For the past few months I’ve been receiving e-mail accounts from two gentlemen who, like myself, have ancestors buried in the Three-Mile Creek Cemetery. They

have kept me up to date on a project they had undertaken which would bring a great many improvements to this 178 year old cemetery -- a cemetery which had its first interment in 1823 and its last in 1917.

The ancestors of these two men, Gus Rogers and Steve Ormsby, were indirectly related to me and it appears that most of the people buried in this cemetery were related. I have no idea of who did what, but I do know that the improvements these guys superintended took a lot of work, directorship and much cooperation from several organizations in the community. I hope they will tell their own story to the press someday.

About eleven years ago I took my first trek into that cemetery -- I say trek because that’s just what it was. After asking my brother for directions to a cemetery where our mother said our Putnam and Allen forebearers were buried, my husband, my brother and I set out to locate it. Our first mission was to spot in whose backfield the cemetery was located. We were told that it was only faintly visible from the road. Once we fixed our eyes on one of the taller monuments, we parked the car, donned our boots, and set out through the tall grass and bog-like conditions. I’m not afraid of snakes so that wasn’t a problem and I have to admit I hadn’t thought of snakes being in there. I have no idea how far it was back there -- maybe about 1200 ft., but I was dog-gone willing to undergo the struggle. What a thrill it was to see the old iron gates which encircled the graves, many of which had gravestones that had toppled or broken years ago. I remember seeing the Putnam-Allen monument laying flat on the ground. As the years went by I couldn’t help but wonder what was engraved on the ground-side of the big Putnam monument. Read Nan Dixon’s story about how Gus Rogers reset those stones (Our Thanks To Gus Rogers - URL below) During the past few years I know for a fact that there has been considerable repair and resetting of many of the stones. I was told there’s still more to be done.

According to reports from Gus Rogers, a contractor had made a road from beside a farm barn at the road curving back through the fields to the cemetery and beyond. A considerable amount of brush had been removed from around and within the cemetery. A flagpole had been set in time for its Fourth of July unveiling. Now, I’m sure there were other organizations and individuals involved. To them, also, we owe a great big thank you.

Recently, Steve Ormsby wrote me that he had a sign made which he hopes to have in place in the Spring of 2002. In Steve’s words: “The Cape Vincent Correctional Facility did the lettering, information which I provided, and the other fancy design work was from the people at the prison. I was surprised at the detail of their work. They did a great job.”

I’m not aware of a Three-Mile Creek Cemetery Association, but if there isn’t one and all this was so efficiently accomplished without one, surely Gus and Steve deserve many laudits.

You might write them at:

A. E. (Gus) Rogers
1701 W. Commerce, Lot 94
Haines City, FL 33844

or his summer home: 16842 Route 3,
Clayton, N. Y.

Stephen R. Ormsby, Sr.
13233 Co. Rt. 9
Chaumont, N. Y.
steveormsby@hotmail.com

Written by your webhost, Shirley Farone

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After I wrote this, I got a letter from Steve -- here it is:

My father brought me to the cemetery when I was young -- under 10. I’ve remembered it being there and went to it at different times through the years. When I became involved in my family history, I talked to Gus (Rogers) and he helped me get off on the right foot. We decided to do something to bring the cemetery up to a better state. Gus straightened stones and I made a flagpole and Gus and I erected it. The flag was donated by the American Legion Post 821, Clayton, N. Y., as there are Revolutionary War veterans buried there.

We thought removal of the brush in the cemetery might turn up some more stones and it did. Then, we thought if we could remove dead trees, the cemetery might be seen from the road and more people might take an interest in seeing this old cemetery. And so, over the past couple of years, with the help of the Towns of Clayton and Cape Vincent and the Cape Vincent Correctional Facility, the rest of the brush was cut and piled. The land around the cemetery is (2001) owned by Bach and Co., a construction company. They removed the brush, graded and leveled the land around the cemetery, and put in the road.

Now that we have a road going back to the cemetery, it is easy get to. The Town of Clayton, who has control of all the old cemeteries in the township, pays a couple to mow and trim it. This has been done several times during this past summer.

Steve indicated his desire to start these types of improvements next summer in the Elm Flats Cemetery, where he has more ancestral burials.

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July 2,2002 - Note from Steve regarding the Elm Flats Cemetery