Genealogy for Dewey-O’Neil-Tracy McKillip-Finnegan Wallace-Ryan-Gaffney Families Of Franklin Co., NY

The towns of Franklin Falls and Alder Brook were a place where many immigrants from Ireland came to settle. The first settlement in Franklin was begun when a forge and sawmill was built about 1827 by McLenathen & Wells of Jay in Essex County. This place was first known as McLenathen Falls. The enterprise ceased and the area rapidly lost its residents. In 1846 a new sawmill was erected by Fitzgerald and McLean of New Sweden, Essex Co. In 1847 they sold part of their interest to Keese & Tomlinson of Keeseville. During 1848 and 1849, a number of Irish immigrants entered into the employ of J.&J. Rogers to cut timber and burn coal for that company's forges. They formed what was called the "settlement" which later became Franklin Falls.

Shortly after these families arrived in Franklin County, the parish of St. Rose of Lima was established in Alder Brook, NY in 1850 . The oldest death date in the cemetery is Cornelius RYAN, the patriarch of the DEWEY family; it is probable that this is a memorial carving and that he is not actually buried there. Prior to the building of the church, the nearest Catholic Church was St. Matthews in Black Brook, Clinton Co. just over the Franklin County border. In lieu of attending mass at St. Matthews, mass was frequently held on an upper floor in a house owned by Hugh McKILLIP which still exists across the street from the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery; it later was sold to Father O'Donnell who was the pastor for both St. Rose and St. Paul until the former burned down around 1940. His ministry was then St. Pauls in Bloomingdale. About 1853, a wood plank road extended from Franklin Falls to Black Brook, a distance of about 14 miles.

At intervals the priest from Keeseville, AuSable or BlackBrook would visit for Mass. In lieu of Mass, the people in the area would gather on Sunday mornings, weather permitting, to say the Rosary. The McKILLIP, RYAN and HOWARD families were the principal supporters of Father James Keveny to erect the small church. Archibald McKILLIP (the father of both Anna Elizabeth McKILLIP and Helen McKILLIP who married both of Andrew TRACY's sons, Peter and William) was one of the first trustees of the church until he died and was succeeded by his brother, Patrick. In the 1870s/80s the parish formed the St.Patricks Benevolent Society whose purpose was to aid their members financially and otherwise, in case of serious illness, sudden death, etc.