Green River Cemetery

Green River Cemetery Chronology

  • May 26, 1851 - First meeting at Town Hall; Green River Cemetery incorporated
  • Jun 2, 1851 - First land acquisition of 12-1/2 acres
  • Oct 7, 1851 - Consecration service held after grand procession through town
  • Oct 26, 1851 - Deed to first lot purchased
  • Jun 1, 1852 - 8 acres acquired from Albert Smead
  • Jul 30, 1853 - 2-1/2 acres acquired from Daniel Wells
  • Sep 25, 1854 - 1-1/2 acres acquired from Levi Jones
  • Jun 16, 1855 - 1 acre purchased from John Hamilton
  • Jan 1, 1857 - Survey map produced
  • Oct 5, 1857 - 3 acres bordering Petty Plain Road purchased by Catholic diocese
  • Jan 1, 1866 - Fence at Wells plot erected
  • Jun 9, 1870 - Death of Albert R. Field, designer of Green River Cemetery
  • Jan 1, 1886 - 8+ acres purchased by Cephas Root
  • Oct 5, 1887 - Death of William B. Washburn, former Massachusetts Governor
  • Jun 1, 1901 - Everill L. Jenkins becomes superintendent
  • Jan 1, 1902 - Wisdom Way entrance built; pillars donated by Frank O. Wells
  • Apr 1, 1908 - Superintendent’s residence, Green River lodge, completed
  • Feb 11, 1911 - 10-1/2 acres acquired from Franklin A. Pond
  • Jan 1, 1915 - Bequest of Isabella Russell for mortuary chapel becomes available
  • Jan 1, 1921 - Chapel erected
  • May 1, 1928 - Death of Everill L. Jenkins
  • Jul 1, 1928 - Willis E. Tuttle becomes superintendent
  • Mar 1, 1929 - Whitman B. Wells of Deerfield becomes superintendent
  • Jan 1, 1938 - Hurricane destroys about half of the trees at cemetery
  • Jan 1, 1959 - Albert Karlsen begins work at Green River Cemetery
  • Jan 1, 1975 - Front pillars removed
  • Jan 1, 1976 - Central flower bed section sold for interments
  • Jan 1, 1978 - Albert Karlson becomes superintendent
  • Jul 21, 1980 - 4.91 acres sold to Franklin County Agricultural Society
  • Jan 1, 1983 - Greenhouse removed after being destroyed by heavy snow
  • Jan 1, 1993 - Albert Karlson retires
  • Jan 1, 1993 - Ed Snow, Jr. becomes superintendent
  • Aug 1, 1993 - Cemetery interment books start using new section numbers
  • Jan 1, 2001 - 150th anniversary of Green River Cemetery
  • Jan 1, 2006 - Erosion of section 3 causes relocation of William Washburn and 48 others
  • Mar 7, 2011 - Large mudslide in SE corner of Cemetery closes Water St and Meridian St below
  • Mar 1, 2015 - Remediation of 2011 mudslide threatening Sections 24 & 26
  • Oct 3, 2015 - Death of William B. Allen II, director at GRC for over 40 years