The Historic Amsterdam League held their annual Ghosts of the Past presentation on October 23 and October 24, 2015.
Bruce Anderson (Larry Bradwell) – African-American, awarded Medal of Honor for Civil War service.
William Hassenfuss (Philip Tambasco) – 1st Amsterdam serviceman killed in WWII, Pearl Harbor Dec. 7 1941, buried in Hawaii but location records lost by military so body never returned from Hawaii, stone at Green Hill.
William McCleary (Scott Heafner) – Industrialist, businessman, one of the founders of the “upper mills” in Rockton (Howgate, McCleary & Co. that became McCleary, Wallin, & Crouse) that merged with Shuttleworth Brothers Co. in 1920 to become Mohawk Carpet Mills.
D. Georgianna and Gladys Mae Flansburg (Nicole and Katie Hemsley) – Childrens’ Circle childrens burial ground – story of children’s area and symbolism of children’s stones, two children of family buried there, mother (Georgianna, suicide) buried elsewhere in Green Hill in single plot.
E. Lottie Holland (Cathy Allen) – murder/suicide, poisoned common law husband Jim McCleary with carbon tetrachloride in whisky and then committed suicide by drinking the carbon tetrachloride herself, she is buried at Fairview.
David McGinnis (Ryan Weitz) – Amsterdam native, employee of Albany and Schenectady Railroad, killed in 1840 derailment, originally buried in Market Hill cemetery and moved to Green Hill, telling the story of the history of the downtown, Market, Market Hill, and Green Hill cemeteries.
Burtriss E. Deal (Vincent Stark) – former four-term Amsterdam Mayor 1948 through 1955.
Moses Kehoo (Dave Brownell) – involved with establishment of Amsterdam Savings Bank, Amsterdam Telephone Company, first telegrapher and stationmaster in Amsterdam, worked for Utica and Schenectady and NYC Railroads.
M. Annie Trapnell (Linda Wassell on Saturday night, Marlene Ehmer on Friday night) and Louise Larrabee (Vanessa Stark)- founder of Century Club and involved with establishment of Amsterdam Library, operated family harware business (Larrabee’s) after her husband’s death and secretary of the Century Club.
Photos by Tim Becker
Audio recorded by Jay Towne
Text provided by the Historic Amsterdam League