Kellogg-Comstock Cemetery

Kellogg-Comstock Cemetery. c. 1813. , Like many small 18th and 19th century burial grounds, the Kellogg-Comstock Cemetery likely served the needs of a single family. The oldest marked grave dates to 1813 and most of the identified interments are related to Enos and Lydia Kellogg, early occupants of the homestead that once encompassed the cemetery grounds. There are, however, as many as 19 additional unmarked graves that have been identifies through ground-penetrating radar., The Kelloggs prominently sited their family cemetery on Ponus Avenue, an important route during the 18th century for individuals travelling between Norwalk, Canaan Parish and Ridgefield. The road evolved from a 17th century Native American trail associated with Ponus, a local sachem who sold large areas of land to European settlers c. 1640., Little is known about the early history of the area surrounding the Kellogg-Comstock Cemetery. In the early 18th century, the lands were owned by Norwalk citizens living "in town." By the mid-1700s, however, agricultural activities intensified with the arrival of resident farmers from coastal Norwalk and Canaan Parish. Among the early residents were Enos and Lydia Kellogg, who purchased this land in 1793 and lived in the neighboring farmhouse thereafter. Kellogg descendants married into the Comstock family, and the homestead remained in their hands until 1917., The 19th century saw the emergence of a thriving nursery business in Norwalk and surrounding towns; for several decades, the Comstock family operated a successful orchard and nursery on this land. By the mid-20th century, small-scale agricultural enterprises fell out of favor and many farms, including the Kellogg-Comstock farm, were subdivided into suburban building lots., [Captions:] , Located along the ancient route between Norwalk and Ridgefield, the cemetery was a landmark in the 19th century., To memorialize loved ones, local families could commission redware plates like this one, made in Norwalk around 1830., The Enos Kellogg House (1775-84), is shown with Edwin and Emma Comstock, and their adopted daughter Nellie., Orchard workers, including nursery proprietor G. Edwin Comstock (far left), proudly show the fruits of their labor for the camera.