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The Clough Cemetery sits on a small hill off of Miller Pond Road in Strafford, Vermont. Burial dates on the graves range from 1812-1921. It's a classic, small rural New England cemetery, half hidden among the stonewalls and towering hardwoods. Clough Cemetery in Strafford, Vermont I almost missed it. I had just turned off of Dodge Road, and glanced to my left, unconsciously, when I noticed the shape of an old gravestone. Quickly, I pulled over to the side of the road, and headed over with my camera. Flag at Entrance to Clough Cemetery The entrance had two granite posts, with the remains of an old wooden gate, and a small american flag Little Remains of an Old Wooden Gate. I don't know why I'm interested in these old cemeteries. I guess I like being in a place that mattered immensely to people of the past, a tranquil spot set aside as the final resting place for their loved ones, long ago. Entrance to Clough Cemtery, June 5, 2019 An old cemetery is a very special place. It was located here for a variety of reasons, not the least being, proximity to the homes of the deceased. Also, it was a nice spot for a long rest. There are family ties, and bonds of friendship here. 1858 Orange County Map. Clough Cemetery would be across from the Sawmill, near the Page Break, but is not shown on the Map. Cloughs and Bacons and others lived nearby. It looks as though a schoolhouse may have been near the cemetery location. 19th Century Gravestone, Epitaph Obscured by Lichen and Moss The people buried here could tell stories of their lives in Strafford and stories of the big events of the days in which they lived: Older Repair on 19th Century Headstone ...stories of the War of 1812, the Civil War, periods of relative peace and prosperity and periods of financial panic; and stories of extreme weather events that came upon the population quickly, with very little warning. John Bacon, d. 1862 age 82 years, 5 months John Bacon was born in 1780, which means that his parents and grandparents could have told him some amazing tales first hand, of the founding of this nation, and of the migration to Vermont, and the early settlement of the Upper Valley. Eliphalet Roberts, d. 1843 (age 93), and his Wife Sarah d. 1840. Eliphalet Roberts was born in 1750, and lived to be 93 years old. I bet he could tell a few tales! Old Headstone: Joseph A, son of J. and R. Clough, d. 1846 Many of these headstones have been repaired in the past. Some have been repaired, and then broke again. Horace Burroughs, b. 1840, d. 1859 Some headstones are half-buried. Some have broken and are lying on the ground. Broken stone: Betsy Bacon The stories I would most want to hear are the stories their grandparents told them. Stories of early settlement, and pioneering in the wilderness. They could also tell the story of how this graveyard came to be located here. A Look at Clough Cemetery The people buried here helped create the foundation for the society in which we live today. Their dreams are reflected in our reality. There could be veterans of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War buried here. There are farmers who cleared the land and built our stone walls, and raised the next generations of citizens that worked to create our Upper Valley community. Josiah Clough d. 1867 In the past, volunteers have groomed and kept these old cemeteries in good shape, so that we can still visit them today. Stones have been broken, repaired, and some, broken again. Hopefully, there will always be strong, committed volunteers to help keep up the tradition in the future, so that we may still visit these graves, and revere, respect, and especially, learn from our past. - Bob Totz June 6, 2019
Thanks for meandering down "Old Roads, Rivers and Rails"....New Subscribers and Comments are always welcome. Sources: Vermont Old Cemetery Association: https://www.voca58.org/cemeteries/resources.php?Town=Strafford https://www.voca58.org/cemeteries/cemetery.php?Town=Strafford&Name=Clough Rootsweb: http://sites.rootsweb.com/~vtcbarne/strafford_cemeteries.htm Findagrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112151655/horace-burroughs 1858 Map of Orange County by Walling, Henry Francis 1825-1888 https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3753o.la001188/?r=0.569,0.643,0.103,0.043,0 Have something you'd like to Post? Get started today.Comments 13
2 Comments
J Viles
8/1/2023 09:26:13 pm
Eliphalet Roberts is my 5x great grandfather, through my paternal grandmother Myrna Loy (Roberts) Viles. So cool to see this! Here’s something about Eliphalet that someone found and posted on findagrave.com:
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AuthorI'm Bob Totz, retired VT postmaster, and historical geographer ARCHIVES:
October 2021
EXPANDED ARCHIVES: AUGUST 2021 1858 Johnson Map of North America MAY 2021 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" - Part Two Historic Toll House For Sale 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" Part One OCTOBER 2020 Finding That Special Peaceful Place AUGUST 2020 Kayaking on the Pompy JULY 2020 Pt. 2: What the Heck Are These Things? JUNE 2020 Bob's Bio... What the Heck Are These Things? Pt. 1 MAY 2020 Stone Walls and Spirits The View APRIL 2020 Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 2. Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 1. MARCH 2020 Signs of Norwich Pt. 2 COVID-19 Tracking Map Centertown and Valleyquest Signs of Norwich Pt. 1 "Imperfect Union" - Book Review Historic Centertown FEBRUARY 2020 King's Hwy Pt. 2 WRJ Museum at Post Mills Airport Chatauguay Vermont The Independent Farmer poem Traveling Along the King's Highway - Lebanon NH JANUARY 2020 Finding Parkhurst Cemetery In Search of Parkhurst Cemetery Affordable Housing The Old Stone Grill Two Rivers Trail-Kmart License and Registration, Please! Prohibition, Murder and Dr. Seuss Peace, Paris, & P.O. DECEMBER 2019 BLOGGER'S LINKS Welcome to Old Roads Love-Quail Hollow fun Dartmouth Cemetery SEPTEMBER 2019 E. Thetford Cemetery JUNE 2019
Taps: Meetinghouse Cemetery 4-Corners Borders Quest Old Iron Gate Stumbling Upon History Sunrise Walk MAY 2019 4 Corners Cemetery Strafford's Abandoned Foundations Art in Old Stonework APRIL 2019 Strafford Tpke Pt 2 Strafford Tpke Pt 1 White River Valley FEBRUARY 2019 Learning from Historic Maps of the Upper Valley Change in Lewiston VT JANUARY 2019 A Vermont Ski Waltz John Ledyard 1773 What is the Upper Valley? DECEMBER 2018 Dartmouth Green Music Video: Sometimes Music Video: Montreal Express Railway Disaster of 1887 |