Hamilton’s Dark History – Burkholder Cemetery

In October 1794, Jacob Burkholder, and his wife, Sophia de Roche arrived on Hamilton Mountain and were one of the first families to settle in the area.

The cemetery is located on Mohawk Road in Hamilton. It was established on a portion of land owned by descendants of the original settlers. It is believed that as early as the year 1800 the people of the neighbourhood brought their dead here to be buried.

In 1839, the section of land was officially set aside, to be used as a common school site and a public burying-ground. A log school was erected just inside the main gate of the cemetery, which was used for both religious and educational purposes. In 1850, a church was built on the same site known as, “The Little White Church”. It stood for over one hundred years until the demand for a new, larger church forced it to be demolished in 1955. In 1958, the current Burkholder United Church was erected.

During the early years of the old church, the people strongly believed in superstitions, signs, and omens. It was believed that if the cemetery claimed one victim, it would not be satisfied until it had at least three. Before the death of a very prominent person occurred, a strange light was said to run along the roof of the church.

Many visitors to this day say they used to see that same light running along the top of the church roof. There is no proof or explanation as to what the light is. The only logical theory is that it was the light orb of a faithful church member’s spirit who passed on. Another belief was that angels hovered over a person’s deathbed, but were only visible to the eye of those who held faith.

Allegedly, the cemetery was also the location of a grave robbing by a local pioneer doctor who needed a skeleton. He was discovered after a servant girl told of suspicious pieces of flesh being boiled in the huge wash-boiler in the doctor’s home.