Here Lies Simon of Northfield
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The cache lies near East Street Burial Ground, wherein lies Simon Stone. The cache is a 7.62mm ammo can, and contains lots of goodies. Easy cache, historical. Trades welcome. Please no cloth/plush items.
For the FTF there is an FTF pin and a $5 Turning Stone casino chip. There are also $5 casino chips for the 2TF and 3TF, each of the first three visitors please take only one. (Update: FTF goes to Peppermill 6-Pack!)
Simon Stone, the co-founder of Northfield, which would later become Pittsford, lies in this burial ground. He was born November 18th, 1762 in New Ipswich, New Hampshire. Although only 12 years old when the Revolution broke out, he was old enough to fight before the end of the war. On July 30, 1780, he enlisted from the town of Deerfield as a private at 17 years of age. He was small of stature, light in complexion and possessed blond hair. His regiment was raised in Hampshire county to reinforce the Continental Army for 3 months. About 1797, Simon went from Deerfield to Salem, Washington County, NY, where his cousin, Israel had previously located.
Simon married Hannah Nye in 1788 in Salem. She was the daughter of Silas and Patience Carpenter Nye, who with their children emigrated to "Stonetown". There were other Stone-Nye marriages among the pioneers in early day Pittsford.
The Pittsford area was known to white men long before the arrival of the first permanent settlers in 1789. It was crisscrossed by major Seneca Indian trails. Its fertile land made it the site of Indian villages. It was first noted into history in 1687, when the Marquis De Denonville, leading a French army on a punitive expedition against the Seneca Indians, camped in what is now the vicinity of State Street and South Street at what then was known as "Big Spring", a large ever-flowing spring which was later incorporated into the Erie Canal.
The Buffalo Creek Indian Treaty of 1788 opened the area for settlement. In 1788-89, Simon, Israel, and Seth Dodge formed a partnership. On February 21, 1789 they purchased 13,000 acres in "Genesee Country" for about $5,000. It amounted to one shilling and one penny per acre. Dodge relinquished his claim to the Stone cousins. Simon and Israel rode on horseback to this Genesee area, selected home sites, cleared some land and planted a crop of winter wheat. Israel built the first house in Pittsford, now marked with an historic sign near the Erie canal at 38 State Street, at the site of the “Big Spring.” The town first was called Northfield, and was later split into Brighton and Pittsford.
After Simon and his cousin had planted their crop and built log houses, they returned to Salem and persuaded many friends and family to come to this area. Much of the early activity in Pittsford was farming but early residents also made use of abundant sand, gravel, and limestone, supplying these to a considerable area.
Nearby Irondequoit Creek provided power for a grist mill built by Simon in 1791, the remains of which can still be found near where the Irondequoit Creek passes under the Erie Canal, close to the cache “Canal Bypass” (GCQZWN by ChileHead). This mill pre-dates the flour mill at Powder Mill by more than 70 years. Simon’s mill ground local grain to serve the local distilleries, as whiskey was an important product of the frontier. It could be transported to other parts of the region more easily than bulky grain.
Soon after building the grist mill, Stone erected a saw mill. With the arrival of this mill, trees could be turned into logs and logs could be tuned into boards and those boards could be used for building frame houses, thus giving the community a more settled look - which would attract more families and grow into a thriving place.
In 1797 Simon was commissioned a lieutenant in the Ontario County militia. During 1804, he accepted a commission as a captain. In 1805, then 43 years of age and presumably in ill health, he resigned his commission.
Simon and Hannah had ten children, nine of which were born in Pittsford. Their names were Orrin, Alfred, Anathusia, Sophia, Israel, Charlotte, Elias, Adolphus, Hannah, and Elin. Hannah died April 1821 at age 52 and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery. Simon died October, 1832 and was laid to rest here in the East Street Burial Ground near Park Road.
There used to be an American Flag and a "Founder of Pittsford" sign near his headstone, but those appear to be missing. The town historian plans to pursue getting more recognition for this founding father through the organization called The Sons of the American Revolution. We owe a debt of gratitude to this early pioneer and his enterprising cousin, Israel for recognizing the wonderful advantages of this fertile area and their foresight in what it could become.
Information compiled from web posts made by William A. Carpenter, Pittsford Town Supervisor
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