(An ongoing effort to identify those individuals laid to rest here and share their stories)

Frances Brown (1850-1933)

A member of the Brown family, Frances Brown served as the superintendent of the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged in Auburn, NY. Frances was married to Theodore Brown, a veteran of the Civil War. She was an officer of Household of Ruth, the auxiliary body of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows.

William Childers (c. 1841-1890)

William was born in Tennessee in the early 1840s, he was living in Ballston Spa and working as a waiter. He enlisted on December 19, 1863, and served as a private in Company F of the 26th Regiment U.S. Colored Infantry. After the war, he moved to Schenectady where he worked as a coachman and a holster until his death in 1890 at the age of 49.

John H. Hardy (1837-1898)

John Hardy, was the son of Robert and Dianna Hardy of Schenectady. He was a barber, and owned the building at 81 State Street in the 1860s. In 1875, John operated a restaurant at the corner of Ferry and State Street (near 81 State Street). The building was valued at $10,000. John lived with his wife Eliza C. Persette, their daughter Angelica A., who later married Reverend W.T. Carpenter, and his mother Diana Hall who was widowed. Diana was fifty five in 1875 but does not appear in later Censuses. In the 1880s John worked as a barber at 88 Ferry Street (the former shop of Francis Thompson) and lived at 91 Romeyn Street. In the 1890s Hardy lived and worked at 612 Union Street, and 523 Schenectady Street.

Jared A. Jackson (1840-1888)

Jared Jackson was born in Bethlehem in 1840 and served as a Corporal during the Civil War and wore the uniform of the 20th Regiment U.S Colored Troops. He was once believed to be the only Black Civil War Veteran from Schenectady. His parents George and Jane Ann Jackson were from New York City and settled in Bethlehem. He was married to Hannah Jackson, who is buried near him.

Cyril Sille (1896-1963)

Cyril Sille was born in St. Thomas. He was a musician in Schenectady and Gloversville in the 1930s. He was employed by General Electric between 1942-1954. Cyril married Eliza V. Wendell on November 28, 1947. Sille testified at a hearing on alleged Communist espionage before Senator Joseph R. McCarthy in Albany, NY, on February 20, 1954. Six GE employees were accused but all refused to admit to being Communist (The Times Record, Troy, Saturday February 20, 1954).

Margaret Robertson (c. 1760 - c. 1868)

Born enslaved in the West Indies, Margaret Robertson was brought to New York during the 1770s. In 1866, shortly before her death, she was recognized as the oldest Black resident and the last surviving witness to the American Revolution in Schenectady County.

Walter Simpkins (1949-2025)
Walter Simpkins relocated to Schenectady from New York City. He quickly became involved in the community, founding and leading the nonprofit organization Community Fathers, Inc. as Executive Director. Simpkins was a Board Member of the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, and a founding member and organizer of Schenectady’s Juneteenth Celebration. He received numerous awards and touched many lives throughout the city and beyond. Simpkins was laid to rest in the African American Ancestral Burial Ground in 2025, near the marker for Moses Viney.

Francis Thompson (1808-1885)

Francis Thompson was a successful Schenectady barber. He was married to Lydia Thompson. In the 1860’s his barbershop was located under the Given’s Hotel at 173 State Street. In the 1870’s until his death Thompson operated a barbershop at 88 Ferry Street, and lived at 43 Barrett Street.

Moses Viney (1817-1909)
Moses was born into slavery in Maryland in 1817. During his lifetime he escaped and settled in Schenectady New York. Viney was a coachman, messenger, and constant companion of Eliphalet Nott who was the president of Union College. Moses became a preacher at the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He also played a key role in the underground railroad, helping other enslaved people escape to freedom. He died on January 10, 1909. Anna, his wife, is likely buried near him.

Richard P.G. Wright (1772-1847)
Richard was born in Massachusetts around 1772, he spent time in Providence, Rhode Island and later settled in Schenectady. He was a champion of Abolition, an important conductor in the Underground Railroad through Schenectady. Richard passed away in Schenectady in 1847. He was the father of Abolitionist Rev. Theodore Sedgwick Wright.

Eliza Ann Wendell

Eliza was married to Peter G. Wendell, a successful barber with a shop at the Eagle Hotel in the 1860s. Together they had ten children: Margaret, Peter, Benjamin, William, Mary, Urania, Louisa, Amelia, George and Abbie. In the 1860s and 1870s the family home was located at 50 Fonda and 54 Fonda. Several of the Wendell children are buried near Eliza in Vale Cemetery: Margaret, with her husband Samuel Thompson, Abbie and Urania (Abrams) near each other, and George buried near his brother Peter.

Peter Wendell is the son of Peter G. and Eliza Ann Wendell. Like his father, Peter was a barber, but he spent most of his life working as a paver. In the 1880s he lived and worked out of 58 and 60 Albany Street. After his father died, Peter returned to barbering in the 1890s. He lived and worked at a few addresses, 770 Albany Street, 755 Albany Street, and 3 and 4 Lottridge Street.

In addition to the numerous stones visible in the African American Burial Ground, there are also several unmarked graves. One such example is Bartlett Jackson. Born into slavery, Bartlett was freed at the end of the Civil War and came to Schenectady. Here he served as a shoe shiner and more notably a custodian at the Wall Street police headquarters, their first African American employee. Bartlett passed away in 1901 and is interred at Vale. Bartlett Jackson represents the estimated one-third of graves in this plot without markers.

African American Historical Records Project, 2025 Sankofa Youth
Information gathered from census records, obituaries, news clippings, photographs, and other archival sources accessed through the Schenectady County Historical Society Library.

(An ongoing effort to identify those families laid to rest here and share their stories)

The African American Ancestral Burial Ground contains several family groups. Family groups in burial grounds are important as they provide a unique look into the structure of a family over several generations. Large family groups can also provide researchers a better understanding of local communities and culture during specific periods. Some families and individuals are well documented while others need more research. Below is a list of the known families in the burial ground and a notable member of each family.

Brown family: Theodore N. Brown was a Veteran of World War II (Brown family tree)

Childers family: William Childers was a Veteran of the Civil War

Wendell family: Robert Wendell was a successful local barber

Hardy Family: John H. Hardy was a successful local barber and, briefly, a restaurant owner
Thompson family

African American Historical Records Project, 2025 Sankofa Youth

Acknowledgements
The recognition and ongoing care of the African American Ancestral Burial Ground would not have been possible without the interest and support of the community. Neil Yetwin, a retired Schenectady High School history teacher, conducted research to learn more about the lives of the African Americans who were interred at Vale. Yetwin continues to share his research on Moses Viney, Jared Jackson, and others. Dr. Bernard McEvoy, deceased President of the Vale Cemetery Association, secured funding to place markers in the Cemetery and worked closely with community organizations to improve representation at Vale. Walter Simpkins brought Moses Viney’s story to life and paid tribute to the many Black lives represented here. Groups of volunteers, including local youth, spent countless hours restoring and beautifying the plot.

Schenectady African American Historical Records Project, 2025 Summer Sankofa Youth