The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-13
EVERGREEN CEMETERY,
ANNUAL MEETING OF BOARD or
DIRECTORS LAST EVENING.

Board II c-cIe cted for the Ensuing Yea,
experimenting Report by Presi
dent Mansfield.
The meeting Of the board of directors
of the Evergreen Cemetery association
was held in room 305, First Nationa
bank building, last evening. Reports
We're read by the officers, and the fol
lowing board of directors was re-elect-
ed: Burton Mansfield, Benjamin r.
English, James D. Dewell, Herbert c.
Warren and George, M. Grant
John T. Augur and E. A. Gesner were
elected auditors for the ensuing year.
The report Of President Burton Mans
field was meet interesting. 1t was pre-
pared for the annual meeting last year,
but was not read, as the storm on the
evening of the meeting prevented at
tendance. In opening he referred to the
national convention Of Cemetery Super
ihtendents held III this city In Septem-
Der last, and to the semi-centennial of
the association. Going on 1t read as fol-
lows:
A brief review of this association at
this time will not be anisB. Although
this is not exactly our f1ftieth anniver-
sary, 1t nevertheless represents as near
as can be the closing of our first fifty
years, and affords a convenient oppor-
tunity for brief summary Of the aeso-
ciation's history.
On the 18th day of September, 1S4S
the original subscribers to the stock of
this association, one hundred and thir-
teen In number, filed articles of organ
ization In the office Of the clerk Of the
town of New Haven, in accordance with
the statutes then in force, and the Ever
green Cemetery association came Into
existence.
The association was first organized as
joint stock company under the name
of the Washington Cemetery associa-
ton and began by the purchase Of about
thirteen acres of land on West street,
now Winthrop avenue, owned by Ma
than Peck, at sum not to exceed $3.50
per acre.
In October following the name was
changed to the Evergreen Cemetery as
ISOLATION, and the following persons
were elected as officers for the then en-
suing year: c. F. Hotchkiss, George
Tuttle, Thomas Phillips, Ira Merwin,
Benjamin Beecher, jr., William Hart
ley, secretary; Frederick Croswell,
treasurer.
And in November following the title
to the land above mentioned was ac
quired and the first burial was made
about December 1, 1S49, in lot No. 50
Myrtle avenue.
The lots were offered at public sale
soon after December ~, 1S4S, as will APP
pear by vote of the directors passed
on that day:
Resolved, That public sale of a
choice of lots in the cemetery be held
at the discretion Of the chairman of the
board, and that not more than $50 lots
be offered on the first day Of sale at a
minimum price OF $40 each"
Just what the result of that sale was
I am unable to state, but 1T must have
been more or less successful, for on June
20, 1849, we find that the grounds were
duly set apart for burial purposes and
that public services were duly held in
which clergymen of various denomina-
lions took part, and Ira Merwin made
an address.
As early as June, 1855, negotiations
began for the purchase of more land, or
''the Peck woods" as it was called, but
owing to some Misunderstanding AS to
price they did not eliminate until April,
1856, when the land was taken by trus-
tees to hold for the cemetery until
proper arrangements could be made for
the cemetery itself to hold it. This
seems to have been done by December,
1857, for at that time vote of congrat-
lilation was passed, which reads as fol-
lows:
1.-THE association feels gratified that
all things relating to the interest of the
cemetery have been at SO early day
consolidated by the directors and trus-
tees, and we hereby ratify and confirm
all acts and deeds done by the directors
and trustees to bring about said consol-
idation."
In 1858 more land was again needed
and negotiations were begun toward
that end These resulted in the pur-
chase of the meadows in the rear of
the cemetery in 1870.
The cemetery began to assume large
for instead of hundreds we
INA III Dealing III lIOuSduuS VI uolidlo, .
and the directors about this time were
authorized to borrow a sum of money
not exceeding $4,000. for the purchase
Of more land and the improvement of
the grounds. Again in 1883 further
steps were taken to add to the ceme-
terry by the condemnation and purchase !
Of land on or near Davenport avenue,
and by 1889 something over ten acres
were added to the grounds, making,
with the land bought in 1891 (61s acres)
fifty three acres in all, which is the t
present area of the grounds.
Thus 1T is that the scarcity of lots in
the New Haven cemetery, as set forth 1
IN the original articles Of organization,
has resulted in the present cemetery. .
The new cemetery, as it is frequently, q
though hardly longer, appropriately y
Jailed, and 1T is not long before the
same reason will require that we also U
ook to the purchase of additional land
or the increasing demands, which are
pressing upon us. Nothing perhaps be- n
er illustrates the growth of our city n
n population, strange to say, than the n
asst increase in the number Of burials. n
About sixteen thousand burials have
,een made in the Evergreen cemetery,
ver II 957 of which are duly recorded G.