Storytime with Corey Why Early Cornell Students Took a Sepulchral Shortcut Back when getting to class meant trudging uphill from downtown, the quickest route was through Ithaca’s oldest cemetery By Corey Ryan Earle ’07 When Cornell opened in 1868, its first buildings—surrounded by undeveloped pastureland—had a nearly unobstructed view of downtown Ithaca. But one development predated the University by several decades: Ithaca City Cemetery. With burials dating to the 1790s, the historic hillside graveyard today sits directly below Stewart Avenue and the West Campus residences, offering a macabre pathway to campus (particularly during the Halloween season). In 1866, a book titled The Scenery of Ithaca called the cemetery “an object of admiration to all visitors” and an ideal place “for the dead to sleep, and the living to meditate.” Noting its commanding vista, the author declared that “our truest, clearest, and most impressive view of life can only be gained from the standpoint of Death.” With the Collegetown area largely undeveloped in the mid-19th century and residence halls for male students not built until the 1910s, much of the student body trekked up from downtown each day. Today, the tombstones are in varying states of repair. The meandering cemetery pathway north of Cascadilla Gorge was called the “boneyard cut” at least as early as 1887, when the phrase appears in a poem in the Cornellian yearbook. (Back then, “boneyard” was more commonly used as a synonym for “graveyard” than it is today, and wasn’t considered flippant or disrespectful.) One Class of 1878 alum recalled that the cemetery was dubbed the “Bone Orchard” in his time; more recently, novelist Matt Ruff ’87 chose “The Boneyard” as a key setting in his fantastical novel Fool on the Hill. Our truest, clearest, and most impressive view of life can only be gained from the standpoint of Death. The Scenery of Ithaca “There were no sidewalks or even a graveled way, but the route was like a cowpath beaten hard and smooth by many student feet,” Jared Van Wagenen Jr. 1891, MS 1896, wrote in his memoir. “Sometimes in winter when a northwest gale was blowing from off the lake it was a particularly bleak and windswept stretch. … I am sure that these days of cars and buses are bringing forth a softer generation than ours.” The cemetery’s many hillside crypts are now sealed. Unfortunately, the cemetery’s proximity to campus meant that it has occasionally been the target of student mischief. The local Board of Public Works debated closing the pathway after a bout of vandalism in 1922. In 2019, the University contributed $75,000 toward preservation, particularly for the crumbling vaults. Although the graveyard route is no longer as popular as it once was, the cemetery offers ample history for curious Cornellians. Mossy tombstones and timeworn crypts line the hillside—each telling a story of early Ithacans, many of whom intersected with the University and its history. The distinguished departed include … Rare and Manuscript Collections Thomas Frederick ‘Tee Fee’ Crane (1844–1927) Immortalized in the fight song “Give My Regards to Davy,” Crane was a professor of romance languages who rose to become dean of Arts & Sciences and then dean of the faculty. Beloved by students, he twice served as acting president. Before his passing in 1927, he was one of the last surviving members of Cornell’s early faculty. Francis Finch (1827–1907) The first secretary of the Board of Trustees, Finch was a judge on the New York Court of Appeals and the second dean of Cornell Law School. Finch was a trusted friend of both Ezra Cornell and A.D. White. The inscription on his tombstone comes from a popular Civil War poem he wrote titled “The Blue and the Gray”: “Under the sod and the dew / Waiting the judgment day.” Hiram Corson (1828-1911) If spirits haunt the City Cemetery, then the longtime English literature professor is likely one of them. Known for his eccentric appearance and habits, he was an avowed spiritualist, holding séances with dead poets like Robert Browning and Alfred Tennyson. Rare and Manuscript Collections His book of “spirit messages” documents these ghostly conversations and even includes several with Goldwin Smith—who, Corson admits, “had no belief whatever in spirit visitation.” George Schuyler (1810–88) Schuyler was New York State treasurer at the time of Cornell’s founding, and was subsequently elected to serve in that role on the University’s board. For Hamilton fans: he’s the third cousin once removed of the famous Schuyler sisters. Eddy’s commanding marker. Otis Eddy (1787–1843) & Jeremiah Beebe (1790–1861) When Ezra Cornell arrived in Ithaca in 1828, these local mill owners (namesakes of Eddy Street and Beebe Lake) were among his first employers. With Eddy’s cotton mill on Cascadilla Gorge and Beebe’s flour and plaster mills on Fall Creek Gorge, Ezra’s work spanned the campus before there was any campus at all. The tombstones for both men tower over their neighbors. Edith Clifford Williams (1885–1971) Williams—the granddaughter of founding trustee Josiah Williams—served as the Vet College’s first full-time librarian from 1923–46. Rare and Manuscript CollectionsWilliams—known professionally as “Clifford”—at age 13. Also a pioneering avant-garde artist and an associate of famed photographer Alfred Stieglitz, the Ithaca native had a decades-long friendship and romance with noted Chinese intellectual Hu Shih 1914, namesake of a North Campus residence hall. Doctor Tarbell (1838–95) Tarbell—who enrolled at Cornell’s opening but left after two years, when he was elected county clerk—was not a physician. His name stems from his birth as the seventh son of a seventh son—a rarity that, per English folklore, bestows healing powers. He fought with the Union Army in such critical battles as Bull Run, Antietam, and Chancellorsville. Library of Congress Notably, he was in Ford’s Theatre when Abraham Lincoln was shot—12 days before Cornell’s founding. The Cornell Family The final resting place of Ezra Cornell (1807–74) is the memorial antechapel added to Sage Chapel in 1883, but his remains were originally interred in the family vault at the City Cemetery. (University benefactors John McGraw and his daughter Jennie were similarly relocated.) In 1909, a family mausoleum was built in the much larger Lake View Cemetery—located across from Ithaca High School, and itself home to the graves of many local and University dignitaries, including astronomer Carl Sagan. The family mausoleum in Lake View cemetery includes numerous Cornell relations, including several relocated from the city facility. Designed by Uris Library architect William Henry Miller, the impressive granite and marble tomb holds several generations of Ezra’s relations. The Founder himself was clearly unafraid of ghostly spirits—choosing to build his home, Llenroc, adjacent to the City Cemetery. (All cemetery photos by Sreang Hok / Cornell University.) Published October 11, 2024 Comments Mike Parkinson, Class of 1975 15 Oct, 2024 Corey thanks for this guide to the cemetery – an under appreciated Cornell and Ithaca gem! Wandering through observing Civil War and other sections could be a course itself. Hope that frosh now ensconced on North campus can be organized to tour and appreciate what many alumni did when we first landed in U Halls! Reply Sarita Thakore 15 Oct, 2024 It is interesting to know the history through this article. What a gem of people resting peacefully. Reply M. Claire Myer, Class of 1984 16 Oct, 2024 The cemetery was my back yard for two years when I lived at 522 Stewart Avenue. I often took meandering strolls there to explore the historic monuments, admire majestic trees and clear my head. Thank you for such an interesting piece about my former neighborhood! Reply Dr Bradford D Bond, Class of 1992 22 Oct, 2024 Thanks for this article. I lived across from the University Avenue entrance to the cemetery during my last year of grad school. Took the “boneyard cut” every day. Reply Alan Flaherty, Class of 1962 22 Oct, 2024 I valued the City Cemetary shortcut during my first two undergrad years, making frequent downtown trips from UH and then from Stewart Ave. A bridge across Cascadilla Creek connected the now-separated segments of Dewitt Place. The bridge was closed to cars but still open to pedestrians. Reply Shelley Winkler, Class of 1976 22 Oct, 2024 What wonderful historic highlights, Corey, thank you thank you! I am like a kid in a candy shop seeing these photos and reading these stories. Those spirit messages are now on my reading list, and more cemetery visits are in my near future (hopefully not permanent ones!)! Reply Jonathan Turetsky, Class of 1977 22 Oct, 2024 I’ve always enjoyed (if one can use that verb, without sounding insensitive) exploring the cemetery and even just walking through it from downtown up east hill, both as as student and on subsequent visits to Ithaca. An amazing place, both peaceful and historically engaging. I gained a greater appreciation reading Fool On The Hill (hadn’t known of it as “the boneyard” before, though I can’t help but, now), and I am further intrigued by some of the details provided in this article. I was also fascinated when I discovered the Jewish section (toward the eastern side) which hints at the vibrant community of my coreligionists in the 19th and early 20th centuries in Ithaca. May they all rest in peace. Reply Charlie (a.k. a. Chas) Derbyshire, Class of 1973 23 Oct, 2024 I lived at Llenroc for two years, and although rarely going into the cemetary, I did spend a lot of time gazing into it. I enjoyed thinking about those whose remains were interred there. It’s a restful place. Thanks for the article. Reply Lee Light, Class of 1978 26 Oct, 2024 I lived at 216 University Ave in ’76-’77. The “Cut” as we never called it, opened up across the street from me. Hopefully the stone staircase remains as beautiful as ever. Boy, I was in decent shape back then. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Students New ‘Sensory Room’ Provides Refuge for Neurodivergent Students Cornelliana A Cat Named Ezra (and Willard the Turtle, and a Car Called Carl …) Students Meet the Sophomore Who’s a Culinary Phenom