WAYSIDE CEMETERY

Inscription

WAYSIDE CEMETERY
BURIALS AS EARLY AS 1807. LAND
PURCHASED IN 1835 BY UNITED
RELIGIOUS SOC. OF RICHVILLE.
EARLY RESIDENTS & VETERANS OF
MULTIPLE WARS BURIED HERE.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2026

The village of Richville was first settled in 1804 by Salmon Rich and Jonathan Haskins. It was formally incorporated in 1880. A burial ground was established on Rich’s farm. The site’s earliest interment was that of Lucy Barrett Rich in 1807, marking the start of over two centuries of continuous use.

As the settlement evolved, the stewardship of the grounds shifted. In 1835, the United Religious Society of Richville purchased the land from John C. and Sophia Rich. The site was officially incorporated as Wayside Cemetery in 1908.

Wayside Cemetery serves as a final resting place for individuals who shaped both local and national history. The grounds host a distinguished roster of veterans and leaders, including John Cheney Rich, the village’s first postmaster, and Harlow Godard, a member of the New York State Assembly and a prominent abolitionist. Revolutionary War servicemen interred here include Samuel Shead and Charles Borland. War of 1812 veterans, such as Miles Turner, William Brown, and Samuel W. Phelps Sr. are also buried onsite. Lastly, veterans of the Civil War, including James B. Griffis and Moses Murphy, were laid to rest here.