The US Government relocated this graveyard around 1941 to the Maplewood Cemetery area on Route 4, Salisbury, NH, near the ball field. The cemetery is now well-maintained and in good condition.
At its new site, there are about 169 graves with markers, along with rock markers that seem to be more than just footstones. A map, believed to have been created by the Army Corps of Engineers before the graves were moved, shows 278 graves. Efforts are ongoing to locate an accompanying list of names corresponding to the numbers on the map.
This old settlers’ graveyard might have had many small, unreadable stones, and it’s possible they were reburied at the new location without them. More research is needed to verify if the Army Corps of Engineers Map is accurate and if this assumption holds. While many tombstones remain readable, some are becoming harder to decipher, and a few are completely illegible. Thankfully, in 1933, Priscilla Hammond transcribed almost all the information from the stones, giving us valuable records. Nearly all the stones she listed have been accounted for at the newer location.
From the History of Salisbury by John Dearborn, 1890:
“The second graveyard of age, named for the donor of the land, is situated near Union Meeting House in the western part of the town. Sinkler Bean gave the land, provided the people would clear it up, fence it, and give him space in the yard south of the gate, which is used by the Bean family. The Maloons are buried at the right hand, just as one enters the gate from the east. They are buried near the eastern wall.”
Note: At the time of John Dearborn’s writings in 1891 (before the Flood Control Program in 1941), the cemetery was situated east of the community near Smith’s Corner. Often referred to as Smith’s Corners Cemetery, this has led to some confusion about its actual location. The cemetery was located just east of where Little Hill meets Warner Road, on the opposite side of the road. It served as the burial ground for Smith’s Corner residents, but was not located at the Smith’s Corner intersection.
At present, there is no memorial stone for The Meloons or Maloons in either the new location or the original one.
The tale of the Meloons or Maloons is a fascinating one, thoroughly recounted in John Dearborn’s book. Maloon Family