Plumb Lot at Mount Ida Cemetery, Troy

The Old Mount Ida Cemetery in Troy was the scene for some gravestone conservation earlier today. Work begun in April. However at that time it was still too cool and rainy to complete the project. Below are a series of photos of the Plumb lot. 

Plumb Lot April 2019

Plumb Lot June 2019

CAPT. W.H. PLUMB
Served in
125 Regt. NYS Vol.
Harpers Ferry and
GETTYSBURG
Killed at Bristow
Station Va.
Oct. 14, 1863
Aged 21 years.
Honor to the Brave.

Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year...; Registers of the 125th Infantry in the War of the Rebellion, page 802                                                                                                                    

PLUMB, JR., WILLIA M H.—Age, 22 years. Enrolled, August 14, 1862, at Troy, to serve three years; mustered in as first lieutenant, Co. C, August 28,1862; surrendered, September 15,1862, and paroled, September 16, 1862, at Harper's. Ferry, Va.; mustered in as captain, Co, F, February 24, 1863; wounded in action, October 14, 1863, and died of his wounds, October 15, 1863, at Bristoe Station, Va. Commissioned first lieutenant, September 10, 1862, with rank from August 14,1862, original; captain, February 11,1863, with rank from November 11, 1862, vice W. Penfield dismissed. 

Photo courtesy C. Philippo

Isaac Truax Burial Grounds

Recently the burial grounds of Isaac Truax and his family were restored. The small family cemetery was completely overgrown and obscured until Pine Bush workers discovered it and cleared it out. The cemetery was not a secret but it was still difficult to find because of the vegetation; even though there was a historical marker indicating the cemetery was present.

Four gravestones were located. Two upright; but crooked marble gravestones were present. One for Isaac Truax Jr. and the second for his wife Catherine Doxtader Truax. Two sandstone markers were broken off from the buried portion of its stone. One of the sandstone markers had severe de-lamination damage and the inscription was completely missing. Only recently was it determined that this stone was in memory of Isaac jac Truax. His stone was also broken in additional two pieces. The second sandstone marker was that of his wife Mary Wingard Truax. Fortunately the lower sections of the broken sandstone gravemarkers were located and the upper portion of the stones were matched with the lower and the gravestones were put back where they belonged.

Isaac Truax

Catherine Doxtader Truax

Damaged sandstone grave markers

While the crooked marble gravestone of Catherine Doxtader Truax was being straightened the accompanying footstone for Catherine was found and later installed upright. Isaac's gravestone, slightly crooked was left as is. All of the gravestones were cleaned with D2 and the inscriptions are now more easily read.

Footstone of Catherine Doxtader Truax

An aluminum fence was donated by a local fence company and was installed around the cemetery to help protect and preserve it. During the fence installation another sandstone marker was found. The gravestone was for John Schoolcraft Truax. His gravestone was reset in the area where his marker was found.

John Schoolcraft Truax

In 1939, Schenectady Historian William Efner sketched the gravestones and made transcriptions of the inscriptions on them. Fortunately he did this because as eighty years has passed since his work was complete, the inscription for Isaac Jac Truax's gravestone is now missing. This information and the sketches were provided to me by another local resident/history buff, Steve R. Efner's work was used in aiding me in completing the recent transcriptions of the stones.

Below are photos and transcriptions of each gravestone.

Cemetery Overview

 Catherine Doxtader Truax gravestone transcription

In Memory of

Catherine Doxtader

Wife of

Isaac Truax

who departed this

Life August 6th

1836

Age 70 Years 10

Months & 6 days

Farwell cain world. I've had enough of Here.

And now am careless -- them -- of my

Thy smiles I court of nor they from us I fear. 

My cares are past and I rest quiet here.

Isaac Truax gravestone transcription

In

Memory of

ISAAC TRUAX

Who departed this life

October 9th. 1814

Aged 84 years 11 months

And 15 days

God my redeemer lives

And often from the skies

Looks down and watches all my days

--- he shall bid it rise

John Schoolcraft Truax Gravestone Inscription

In

Memory of

JOHN SCHOOLCRAFT

TRUAX

Who died

June 1st 1811,

Aged 13 years

5 months & 29 days

Mary Wingard Truax gravestone transcription

In

memory of

MARY WINGARD

wife of

ISAAC TRUAX

who departed this life

May 10th 1802

aged 72 years 7 months

and 13 days

Inscription weathered away

Isaac Jac Truax

In

Memory

ISAAC JAC TRUAX

who was born

May 8th 1726 O.S.

and died April 17th

1808

aged 81 years 10 months

and 27 days

Melvin Roads Flag Retirement Ceremony

The Melvin Roads American Legion Post # 1231 will hold a Flag Retirement Ceremony at Becker's Farm on Saturday, June 15th, 2019. Anyone can bring their American, POW/MIA, or New York State flags for retirement. Flags can also be dropped off at the Melvin Roads American Legion Post; located at 200 Columbia Turnpike in Rensselaer. The public is welcome to attend this ceremony.

Colonel Frederick Andes

On this rainy and miserable day, unable to get out and work on gravestones that need attention, today's focus is on organizing papers in my files. Within these papers I came across an obituary for Frederick Andes, a well known and respected German-American from Albany's South End.

Frederick Andes was the proprietor of Andes Lager House; located at 371 South Pearl Street. Andes operated his saloon in the building that would eventually become Eintracht Hall. He was also an Alderman and a member of the German Evangelical Protestant Church. Andes is also buried in the Evangelical Protestant Cemetery. His Civil War tablet gravestone was broken and reset into a newly fabricated base to hold the gravestone of the former Colonel rightly upright.

Andes' death notice from the Times Union dated 29 July 1895, 4:4 reads:

COL. FREDERICK ANDES

of No. 77 Elizabeth street died Sunday,

aged 73 years. He was one of the most 

able of our German citizens and had an

honorable record in private and public

life. He had represented the First ward

in the board of aldermen and had been

tax collector and constable of the town

of Bethlehem. His military career was

with the old Twenty-fifth regiment,

N.Y.S.M., of this city, in whose ranks

he rose by deserved recognition of ability

to the position of commanding officer.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and 

two daughters. The funeral services will 

take place to-morrow. Wadsworth Lodge

No. 417, F. and A. M., will conduct the

interment.

Thomas W. Jones presents at the Capital District Genealogical Society

An upcoming genealogy lecture hosted by the Capital District Genealogical Society that is not to be missed is this weekend when Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS presents on Finding "Unfindable" Ancestors.

Tom is a prolific genealogy writer. He is the author of Mastering Genealogical Proof and Mastering Genealogical Documentation among many more. The presentation room will fill early. 

Saturday, May 18, 2019, at 1:00 PM
Held at William K. Sanford Library

Town of Colonie

629 Albany Shaker Road

Loudonville, NY 12211For more information see the CDGS webpage

2019 Greek Festival

Yes, it is that time of the year again, Greek Festival. Albany goes Greek this weekend at St. Sophia, 440 Whitehall Road, Albany.
Friday, May 17, 6 pm - 10 pm
Saturday, May 18, 12 pm - 10 pm
Sunday, May 19, 12 pm - 7pm

$3 per day admission at the door. Kids 12 & under are FREE
Food - Dancing - Fun
Check the church webpage for more information

Pittstown Historical Society Anti-Rent War Lecture

The Pittstown Historical Society will host historian Michael Barrett on Thursday, May 16th at 7:30 PM at the Pittstown Town Hall, 97 Tomhannock Road as he presents a lecture on the Anti-Rent War, 1839-1845. The conflict revolted against the leasing of property that tenant farmers paid to their feudal landlord, the Patroon of Rensselaerwyck. Barrett is the Executive Director of the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway and the Burden Iron Works Museum in Troy.