Fitzsimmons Cemetery,  Town of Southport, Chemung County, NY 1973 Listing Chemung County NY Home Town of Southport More Cemeteries

Photo of Fitzsimmons by Joyce M. Tice May 1999 Fitzsimmons Cemetery Obituaries Fitzsimmons Cemetery Biographies 1953 Letter on Improvements to Fitzsimmons

The Fitzsimmons, or Old Settlers Cemetery is located at the intersection of Cedar Street (NY Sate Highway #379) and Lower Maple Ave. (NY State Highway #427), in the town of Southport, Chemung County, New York. The plot is believed to be one of the oldest burial sites in the area. It occupies about one-half acre of ground and its care is the responsibility of the Town of Southport which mows the grass about four times a year.

According to the Elmira Evening Star of October 13, 1896, the first internment was that of an unknown Negro who was killed at the intersection when his frightened horse threw him against a sign post. His grave is now under the pavement of Maple Avenue. In addition to the graves marked by tombstones today, there are probably as many as 100 lost and/or forgotten resting places. The paper reported that "The plot is ridged with graves as thickly as the furrows in a ploughed field".

To the rear of the cemetery there were two mounds from which bones and implements were found, marking the burial site of several indians who were killed in a family battle know as the "Grasshopper War". This was a fight over grasshoppers caught by indian children to be used as fish bait and which spread to the adults

. Harriet Beckwith Strouse, born in 1883 near the cemetery, stated in 1975 that as a small girl she never heard the cemetery referred to by any other name than the "Griswold Cemetery" as it was located on the original Griswold farm, which dated back to 1785-1790. Mrs. George Robinson, who also spent her childhood on Lower Maple Avenue, agreed with Mrs. Strouse, adding that her great-grandfather was the caretaker for a number of years and always called it the "Griswold Cemetery". Likewise, Nelda Holton, the town historian, in researching the history of the burial ground, stated that she had never found it referred to as the "Fitzsimmons Cemetery" in any of the land deeds. In 1954, Mrs Harriet Griswold Greenwood sponsored a project to improve the cemetery.

The Daughters of the American Revolution, Chemung Chapter, and the Newtown Battle Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, marked the graves of Revolutionary Soldiers buried there. About 1950-1955, Mr. Charles V. Strouse and others spent considerable time cleaning up the grounds - cutting weeds and brush, repairing and resetting broken stones, resurfacing and reseeding, as well as mending the fences.

In June 1973, Doris and Joseph Boyd made a record of the existing tombstones and rechecked their data in July 1975. 

In a message dated 1/8/2012 9:13:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, montroseaussies@stny.rr.com writes: Copied following marker in 1979  Inscription: ELIZABETH WIFE OF John Smith died Feb. 2, 1864 Aged 90 y'rs 7 m & 10 d's. Age on 1850 and 1860 census of Southport agrees with age at death.  Photo from today attached.  She is not on the list on the site.  J. Kelsey Jones

In 1994 New area was opened for Fitzimmons Cemetery adjacent to the older part of the cemetery. Virginia WHEELER McElroy, Southport Town Historian, has sent us an updated listing of the Fitzimmons Cemetery Extension