OLD CEMETERY: Being All Souls’ Day, it seemed an appropriate time to relate the plea from a local pastor who wanted to honor the resting grounds of some of Bradford’s early citizens, while maintaining the beauty of the community.

Plus, we wondered if any of our readers knew where this cemetery is or was located — and what has become of it. We don’t know.

This letter appeared at the top of Page 1 in the Tuesday, Nov. 12, 1901, Era.

“The Old Cemetery: Rev. John A.Copeland Thinks It Should be Made Into a Memorial Park”

EDITOR ERA — As one of the pioneers in Bradford history and still interested in its welfare, my attention has been called to the old cemetery where I so often spoke the last word, “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” and which now is neglected, being abandoned as a burial place, thus making it a sad spot, and a blot upon your city map. I would propose to the good people of your city and their civic pride, that it be converted into a Pioneer Park, that your Hon. Mayor and the Honorable Common Council be petitioned and authorized, to take possession of this historic God’s Acre, gather its dead in a sightly mound in its centre, to be surmounted by a monument dedicated to “The Pioneer and Unknown Dead” and the rest of the grounds laid out and beautified for park purposes. This would secure peaceable and undisputed possession for all time, honor the dead and make it a beautiful lesson to the living, as much an ornament to Bradford as now it is an unseemly spectacle to your children and all visitors to your constantly growing and improving city. I understand that some veterans of the civil war are still sleeping there, and a few others who have friends in this vicinity, but that the great majority have no living relatives to keep their resting place from oblivion and neglect, and I believe that no objection would come from any families or parties interested to rescue this place from its present degradation, as above proposed, and make it the most historic, romantic, patriotic, sacred and attractive feature within your city’s gates.

— Yours, for Auld Lang Syne,

JOHN A. COPELAND.