AKA:

Number of Burials (approximate): 52-53

Dates of Activity: 1770 - early 1800s?

Documentation/Publication: 

CCGS, The Cemeteries of Gallagher, Pine Creek, and Wayne Townships (2005)

Directions/GPS: 

Not yet definitively located; on the Montgomery Farm directly across the Susquehanna River from Chatham Run (on the south side), about a mile east of McElhattan Run.

Landowner / Caretaker:

Alfred and Wanda Munro

503 South Broad Street

Jersey Shore, PA 17740

Condition/Needs: 

Unknown

History:

Richard McCafferty, an early pioneer, died in 1770 and was the first white burial in Wayne Twp, per Linn's History.  Linn's History (1882) states that this ancient burial place had about 52 or 53 graves and was a mile east of McElhattan Run, apparently along the river.

Ruth Lapp's History of Wayne Township references fifty ancient graves on the Joseph Montgomery farm.  She states that,

On this Montgomery farm right across on the south side of the Susquehanna River from Chathams Run, at this site Herbert R. Lapp by using dowsing wires found about fifty graves. . . .  There is no known account of these graves or who they were and when buried.  There are no markers and to date (June 28, 1983) no other person knows of these graves but Mr. and Mrs. Herbert R. Lapp.  This will probably always remain a mystery.  Have inquired of older persons and they know nothing of these graves.

Mrs. Lapp goes on to list various artifacts found in the vicinity of the graveyard, which she places near Adam Carson's fortified trading post of pre-Revolutionary days.  They included Spanish silver coins of the 1780s, colonial buttons, dish parts with pictures that go back to the 1700s, many Indian artifacts, etc., indicating that this site dates back several centuries.

Hunters have found the remnants of ancient fences in this area and have openly speculated that they had something to do with the graveyard, but there is no further corroboration of this.

The cemetery is active and is well maintained.  Some of the burials include graves removed from the Union-Throne Cemetery, which is just across the railroad tracks from this burial ground.