Founding Farmers

Lydia and Elisha Burkhyte were Puritans who came here from Rhode Island in the late 1700's and settled my farm. They are buried on land across the street, part of the original farm before it was divided. I have thought a lot about them lately, how difficult it must have been for them the first winter, clearing the land and carving a life out of the wilderness. One grave contains their son, Peter, 18 years old and killed in a gun accident. How tragic his death surely was - not only the loss of a son, but the manpower he contributed to the farm. There are many children's graves there, too. I was told some of them are triplets, scalped by Indians. I found the stones lying flat on the ground. I stood them up, trying hard to put them back where I think they fell from. I feel an emotional attachment to them, those early pioneers. I bet their people thought they were crazy, too...leaving an established settlement for the wilds of New York. I heard their descendants went bust during the Great Depression, relocated to California and became wealthy in the wine business. Good for them!