I just don't know where to start. Since being here, I've found myself again. The humidity is nothing like Florida. It's been raining since we got here May 21st, and the temperatures have dropped to the 30's and 40's but it doesn't matter. I would take that over the heat any day. Having Fibromyalgia as one of my health issues, the heat always makes me flare up and that's why half the time I'm in so much pain. I know it adds to my migraines as well. Today it finally warmed up, 64 degrees with no rain. By Thursday it will be 88.
I've seen so much history and covered a lot of ground. Today we finally had to get some rest as I especially could feel the activity catching up with me.
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| A true Leavy, my mom |
Thursday, March 23rd we visited our family plots for the Leavy's & Godsil's. A lot of the Leavy's are buried in Fort Edward. In the early 1900's, the Leavy's owned land on the Hudson Falls/Fort Edward line. The town was actually named Leavy Hollow after my family which my Great-Great Grandfather Edward Leavy (1858-1933) was the mayor of. A few of my relatives all lived on this street together but one day the homes all burned to the ground. We're under the impression there are still some home foundations in the area but I didn't want to trespass on private land. When the homes burned down, Leavy Hollow was then incorporated with Hudson Falls even though right on the Fort Edward line. I'm going to work on finding out as much information as this as I can as there is nothing on the internet about it. Maybe on another trip I can look at newspaper archives to see what I can find. However, we visited the Union Cemetery in Fort Edward where most my Leavy family is buried. I had not been to this cemetery before so I was really excited to learn more family history.
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| Getting to visit Leavy Hollow Ln, originally Leavy Hollow, NY after my family |
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| View looking down the mountain from Leavy Hollow |
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| Leavy family plot at Union Cemetery in Fort Edward. Resting place of my great-great grandparents as well as great-great aunts & uncles 8 of which lived, 3 were deceased as orphans. My 3rd cousin Ed Leavy who passed recently is not buried here but was my last connection with this family history. |
Little did I know I would learn a bit of American history as well while visiting Union Cemetery. When first entering the cemetery we came upon the final resting place of Jane McCrea, Sara McNeil, & Duncan Campbell.
Jane McCrea, a simple woman who was trying to reach Ticonderoga from Saratoga Springs to get to her fiance during the American Revolutionary War was kidnapped in Fort Edward by Native Americans. She was staying at a friend's home Sara McNeil, when the morning of July 27, 1777, Native Americans, an advance party from Burgoyne's army led by Wyandot known as Le Loup or Wyandot Panther, descended on the village of Fort Edward. It is said they first murdered some settlers and then killed Lieutenant Tobias Van Vechten when walking into an ambush. From here, the history varies. There are reports that they came upon the home of Sarah McNeil where both Sara & Jane were separated. Sara was of English decent and brought to a British camp. Some historians say that they dragged Jane McCrea from the home and scalped her claiming she was a loyalist as her father was Colonel John McCrea of the Albany County militia. There are also other reports that Jane & Sarah where ambushed while riding horses in the forest. Jane was only 17 years old at the time of her death. There are reports that either her fiance or Sarah McNeil saw native america's carrying her scalp around at Fort Ticonderoga after it was taken over and this was confirmation of her death. Her body has been moved 3 times. The 2nd time it was placed at Union Cemetery. In 2003, they exhumed her body only to discover that she had been buried with Sarah McNeil who had died of natural causes. They studied both bodies, hoping to learn some history from the gruesome death. Jane's skull was missing due to looting in the 19th century. After discovering both bodies buried together, they finally gave each a finally resting place of their own beside each other.
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| Final resting place of Jane McCrea, after 3 exhumations. |
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| Sarah McNeil |
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| Site of the home Jane McCrea was said to be scalped & murdered |
Major Duncan Campbell from Scotland is also buried next to Jane & Sara. Folk lore states that he was contact by a ghost while in Scotland and warned of his death in the American Revolutionary war. Years later after receiving such a warning, Duncan Campbell was at Fort Ticonderoga, then referred to as the Carillon by the french where he succumbed to his wounds as predicted by the ghost in which he envisioned.
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Major Duncan Campbell of Scotland
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After visiting Union Cemetery, we traveled onto The Anvil Inn in Fort Edward. Built in the 1840's, it was originally used as a Blacksmith shop. Originally owned by Burke, in 1890 Sam D. Turner took over the ownership and continued using the building as a blacksmith. The room which we ate in was actually used to store wagons, carriages, and sleighs at that time. Turner's son in law later made the location the first filling station in Fort Edward and could store up to 55 gallon drums and a hand crank pump. In 1973, a local family purchased the building and converted it into The Anvil Inn. The restaurant opened in 1975, dining room in 1976. It was purchased again in 1986 and has been opened by the same proprietor since. The Anvil Inn is said to be haunted. There is said to be a gentleman who haunts the building. I spoke with the waitress who said when all is quiet at the restaurant the man will show himself as a shadow figure in the corner of your vision. She's felt her hair be pulled at times as well as items being moved when there is no one else to move them. The ghost is said to be Sam D. Turner whose name still appears on the outside of the building. My 3rd cousin Ed whom I mentioned earlier on visited it when it was Sam D. Turner's Blacksmith shop.
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| Main entrance, which originally contained 4 forges, 3 along the south wall, and one where my mother is entering the dining room |
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| Dining room with Mom |
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| Remaining wheel from blacksmith days |
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| Outside of The Anvil Inn, notice S.D. Turner blacksmith name |
I have much more history to add..... My Great Grandfather & Great Grandmother Leavy are buried in St. Mary's Cemetery with my mother's paternal side of the family as well in the same cemetery. I also have a great-great uncle who was a priest whom is placed there as well. I'll go into further detail with this in another blog. It's getting late....
