Zetta Mead (died 1807) Returned to New Burial Grounds Cemetery, Greenwich, Connecticut

Zetta Mead's gravestone (left, laying flat) has been returned to New Burial Grounds Association Cemetery next to the Second Congregational Church in Greenwich. 

In the mid-1980s we accidentally discovered the marble gravestone of Zetta Mead -who died in 1807- in the rear of the house where Caroline Mills Smith Mead died in 1910. It was used as a path stone behind that house on Relay Place, Cos Cob. 

How did it get there? We suspect that her marker was a casualty of the collapse of scaffolding around the then-dismantled Second Congregational Church steeple circa 1915. The steeple had been dissembled for the first time. A church committee found it to be in hazardous condition, hence the removal and eventual reassembly of the steeple. 

The scaffolding, however, was in a free-standing state. So, when a windstorm came Easter weekend the scaffolds collapsed into the adjacent cemetery. When he was among the living then-Town Historian William E. Finch, Jr., said that some local residents ran off with some of the broken gravestones. 

See the bottom of this page from Spencer P. Mead's survey of burials in the New Burial Grounds Cemetery. Zetta Mead, wife of Colonel Ebenezer Mead, born January 17, 1777 and died May 7, 1807, is listed here. 

On Monday, July 27, 2015 the Zetta Mead gravestone was removed from the plot in Cos Cob. It has been transferred to a family plot in the New Burial Grounds Cemetery. It has not been ascertained that its new location is precisely where Zetta Mead was buried. 

In the process of relocating Zetta Mead's stone we made another surprising discovery. For more on that go to this link. 

Happy 375th Founders' Day, Greenwich, Connecticut!

Fire at Quaker Ridge: Valuable Horses and Barn Burned Down (1910)

Greenwich News
Friday, August 5, 1910. Page 6, column 2.

At about three o'clock Friday afternoon Driver Chard of the Automobile Chemical received notice of a fire at the old Solomon Mead farm at Quaker Ridge, and taking out the chemical was soon on his way. The chemical arrived in time to help take care of the other buildings, but not until the fire had destroyed five valuable horses, the large hay barn and practically all of its contents.

The fire was set by small children in a colored family living on the farm. The children had been warned not to play with matches as only a few days before they had set fires on the place. Matches were being kept from them carefully, but they had climbed on a peddler’s wagon and taken some that were there, just before starting the conflagration.

It was discovered in the barn and burning the new hay put in only a few days before, at about 2:45. The men on the place got busy at once, but were unable to save much of the contents as the hay made a quick and hot blaze. By using water from the well pumped by a windmill they were able to partly keep down the flames until the Port Chester chemical with a number of firemen arrived and began the work of saving the other buildings, some of which were closely adjacent.

Superintendent George B. Mortensen and his men were haying in a field some distance away but got to the farm in time to save three horses. Many other animals were lead out of other barns and turned loose.

The Port Chester fireman and the Volunteer’s chemical were stationed at separate points along the many farm buildings and Superintendent George B. Montensen who saw the work done and has since examined the buildings which caught several times from burning shingles falling on the roofs and the sparks, gives great credit to both departments. He says without them the loss would have been much greater, and the owners of the farm as well as himself are very thankful for the efforts of the firemen. He further token of appreciation is probably not far off.

The farm is owned by Dr. F. E. Hyde and the Misses Sarah C. and Agnes V. Mead, daughters of Solomon S. Mead. It has been operated for years as a stock farm and many valuable horses are kept there for people in and about Greenwich. All seven horses burned were owned by Greenwich people and all were very valuable. The management of the farm felt deeply the loss of them more than the loss of the buildings and other contents. No exact estimate can be made of the loss from the horses but amounts to several thousands of dollars, while the barn and the hay was valued at about $4000.

Obituaries: Caroline Mills Mead (1910)

The grave of Caroline Mills Smith Mead is marked by the granite obelisk at left. 

Greenwich News
June 10, 1910. Page 7, column 5.

Mrs. Caroline Mills Mead, widow of the late William H. Mead, died at the home of her niece, Mrs. Henry V. Peck at Relay Place, Cos Cob, last Friday after an illness whose duration was nearly a year, aged eighty-four years and six months.

The funeral was held at the home of Mrs. Peck on Tuesday, the Rev. M. George Thompson officiating. The service was an impressive one. Hymns were sung by a quartet consisting of Dr. and Mrs. Carl E. Martin, Arthur H. Dorland and Miss Lillian Reese.

Mrs. Mead was a prominent woman in Greenwich, a woman of strong character in mind and one highly respected in town. She was born in 1826 in Stamford, the daughter of Ebenezer and Rhoda Smith. On her marriage to Mr. Mead she came to Greenwich to live in the old homestead which is now occupied by Mr. Young.

Thirty-seven years ago her husband died and upon her then devolved the task of looking out after his large land holdings. In recent years she has done much to improve the property. She had four streets laid out, Mead Circle, Suburban avenue, Glendale street, and Randolph place, all of which are well built up. She showed remarkable business ability in all of her dealings, and much to build up Cos Cob. 

Mrs. Mead was one of the oldest members of Christ Church and was active in church work. She was a member of the New Canaan chapter of the D.A.R.

She leaves two nieces, Mrs. Peck and Miss Caroline Smith, and nephew Benjamin Smith, besides grandnephews and grandnieces. 

Let's Rally Together to Preserve Our Past: Annual Appeal

Dear Mead Family Descendants:

Today the Association is making its annual appeal for your support for the preservation of our ancestral cemeteries in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Can you help? I hope you can.

The Historic Mead Family Burying Grounds Association, Inc., was initially founded in 1989 to maintain, preserve and protect three small ancestral farm cemetery sites in Greenwich. At one time all three of these sites were overgrown and neglected. 

That has not been the case for many years! In fact, the Association has served as a model for others to take on the task of preserving similar historic cemetery sites.

We need to raise funds to continue the perpetual care of the Cliffdale Road, North Greenwich and Relay Place, Cos Cob Mill Pond sites. This mainly entails lawn care and trimming around gravestones. 

Our goal is to raise $1000-$1500 to cover those costs for this year. Given the number of family descendants around the country and beyond I believe that any small donations will add up to attaining and perhaps exceeding our goal.

Presently I am pleased to report that we have attained 20% of our goal! Can you help us reach to the top?

Please make your checks out to History Mead Family Burying Grounds. Gail is my eldest sister who will be depositing checks received in our Greenwich bank account. 

Post your donation checks to Mrs. Gail Mead Fletcher, 43 Washington Mews, Port Chester NY 10507.

I will send each donor a personal acknowledgment and thank-you letter. 

Please contact the Association anytime at meadburyinggrounds@gmail.com. I appreciate your kind donations and attention. 

Greenwich, Connecticut Turns 375 This Year!

Our ancestral home town, Greenwich, Connecticut, turns 375 years old on July 18, 2015. Mead descendants are invited and encouraged to renew our shared history by participating in planned events throughout the year.

Click this link for the official 375th Anniversary web site for more information. 

"Beautiful Quaker Ridge" Saturday, August 1, 1903

From the Greenwich News-Graphic
Saturday, August 1, 1903

Barely Four Miles Long it is Noteworthy for theMagnificent View That it Affords. The Old Solomon Stoddard Mead Homestead on its Breeze Swept Crest.

It has often been said _____ truth that the principal charm of this section of Connecticut lies in the irregularity of its soil formation, and in the ____ing country where hills and dales are unexpectedly formed and again lost ___anging the scenery at every time. ___ instance of this erratic though ____ pleasing typography is found in Quaker Ridge, which can only be adequately described as a long hill on the crest by which runs the highway from Glenville to North Castle. The ridge begins at about a mile before reaching the well-known Solomon S. Mead homestead and ends at North Castle, a short distance, four miles replete with interesting views and lined with a number of historic homes and buildings. From the Mead place the view is superb, and to the south the sloping land to the Sound and Island, on the horizon to the east one sees beyond Clapboard Ridge the fine country with the white spire of the New Canaan Church in evidence; northward Round Hill and its picturesque buildings nestling among the elms and maples presents a rural picture of indescribable charms and the the west the King street ridge stands boldly against the sky.

Quaker Ridge as the name implies was originally settled by the members of the Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, who have long ago abandoned this particular locality. Many are still to be found on King street on the west ridge to the west and at Purchase where there are two meeting houses for members of this worthy and peaceful sect. At North Castle and old meeting house, the very one which was the place of worship for the Friends ______ presence gave the name Quaker Ridge is slowly falling to pieces and being used for a stable. It is remarkable that some wealthy members of this Society do not take steps to preserve this meeting house so deeply imbued with their traditions and love.

Close by this old meeting house of the Friends is the old trad___ barn where Major Andre was confined ___ the Revolutionary days when he was arrested as a spay by Paulding, W____ and Van Wert. From there he was taken over the Hudson River and executed by orders of General Washington. That barn, like the meeting house is also to be destroyed by the City of New York as a nuisance on the banks of the river, together with the old grist mill and many tenements which surround it. 

The time limited for the destruction of all the condemned buildings along the banks of the river is August 10. We will see what will be done.

The Mead place which curiously enough is just six miles distant from Greenwich, Port Chester and Stanwich, and also six miles direst east from White Plains and ten miles south of old Bedford Village proper, attracts more than unusual attention on account of its historic associations and the beautiful building and grounds. The records of the township show that a number of parcels of land were set out to Benjamin Mead, senior and Benjamin Mead junior, on Quaker Ridge. Mead senior was one of the original "27 proprietors of 1672," who owned the land which is now Greenwich township. Mead junior, left the old homestead which he had built to his grandson, Obadiah Mead father of the present Solomon S. Mead. Since that date the old homestead has been reconstructed without destroying architectural style and harmony. The original nails have been resharpened at a cost of 7 cents per pound and used again, although new ones could have been purchased at 3 cents per pound. The old fireplace is restored and on two of the stones may be seen the names Ralph Mead and Benjamin Mead carved in the stone with the date May 10, 1808. The interior of the house has been refurnished and one can see therein the dainty ______ of a woman's hand. Mr. Solomon S. Mead has in his possession several interesting relics, including a jacket _____ by Obadiah Mead, Sr., a Revolutionary soldier, who was shot on the farm, _____ bullet holes are still to be seen although the jacket is falling to pieces with ____ also a powder horn with the date 175_ and a pair of curtains over two hundred years old. 

Mr. Mead for a number of years gave his special attention to the breeding of horses, colts, and stock _____ all kinds all year around. He _____ a very successful business and _____ his patrons were many prominent _____. Recently his business has become the property of his daughters Sarah Carpenter and Agnes Varker who are keeping up the standard of excellence established by Mr. Mead, with such changes and ___rations as are required by modern methods of care of blooded horses and _____ winners.

Mr. Mead is a hale ____hearty man of 77, who belies his age ___. He is cordial and hospitable and a ____ of weight in the community. For many years he was identified with the Congregational Church at Quaker Ridge of which he is the oldest member at present. A prim republican of Whig antecedents he has never craved political ______. His entire life has been committed to useful pursuits and to the development of Quaker Ridge farm, which is at the summit of the Ridge, stands as a reminder to him and to his people of a faithful, laborious and worthy life.