To get to Pontoosuc Cemetery the motorist takes partially gravel winding country road south from west-east Illinois state hard road No. 96 at the east Pontoosuc corner.  The east Pontoosuc corner is where the blacktop runs north from the hard road on to Pontoosuc.

The third gravel road which is about one car wide winds around to the southeast almost a quarter of a mile.  At that point a side road Francis off from its to the east, a narrow road mostly dirt and say and ascending up to the higher timber and farmland on the bluffs.  This side road is the road into the cemetery.

Up their on an acre or so of level spot the land surrounded by rough timber terrain on all sides is Pontoosuc Cemetery.

It is roughly mowed and practically unfenced.  Graves and monuments are scattered over it with considerable available unused space everywhere for future interments if there ever is any demand for this.

Burials here as the death dates on the stones show were quite numerous up till the 1930s.  There are just a few in the 1940s, and practically none since 1950.  It is evident people of the area have just about stopped using this burying ground.  There probably will not be anymore for the 1960s.

Pontoosuc Cemetery is one of the hardest to find (hidden from passing the flow of traffic which passes beneath it on hard road No. 96 and from the broad river flowing east-west here in the distance), burying grounds of the county.  There are quite a few burials here but it is about as isolated and inaccessible as the one family once hidden away by the pioneer families of the century back.  This is unusual for the county.  Most of the secreted ones or very hard to find ones are family plots.

There are several cemeteries south of this short stretch of hard road between Niota and Dallas City.  Both of these towns and also Pontoosuc are Western Illinois river towns.

Funeral processions would be unable to get to this cemetery in our motorized age.  There simply is not enough gravel on these dirt roads or in many places anyway to get in here from the hard road with motorized vehicles.  This means in rainy seasons.  It is not been ascertained if there is any way of coming in at all from the level country off to the south.

This is as has been stated a Cemetery rapidly becoming an abandoned one.  There are hardly any burials here as early as the 1860s but the 1870s on to the 1930s are numerous and and break off suddenly.  So about a 60 years stretch may be said to be about the span this place was used.  It is not likely it will be used much again.  It is simply too isolated and hard to get to a place to meet the demands of the nuclear age population.  For these dead who are at rest with God here the books have been closed by county people.  They are just names now and lists like this one to be scanned and pigeonholed by a scholarly genealogist.  Maybe rest in peace

(1968 Hancock County history, page 469)

"Pontoosuc: this burial plot proceeded to the directors of Pontoosuc Cemetery: April 14, 1858 Enoch P. Stone and Emily, his wife, in consideration of $100.  The directors were S. D.  Freecroft, Abraham Harper, William Abernathy Sr., John M.  Slocum and Louis Huebotter.  The cemetery is now taken over by the village of Pontoosuc.  It is inside the corporate glance-in part of north one-half of south one-half of west one-half of northeast 40 of northeast one fourth of section 9, Township 7 containing five acres.  This was recorded May 13, 1858.  The following persons on plots in 1859: J.  D. Logan, Henry Walker, D. M. Perkins, A. Harper, Rand and brother F. Urban, Michael Ochsner, Jacob Hettrick, John Burmen, Paul Henning and F. Kraus, Dominic Hanson, Nicholas Conradt, Charles Stephen, Elis Bower, William D. Voigt, George Wibble, S.  D. Halcroft, John M.  Schramm, Lewis Huebotter, Ewald Herwig, E. P. Stone, Moritz Hilh, Joseph Weaver, Richard Cheadle, Mr. Erbrod, Ernest Hilder, Joseph Beckert, Philip Urig, William Abernathy Sr., L. C. Barker, Anton Shoppmeyer, John Wood worth, Joseph Gudweiler, Charles Nettmann, Nicholas Klee, John Wibble, Adam Eckhardt, Ernest Thannert, John Moyes Sr., Abner Foster, William Fells, William Mace, William Holuva, Henry Wilcox, William McFarland, Michael Davis, Herrick Lodge, E. M. Stanford, F Kinkley, Samuel Brown, J.  M.  Agnew, Thomas Scott, J. W. Tull, James M. Duffy, Ferdinand Graff, J. B. Agnew, Peter Grampp, Jacob Morgan, Marie Kelly, A. H.  McMurphy, William Seymour, John Robinson, William Kiel, Bevis Green, Rosel. Woodberry, M Waldenmeyer, Enoch Ewing, A. Howard, J T Stamphere, David Moyes Sr., Frank Miller, J. Black, A. McElhiney, Charles Little, G. H. Morris, G. W. Ewing, James Salisbury, James Crowley and Joseph Harnes".
 
 

Agnew, J. B. - b: no dates    Sargent Co. A 14th Illinois Calvary
Abernathy, Alexander - b: no dates    1st Sergeant, Co. I, 16 Wisconsin infantry
Abernathy, William - b: August 16, 1813   d: June 22, 1878  (h/o Lucy E Abernathy)
Abernathy, Lucy E - b: June 1, 1818   d: March 17, 1879
Abernathy, Mary - b: October 5, 1850   d: January 26, 1916
Barker, Effie L. - b: January 08, 1862  d: October 16, 1866  aged  4 years 9 months 8 days  (d/o L. C. and Abbigill Barker)
Barker, Phebe - b: September 20, 1822   d: February 22, 1860  aged 37 years 5 months 2 days   (w/o L. G. Barker)
Barnes, Sarah Ann - b: 1820  d: December 30, 1869  in the 48 year of her age  (epitaph unreadable)
Bennett, M. J. - b: 1835  d: March 1883  aged 47 years 9 months  (w/o William S. Bennett)
Bennett, William S. - b: September 08, 1829  d: April 8, 1908  aged 78 years 7 months  (h/o M. J. Bennett)
Boston, Louise - b: 1874   d: June 18, 1934 in Pontoosuc Township, Hancock County, Illinois
Callihan, Robert G. - b: 1938   d: 1947
Crystal, Emma - b: 1873   d: 1958
Daly, Beulah A. - b: 1903
Daly, Osborn F. - b: 1897   d: November 10, 1942 in Dallas City, Hancock County, Illinois
?  Edwin H. - b: 1842   d: 1916
?, Esther - b: no dates
?, Evans F. - b: no dates
?, Frank B. - b: no dates
?, Mabell - b: 1880   and d: 1922
?, Mary L. - b: 1844   d: 1914
?, Pearl L.  - b: 1871   d: 1942
( I assume these all to be Daly because they were all on the same page together but of course I am not sure. I put them here as they appeared on the page. Maybe someone knows who they are)
Engelhard, Adelheld - b: July 19, 1829   d: December 9, 1912  (w/o William Engelhard)
Engelhard, Eda - b: 1864   d: 1940
Engelhard, George - b: 1866   d: 1947
Engelhard, Helen Marie - b: 1923
Engelhard, Lewis - b: 1856   d: 1925
Engelhard, Lovina -  b: 1858  d: 1945
Engelhard, William - b: March 11, 1831   d: February 1, 1912  (h/o Adelheld Engelhard)
Engelhard, William L. - b: June 12, 1878   d: June 22, 1903
Ewing, George W. - b: 1858   d: 1938
Ewing, Margaret - b: 1862   d: 1946
Ewing, Phoebe (Bowen) - b: 1832   d: 1884
Ewing, Talitha - b: 1859   d: 1895
Fells, (off base, inscription on downside and unavailable)
Graff, Anna C. - b: February 8, 1831   d: January 20, 1909
Graff, Ferdinand E. -space b: October 5, 1823   d: December 6, 1909
Graff, George F. - b: January 3, 1865   d: July 9, 1956
Graff, John E. - b: July 31, 1867   d: January 30, 1924
Graff, Marie L.. - b: May 29, 1835   d: August 8, 1861
(also small gray granite stone's) Graff, John E. and George F.  No dates
Grampp, Peter - b: July 8, 1815   d: 1869
Green, Bevis - b: 1832   d: 1912  (h/o Mary Green)
Green, Mary - b: 1845   d: 1926  (w/o Bevis Green)
Gutbrod, Simon - b: January 14, 1827   d: March 1, 1875
Hennings, Catherine - b: November 26, 1835   d: February 14, 1901
Hennings, Paul - b: March 24, 1823   d: April 15, 1880
Herweg, Joanna C. - b: May 12, 1826   d: January 22, 1901
Holman, Arthur - b:   d: September 18, 1931  Illinois Private 45th Infantry 2 Division (G A R Post No. 170 Cast Bronze Marker)
Houk, Harman - b: no dates    Co. H. 78th Illinois infantry
Hughes, Elis M. - b: 1856   d: 1902
Hughes, Geneva H. - b: 1856   d: 1930
Hutson, John A. -  b: June 20, 1856   d: December 23, 1942 in Appanoose Township, Hancock County, Illinois (h/o Mary E Hutson)
Hutson, Mary E. - b: October 8, 1859   d: November 15, 1919 in Appanoose Township, Hancock County, Illinois
Jordan, John - b: 1863   d: February 21, 1943 in Pontoosuc Village, Hancock County, Illinois
Jordan, Martha (Kelley) - b: 1855   d: February 7, 1941 in Pontoosuc Village, Hancock County, Illinois
Kelley, John L. - b: 1851   d: 1882
Kessler, Hannah - b: 1829  d: January 3, 1864  aged 35 years  (w/o C. E.  Kessler)
Klee, Nellie - b: August 23, 1878   d: January 31, 1880  (d/o N. and M. Klee)
Klee, H. - b: December 8, 1822   d: October 12, 1887  aged 64 years 10 months 1 day
Isslieb, Henry F. - b: 1857   d: 1945
Leavitt, Clara E. - b: 1853   d: 1925
Liskey, Fredericka - b: 1842   d: May 27, 1929  in Pontoosuc Township, Hancock County, Illinois
Liskey, Henry - b: 1835   d: 1905
Liskey, Lena L. - b: 1874   d: 1937
Liskey, William - b: March 24, 1842   d: April 12, 1917
Little, E. Y. Flora - b: April 2, 1861 (do not know if this is birth or death date, no other dates)
Little, Frank G. - b: 1863   d: 1929
Little, John Martin - b: July 20, 1851   d: January 28, 1946 in Pontoosuc Township, Hancock County, Illinois
Logan, James D. - b: 1816   d: 1905
McFarland, William - b: January 19, 1783   d: May 4, 1864  aged 81 years 3 months 15 days
McMurphy, Marian - b: July 10,1827  d: November 11, 1864  aged 37 years 4 months 1 day  (w/o A. H. McMurphy)
Moon, Mary A. - b:   d: May 23, 1931
Morris, Alice - b: 1869   d: 1929
Morris, George E. - b: 1899   d: 1929
Morris, Hazel - b: 1889   d: 1896
Moyes, Bennie L. - b: March 1892  d: December 18, 1892  aged 9 months
Moyes, Cordelia S. - b: 1850   d: 1931
Moyes, David - b: 1813  d: February 15, 1889  aged 76 years   Co. B. 151st Illinois infantry
Moyes, Edgar R. - b:   d: September 5, 1883
Moyes, Mary - b: 1852    d: March 18, 1879  aged 27 years
Moyes, Mary, Mrs. - b: 1812  d: February 16, 1879  aged 67 years
Moyes, Mark L. - b: 1886  d: August 6, 1888   aged 2 years
Moyes, Ralph S. - b: September 18, 1881   d: September 12, 1895  aged 14 years 11 months 5 days
Neal, Mattie - b: 1867   d: 1912
Perkins, Daniel M -  b: 1820   d: 1904  (h/o Mary S.  The Leavitt)
Perkins, Mary S.  - b: 1819   d: 1907  (w/o Daniel M. Perkins)
Pitts, Frank C. - b: 1906   d: no date
Pitts, Fred G. - b: 1906   d: no date
Pitts, Karl N. - b: 1897   d: 1944
Pitts, John N. - b: 1857   d: 1927  (h/o Mary L. (Gardner) Pitts)
Pitts, Mary L. (Gardner) - b: 1864   d: November 13, 1949  (w/o John N. Pitt's)
Rand, Frederick E. - b: June 17, 1880   d: October 5, 1942  Illinois major infantry
Robinson, John E - b: January 19, 1816   d: November 20, 1872
Robinson, John W. - b: no dates   Co. H. 78th Illinois infantry
Robinson, Thomas - b: no dates   Co. H. 78th Illinois infantry
Schram, Ann - b: February 17, 1916   d: January 16, 1903   (w/o John Schram)
Schram, John - b: February 9, 1809   d: December 11, 1899  (h/o Ann Schram)
Schram, Sarah C. - b: February 28, 1859   d: June 14, 1900   (w/o Charles T Schram)
Snyder, Erastus - b: September 25, 1857  d: November 5, 1858  aged 1 year 1 month 11 days
Strange, Christina - b: 1849   d: 1939
Strange, William - b: 1851   d: 1935
Supple, Fredrecka - b: August 12, 1841   d: April 5, 1933
Supple, John T. - b: November 8, 1833   d: December 4, 1875
Supple, John T. - b: 1875   d: 1947
Thannert, Amy D. - b: 1878   d: 1952
(family name stone found part off base and on the ground) I believe, even though I can't prove this, that these are all from the Thannert family.
Thannert, Bert C - b: 1874   d: 1907  (s/o Ernest J. and Pauline A. Thannert)
?, Henry - b: 1868   d: December 31, 1934 in Carthage Township, Hancock County, Illinois
?, Minnie A. - b: 1858   d: 1886
Thannert, Ernest J. - b: 1827   d: 1901  (h/o Pauline A. Thannert) (Father)
Thannert, Ernest W. - b: February 24, 1862   d: October 24, 1863  (s/o Ernest J. and Paulin A. Thannert)
Thannert, Lewis C. - b: 1866   d: February 15, 1925 in Appanoose Township, Hancock County, Illinois
Thannert, Pauline A. - b: 1835   d: 1893 (w/o Ernest J. Thannert)
Urban, Arzona - b: April 25, 1874   d: July 30, 1935
Urban, Frederick - b: January 14, 1869   d: February 17, 1937
Urban, Frederick - b: October 1, 1821 in Brandenburg, Prussia   d: July 29, 1906 in Pontoosuc, Hancock County, Illinois
Uhrig, Rosy - b: August 28, 1829   d: January 6, 1878 aged 48 years 3 months 3 days (w/o Phillip Uhrig)
Wilcox, George H. - 1896   d: 1957
Wilcox, Henry - b: October 11, 1821   d: October 25, 1895  (h/o Nancy H. Wilcox)
Wilcox, Nancy H. - b: December 28, 1832   d: February 7, 1912  (w/o Henry Wilcox)
Yeocum, Elizabeth U. - b: October 21, 1846   d: February 20, 1932
Yeocum, George W. - b: November 5, 1840   d: November 25, 1912  Corporal George W. Yeocum Co. D. 7th IS. infantry