New Britain herald., 1930-12-01
HISTORY OF FAIRVIEW CEMETERY DAT|NG FROM ITS BEGINNING IN l756 1'''';' 1ss Herald :s;
 -- By A. J. NOpcr)

nothing 10 do and 1t occurred to me that it might interest your readers to learn something about the Fair view cemetery. as l had just been reappointed by Mayor Quigley for another three-year term
 The idea suggested itself by req son of an article that appeared in The Herald on the 14th of July. which ended by saying. after refer ring to my more or less important activities. Mir. Sloper has served the city and state in various offices and is now Chairman of the Cemetery Committees. II was suggested to me that this was rather an anti-climaX; IS a matter of fact, that is the view that most people take for the inter est in cemeteries is usually per sonal and not public. Fifty years ago Jim Fisk emphasized this pop ular feeling when asked for con- tribution to help build fence around the cemetery in his home town in Vermont. He said he saw no sense or reason in building the fence for there were none outside who might want to get in and for those who were in. they could not get out.
 For my part. l feel that my forty eight years of service on the com mittee in connection with Fairview Cemetery has been one of the most important services l have been able to give to the city. These forty eight years make me, I think, the longest servant Of the city in one capacity-and of course, without pay.
 In the fall Of 1882 at the request Of Mr. Erwin l took his place as a member Of the Cemetery Committed. At that time all the records and To- cations of burials were owned. by Henry Gladden. and his son, William II. Gladden.. Henry Gladden. had been an unofficial superintendent for years and his son William had kept the records and to some extent had mapped out the sections and lots and made q record of their owners. Neither Henry or William II. Clad den had received pay from the city. their compensation being derived from d commission on the sale of lots and from pay for the annual care of lots. At that time there were less than six thousand (6.000) buri- als-now there arc about sixteen thousand and fifty G6.o50). There were then only two lots in the cemetery the care of which was pro- yided for by funds set aside for the purpose Of the lot owners.
 I was private secretary 10 Mir. Erwin when I took his place on the cemetery commtctc and he advised me that the first thing to be done was to secure all Of the records and data concerning the location of burials. Of course the deeds of the lots were recorded in the town clerks office but it would have taken months to make the compila- tion of lot owners, which the Glad dcns possessed. For several years. William II. Gladden.. after his ap- pointment as perintendcnt, de- clined to give up these records, which were certainly his own prop erty After good deal of bargain ing he turned them over to the cemetery committee on the agree ment on my part as chairman that he should have a certain salary as superintendent as long as l re- mained on the committee. As the salary was q better one than was being paid at that time 10 men hold ing much more responsible positions, the cemetery committee finally sc cured the records.
 About three years after my ap- pontment l sent out circular let ters urging each lot holder to pro- vide a fund for the perpetual care Of his lot. A few responded in the next year or two. Afterwards I made personal appeal 10 those 1 knew could afford to do this. As time went on if was found that many made provision in their wills for the care of their lots, and this number has steadily increased. When we opened the northwest sec ton. No. 1 4, where Doctor Cooper, Judge Chamberlain, and (, F. Mitchell arc buried, lots were sold at five hundred dollars (s500) each and one hundred fifty dollars (s15O) was retained as fund for perpetus care. In the last five years we have followed this prin- cjple and now all lots are sold at 9 price that allows the committee to retain a sufficient amount to pro- vide for the future care of the lots so sold. Now, over 1900 lots are entitled to perpetual care.
 From 1909 to 1914 when Mfr. Frederick amberlain was chair man of~thc board of finance and taxation, I secured an appropriation Of one thousand dollars (s1,00O) each year to assure the committee the funds to improve the roadways and other expenses. But at the end Of the year the one thousand dollars was turned back into the city treasury, so that since hay" been connected with the cemetery committee the city has not paid q single dollar for the support of the cemetery. In two instances the city has furnished the funds 10 purchase additional land for the cemetery en- largement, as the city is obliged by statute to provide public burial ground.
 By the will of MT. Erwin ten thousand dollars G0.00o) was given the the cemetery committee for the improvement but not the enlarge ment of tn cemetery grounds. He also left one thousand dollars ts1 .0o0) for he introduction of water and twenty thousand dollars (s20.o0D for q perpetual fund for the care Of his own lot. Of those Of his Wife's relatives and of such other lots as the committee should desig- nate. A fourth bequest by MT.