Hockanum Cemetery
Hadley, Massachusetts
 Cemetery rules |
The Cemetery
Located in Hampshire County on Route 47 along the Connecticut River, very close to the South Hadley town line in an area of Hadley known as Hockanum, See map below. It resides almost directly across the river from Mount Tom, and just north of Smith's Ferry Cemetery in Holyoke, Massachusetts. This cemetery is maintained nicely and many stones are in excellent condition. Predominant family names include Barstow, Bartlett, Johnson, Lyman, Richardson, Russell and Thayer, though there are, of course, many others.
This cemetery was established in 1767.
Advice to visitors: Insect repellent is essential for summer months. This segment of Route 47 appears quite pastoral, however this is a very busy road and can be quite dangerous. The cemetery is located near a curve in the road and cars often speed. Parking is quite limited, be extremely careful entering and exiting your car.
One last point: I realize this cemetery is in Hampshire County and this is a Hampden County site. However, I was involved in some personal research and thought I would compile this data since I had the opportunity. No need to let me know about location, I am aware of it.
Methodology
Each of the existing stones was inventoried through digital photographs, available for viewing on these pages. Once all discernable data was organized in a database it was compared with a 1938 inventory by Walter Corbin, of Florence, Massachusetts and also through inquiries at the Hadley Town Clerk. The entries were compared and in some cases these verifications proved invaluable in helping determine some of the detail on tombstone inscriptions. As you see will upon viewing the images, many stones are in very poor and worn condition, some are totally illegible, some are missing and/or broken. Capturing the detail in some of the stones was very difficult simply due to their condition. While some of the images may seem "fuzzy" it is in reality the condition of the stone itself.
Hockanum Cemetery
The Inventory Data
The inventory may be seen here. In addition I have listed inscriptions from eight stones purported to be Hockanum burials with no matching stones, this list is available here. There is evidence of a few missing stones in Hockanum and some are worn, so this could account for these entries. I have photographed most of these unidentifiable stones and the file is available on the site.
Additions & Correction
Please let me know if there are additions or corrections.
Copyright
These documents are free for personal non-commercial use as long as a source is cited. Not for republishing: permission must be requested and granted in writing beforehand. Images are digitally watermarked and copyrighted. Thank you for respecting my hard work which is provided for you to access at no charge.
Map
Please note on the map below this section of Route 47 may be accessed from Route 9 in Hadley or from Route 116 in South Hadley. Exit from Route 91 N, take a right turn onto Route 9. You will immediately cross the Coolidge Bridge into Hadley. Route 47 intersects with Route 9 in Hadley, the cemetery will be a right turn (South) if you are heading east on Route 9, or a left turn if you are heading west. South Hadley label on the map below is the village center where Mount Holyoke College is located. Continuing North on Rt 47 will eventually bring you to the center of Hadley.
These pages are © Laurel O'Donnell, 2005, all rights reserved
Copying these pages without written permission for the purpose of republishing
in print or electronic format is strictly forbidden
This page was last updated on 13 Sep 2005
Copying these pages without written permission for the purpose of republishing
in print or electronic format is strictly forbidden
This page was last updated on 13 Sep 2005