Erie County Historical Society Robin SwopePittsburgh Paranormal Examiner September 18, 2010 It happens a couple times each week. Someone will come to the information desk at the Blasco Memorial Library, the main branch of the Erie Library system, and ask the attendant if there is any information on local real estate. They always look nervous or worried. After some questions, the librarians come to find out that the person is experiencing some type of paranormal phenomena at home, and they want to find out what could be the source. Had someone died in the house, or worse, had someone suffered a violent death there? While conducting research on Erie Pennsylvania history, I have found that most of Erie’s residential and commercial buildings have been built on old abandoned graveyards. Some forgotten, others intentionally desecrated. The land that compromises the City of Erie has been a human habitat for thousands of years. Just how long, nobody knows, but indications are that it was part of the Hopewell civilization before the familiar Indian Tribes began to settle in the land. Tradition is that when white settlers came into the area they encountered the large Indian mounds and attributed them to the recently vanquished Eriez or an elder unknown race. The settlers quickly claimed the land for farming, and many of these mounds were tilled over into the field. Some built houses on the field at a later time, not even knowing it was a burial ground. These early settlers also unearthed vast tracts of Indian burial land in the county and within the city itself. Some were sure that the area was a scene of a massive battle for the number of Indian remains uncovered was astonishing. A large graveyard was uncovered downtown Erie in the early 19th Century, “ When the link of the Erie to Pittsburgh railroad from the Lake Shore road to the dock at Erie was in process of construction, the laborers dug into a great mass of bones at the crossing of the public road which ran by the rolling mill… On account of the superstitious notions that prevailed among the workers, none of the skeletons were preserved. (History of ErieCountyVolume 1; Warner, Beers and Co., 1884, pp. 166). The remains from this massive burial were irreverently thrown into a ravine further down the road. Another similar sight on the old Warfel farm (near the former East Avenue location of Lincoln Metal) was also discovered and desecrated by railroad workers and the remains likewise disposed of in a ditch. Churches began to sprout up in the frontier wilderness of the land of Fort Presque Isle. After decades and perhaps centuries of communion for thousands of local parishioners, the churches either withered on the vine, or thrived and moved on. Leaving their graveyards to the wilderness. That is until other settlers came to Erie and build upon it’s grounds. For a long time I have wondered why there are so many vivid encounters with shadow creatures and unknown entities here in Erie. Perhaps one of the reasons is that Erie Pennsylvania is covered with forgotten and abandoned graveyards. Many times the dead were unceremoniously pushed aside for the living, and many residents are unknowingly living above the forgotten or disrespected dead. No wonder Erie Pa is a paranormal hot spot for spectral phenomena. Following is a detailed list of the lost gravesites that are documented in area histories. The Old French Graveyard This graveyard was situated west of lower Parade Street near the sight of the French Fort Presque Isle. A small community of about two hundred French families had sprung up around the Fort and the cemetery, along with a tiny chapel was founded in 1753 to accommodate the first western settler to die in the region Jean Baptiste Texier. The graveyard and community was abandoned when the French retreated from the area. All buildings along with the Fort were burnt to the ground after the British victory at the Battle of Fort Niagara in 1759. The French Portage RoadBurials This was truly a graveyard without boundaries. Hundreds of French soldiers and laborers were buried in shallow graves along side this road when overcome by fatigue or disease. The makeshift graves at best had temporary wooden crosses to mark the burial. Those crosses are now gone and all along Route 97 and the southern end of Route 19 there are literally hundreds of old French burial sites. The 1801 Erietown Graveyard This graveyard was at the mouth of Mill Creek. Bodies were buried there until 1805 when it was abandoned. The Tulio Arena Graveyard In 1805 three lots were set aside for burial at the southeast corner of 8th and French Streets. The entire community used it until 1827, when the graveyard and lots were taken over by the United Presbyterian Church. It was once again sold in 1862 and the bodies were re-interned at the Erie Cemetery on 26th Street. There were rumors about the community by those who claimed the many unmarked graves remained in the lots as the business district moved into the sight. The Tulio Arena opened on the site in 1983. The Lost Church Graveyards Presbyterian Church from 1836 to 1851 on the Corner of 7th and Myrtle. Episcopal graveyard from 1830 to 1851 west side of 8th and Myrtle. St. John’s Lutheran graveyard from 1836 to 1851 located between West 22nd to West 23rdbetween Peach and Sassafras. Old Catholic graveyard from 1835-1845 at the corner of 3rd and German. St. Mary’s Catholic graveyard 1839-1852 at 9th and German now where church and school sit. The old St. Patrick graveyard 1850-1852 on 24th and Myrtle now occupied by St. Vincent’s Hospital. Most of these graveyards moved their bodies to either Erie Cemetery or Trinity Cemetery, but there were also rumors of lost bodies still resting at the old locations. The ErieCountyAlmshouseCemetery From 1871 to 1918 the County Almshouse stood on 100 acres of farmland bordered by Pittsburgh Avenue to the East, West 26th Street to the South and West 21st Street to the North. During this time 255 people were buried in the cemetery that lied along Pittsburgh Avenue. In 1977 70 bodies were removed and re buried in Fairview cemetery; but 185 of the Almshouse residents still remain buried under the end of West 23rd street and Pittsburgh Avenue. Many are under businesses and the roads themselves. Indian Graveyards and Mounds Along with the ones cited at the beginning of this article, there were many documented graveyards or mounds of Native American origin that were obliterated and consumed by the city. One large area just south of the Warfel farm was an Iroquoian burial area where at the end of the 19th century children would dig up bones by the score for fun. Roughly the area of McClelland from 38th to Buffalo Road. The corner of 23rd and Cascade was revealed to be a burial area when housing was put in during the late 1920s. There was an Indian burial ground on the north east corner of Buffalo and Water Street until it was ploughed over in the late 19th century to make room for commercial buildings. There are undoubtedly many more small family or communal graveyards that have faded into the mists of history. There is a multi cultural taboo on desecrating graveyards. The Native American Indians had them, as did the Europeans. But there seems to be something about the early settlers to Erie County; not only did they have no problem with desecrating Indian graves, they had no problem building on the former and present land that was consecrated for the burial of the pioneers themselves. Movies such as “Poltergeist” echo our phobia of living on burial lands. Do such happenstances as dramatized in these movies really happen? If you look at the shear number of hauntings that are reported in the area of these forgotten burial grounds, it seems to be very convincing. Most new reports of hauntings seem to be associated with shadow beings and full bodied apparitions. And they are on the increase.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 01:08:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015