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Mifflin County Genealogy Project

 

"Old" Town Cemetery

South Brown and Water Streets, Lewistown, PA 17044

 

This is the town's first cemetery, deeded to Lewistown on January 14, 1802. It was the only burial plot within the town until 1814. (Old Town view 2) The grave of Dorcas Holt Buchanan, first white women to live in Lewistown, is located here. She died January 2, 1804 at age 93. The grave is marked by a crude brown stone, with rough lettering, now almost illegible. It was not erected by her descendants, but by two strangers early in 1835. The traditional story relates that the two went to Shade Mountain and selected two slabs, one for the headstone and another for the foot of her grave. They cut the letters into the diamond shaped stone by hand. (Old Town view 3) Her resting place would probably be unknown without their effort. Her son, Col. Arthur Buchanan, Jr., is buried beside his mother. His grave was marked by a new stone, erected in 1970. (Old Town view 1) The young Buchanan was a veteran of the Revolution and an important local figure. (info by Cynthia Rosenberry)

 

Information from The Cemeteries of Mifflin County, MCHS

 

Cemetery View 1

 

Cemetery View 2, 3  Contributor: Ed Bratton

 

Dorcas Holt Buchanan

Dorcas Holt Buchanan & son Col. Arthur Buchanan, Jr.

 

 

 

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