NEWRY — Anyone driving past or through Newry Corner has likely seen a large, open field, with a single small cemetery. Sitting with just 10 gravestones in the middle of an area that appears to be unoccupied, the graveyard itself is a bit of a mystery. It is not connected to any standing homestead, and holds dates from as far back as the 1820’s.

While there are not records of a house in that area, the names itself are found in historical records of the Newry area. The primary name of interest in this case is the name “Ithiel Smith”. In A History of Newry, by Carrie Wight, the Smiths are described as one of the earliest settlers of the area. The Smiths were one of the first families to build on the Bear River side, likely in the early 1800s.

Evidence of Ithiel and his family is scattered throughout public records and names appearing on documents until his apparent death in 1821, as recorded on his gravestone. According to records, the area that is now Newry Corner used to be known as Bostwick, until a petition was submitted in 1805, requesting to become part of the town of Newry. The name “Ithiel Smith” is listed as one of the signers.

The name “Smith” appears many times in town records in the 1800s, though none of the Smiths listed match the names of the Smiths on the graves. The names include both members of the Smith and the Black family. Interestingly, the Black family does not appear to show up in town records. However, some of the graves are listed as children of “Mary and Africa Smith”. If this Mary is Mary Black, then that would imply marriage into the family.

A point of confusion arises with the name “Ithiel” when it comes to historical documents. An “Ithiel Smith” is listed a tax collector in 1821 – the same year that is given as the year of death on Ithiel’s gravestone. The name “Ithiel Smith” also appears on the list of selectmen between 1848 and 1858 – long after the first Ithiel Smith died.

There is also an “Ithiel Smith Jr.” who is listed as a tax collector in 1812. It’s possible that this is the Ithiel Smith that later took up the position on the selectboard. There is also mention of a “non resident Ithiel Smith” serving on the selectboard in 1823 – likely also Ithiel Smith Jr.

The name “Ithiel” also appears in a list of those employed. He is described as working in a sawmill in 1805, producing “100m boards”. A later record describes the family living in the area until the death of a “Don Smith”, after which the family moved. A “Don Smith” does appear in records, though the year of his death is not clear.

The Smith family’s ties to the area are obvious, though the matter of the Black family still remains largely a mystery. However, next time a drive should take you near Newry Corner, take a moment to look at the graveyard – the final resting place of some of the area’s first colonial settlers.