Seager Cemetery - Telegraph Road, Nunda, NY - Abandoned Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

Here is the history lesson, as provided by the geocache owner:

"As seen on the historical marker on Route 436 just east of here, and some Cornell University documentation from the 1940s, this cemetery lies along the route which designates "Telegraph Road" between Nunda and Dansville as the "Route of New York and Erie Teleeraph Line constructed in 1848 under the supervision of Ezra Cornell, Founder of Cornell University." "Today," (1940s article) "there is a county road which follows part of the old telegraph line and is shown on some road maps. This line was laid on an almost straight route between those two towns, and later this path which was cut through the woods and fields became a road and after that a widelv-used highway. The marker is near a point called Westview which is an almost completely abandoned hamlet, although shown on some maps." Albert Smith '78 in his book, Ezra Cornell, says that Cornell organized the New York and Erie Telegraph Co. to get a direct and independent connection with New York for his Erie and Michigan Telegraph Co. connecting Buffalo with Milwaukee by way of Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago. The Erie and Michigan, he says, "became the trunk line of an extensive system, and the foundation of the Western Union." The year before, Cornell had been superintendent of the New York, Albany, and Buffalo Magnetic Telegraph Co., and even while he was organizing new companies, Dean Smith says, "He set and reset telegraph poles, mended wires, walked weary miles to find breaks in lines, negotiated rights of way, satisfied complaints, designed im- proved instruments, hired and superintended workers of all grades-laborers and foremen, messenger boys and telegraph operators . . . He laid the foundations of all modern electric transmission of thought, and made Cornell University possible. (per this article)"

From a local historian website (visit link) : Also known as East Hill or Telegraph Road Cemetery. "Located on the dirt road section of Telegraph Road, just east of Numda Village. A family cemetery, earliest stone Robert Dickey died May 16, 1854....(1995) All stones except heavy Civil War stones are broken, scattered in overgrown weeds, small trees, etc..."

I found 30 or so headstones in various peices, or leaning against a tree. Several had military units inscribed on them. One was a monument engraved with a poem for a minister and his wife. What I didn't find was Ezra Cornell.

(My camera started misbehaving, so I only have a couple pictures to post, and not the images I would have chosen. The area was overgrown with vinca, and kids from the house next door had built a fort around one of the pine trees growing in the cemetery. Cinderblocks covered one monument that lay on its side. Very sad.)

Earliest Burial: Not listed Latest Burial: Not listed

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Take a photo of at least one grave marker and including a qualitative and quantitative description

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