Welcome to the Tongore Cemetery

Olivebridge, New York

Nestled amid the rolling foothills of the Catskill Mountains, the Tongore Cemetery stands as a quiet testament to the enduring history of Olivebridge and the Town of Olive. Established in the 19th century, this historic cemetery holds the stories of generations of strong men and women who built and sustained this community—farmers, millers, teachers, merchants, and tradespeople whose names still echo through local history.

Among those laid to rest here are members of many of Olive’s founding families: the Bishop, Boice, Craig, Crispell, Davis, Elmendorf, Krom, McClelland, North, Shurter, Trowbridge, and Winchell families, along with others whose roots reach back to the earliest days of settlement in the Esopus Valley. Their descendants helped shape the region’s character—working the land, raising families, and building the churches, schools, and farms that defined rural life in the Catskills.

Today, Tongore Cemetery remains an active and lovingly maintained burial ground, maintained by local volunteers and descendants of those early settlers. Visitors will find simple headstones and family plots, framed by the quiet bucolic beauty of the Esopus Valley landscape.

Whether you come seeking genealogical connections, local history, or a place to rest, Tongore Cemetery offers a peaceful place to honor the lives and legacies of those who came before us. We welcome you.

Ballad of the Catskills by Michael Bellmont

We invite you to listen to Michael Bellmont’s beautiful song about Tongore Cemetery.