protected survivors of an October 1675 attack during King Phillips War. He lost a son and son-in-law during the attack. I also have another Ancestor who died in the attacks. Miles Morgan's original home site was removed during the 1849 Rail Road construction. It is claimed that the Springfield Cemetery created in 1841 is where many of the remains were re-interred from those early 17 and 18th century cemeteries. You can read about him in Morgan-290. You can also click on his Find A Grave memorial #62404974. That is also at the bottom of his Wiki profile. I can not read everything on the plaque on line from the picture. It basically appears to mention the remains removed to that location from other location[s].