Unfortunately, since the reporter went through the old Dumond cemetery in 1949 the "neglect" has been compounded by the excavation of gravel, by a land-owner and, later, by the Town of Middletown. This historic cemetery now contains none of the headstones nor the "monument to an Indian chief." There are only two small fieldstones which apparently mark the graves of the first settlers of this valley. There is no certainty about whose remains may still be in this cemetery, but I, Robert A. Rowe, am trying to make a list of possible interments here. The only individual we can say for certain was buried here was the son of Harmonus and Ginny Dumond, Peter Dumond who born Aug 22, 1775 died March 9th 1778.

WALTON REPORTER, Oct. 14, 1949

"Dumont Antecedents Buried In Ancient Margaretville Cemetery"

"Probably the oldest burying place in the county, and surely the oldest in the town [Middletown, Delaware Co., NY], is the old cemetery on the Dumond farm, across the river from Margaretville. It was used by the early Dutch settlers, and they believed it to have been occupied long before by half breeds who preceded them.

"This place contains the graves of some of the children of the original settlers, but for years it has been entirely neglected, The bed of the proposed railroad is over it, and in grading, many bones of unknown dead were exhumed from an adjacent spot.

"The historic Ulster-Delaware turnpike went past the road where the cemetery is now and the main road -- Route 28 -- on the other side of the river was only a log road at the time.

"Indian Chief Rates Big Space

"The cemetery is on a small knoll and there are several rows of headstones set in the ground so close together it was difficult to walk between them. There were about 50 close packed graves with one large one denoting the burial spot of an Indian chief. There are also two ancient spots containing colored people, probably slaves.

"The cemetery lay within the lands occupied by the DuMond family from the first arrival in 1763 to at least 1880. Harmanus DuMond, the first member of the Delaware county version of the DuMonds, came from the Marbletown vicinity (now Ashokan dam). His descendants are now quite numerous in the section. Harmanus, it will be remembered, was killed by a party of militia under Major Posey and Captain Harper in 1778, at what is now Arkville. After being robbed of his buttons and silver buckles, he was buried the following day by Colonel Cantine's men, and it is more than likely that his bones lie in the DuMond cemetery.

"The first settler on the site of what is now Margaretville was one 'Egganaus Demond', as he signed himself on the town record books. He was a nephew of the original Harmanus DuMond, and sold part of his farm for 100 poundds as a building site for the new village. The DuMond property at that time extended down the river to the John Grant lot, at what is now Dunraven.

"There has been considerable variation in the spelling of the name DuMond. It is even thought by some that Harmanus' name was really intended to be 'Harmonious', in accordance with the custom of the day to name persons after moods of peace and righteousness, such as 'Thankful', 'Deliverance', 'Patience', etc. A nephew later was named Harmonious. The name DuMond variees from 'Demon' to 'Dumong' and 'Demung' with DuMond finally becoming official. Capitalizing the 'M' seems to be a latter-day affectation.

"The DuMonds have figured prominantly in the history of the growing county. At one time it was rumored that it was a DuMond who shot Osman C. Steele at the Moses Earll farm during the Anti-Rent War. In 1803 it was voted at the town meeting to erect a pound at the home of David 'Demons', who was pound master at that time. His job was to impound wandering livestock. Throughout the county the name DuMond is found on all sides, with everyone being familiar with at least one member of the clan.

"HEADS STATE BUREAU

"Among the more well-known are Chester DuMond, state commissioner of agriculture and markets; and his brother, Waldron DuMond, Dry Brook resident who has served as veterans' administrator from this district with offices at Kingston. Dr. Crawford B. DuMond now practices dentistry at Walton, and his brother, Lawrence B. DuMond, is a merchant here. It would be exceedingly interesting hoe away some of the topsoil on the old DuMond burying ground to read the inscriptions on the stones.

"All this discussion of the old burying ground at Margaretville raises the question of whether all these bodies must be removed to make way for the rising waters of the Pepacton reservoir. The terrain is slightly elevated and the property owner hasn't been informed whether his land will be flooded or taken with that possibility."

[The Indian graves on the knoll opposite the Cockburn house have long since been covered by a cultivated field." (HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, N.Y., W.W. Munsell, NY, 1880, p.261)]