Aspiring Scout honors historic lineage

It's not often that someone discovers their family tree includes such unusual branches: a pirate, Revolutionary War soldiers, and the person who named a Long Island town.

It's even more uncommon that someone can help physically preserve that family history. Rarer still: being 14 years old when taking on the grave task.

This summer, Michael Berdon, of Nesconset, set out to help restore the Conklin family cemetery in Wheatley Heights as the main project in his bid to become an Eagle Scout.

Michael, a ninth-grader at Smithtown High School East, came up with the idea after seeing a Newsday article last year in which Babylon historians had located a long-neglected Conklin family cemetery and were looking for descendants.

Michael, Babylon Town historians have confirmed, is the seventh great-grandson of Jacob Conklin, who according to legend sailed with famed pirate Captain Kidd. In 1710, Conklin settled on a large estate in what is now Wheatley Heights.

Conklin's children included two Revolutionary War leaders and the woman who, while visiting her son on the rough and tumble South Shore, remarked that it looked like the biblical Babylon. Nathaniel told his mother that this was the new Babylon, and the name stuck.

"The history that goes behind these people is just unbelievable," said Babylon Town Archivist Mary Cascone. "The spiderwebs interweave throughout Long Island history."

But cleaning the dilapidated cemetery would require more than a rake and garbage bags.

The Conklins had sold the estate in 1854 with a stipulation that the one-acre cemetery remain in family hands. Over time, family members moved away, and the cemetery was neglected. The land surrounding the cemetery now covers 360 acres, and has become part of the Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds.

"I told him this is a huge undertaking," said Michael's father, Brian. "You couldn't even walk in here."

Michael said the project was his "calling." He spent months researching family history, "overwhelmed" by the notable lineage. He directed the project, which must show leadership.

With dozens of volunteers and materials donated by two local companies, Michael cut down trees and cleared brush, laid down a brick path, and erected columns at the cemetery's entrance. Michael said the largest donations came from Nicolock in Lindenhurst, Splendor Landscaping & Masonry in Commack, as well as Charles Dolan, chairman of Cablevision, Newsday's parent company.

On Saturday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony with local officials is scheduled. The cemetery is private property, so visitors should arrange a tour through the town.

The cemetery has 38 headstones, as well as markers that Michael believes may note the graves of slaves. There also are missing and cracked headstones, so there may be more graves -- and work -- ahead. Michael plans to monitor the cemetery and recruit family for maintenance.

"It feels like I've given a rebirth to the history of my family," he said. "What was never passed down will now be passed down through generations."

Facts about the Conklin family cemetery

The first people interred were Jacob Conklin's wife Hannah and son Jacob. They both died on the same day, June 14, 1741, at ages, 65 and 27 respectively, and were buried together.

Of the 38 known graves, 8 of them are children between the ages of 23 days and 16 years.

The person who lived the longest was John Snedecor, aged 93, the husband of Charity Conklin Snedecor.

The last person interred was Nathaniel Conklin, in 1892.

Among those buried is Phebe Smith Conklin, believed to be the great-granddaughter of Richard Smith, founder of Smithtown.

There were 13 owners of the property around the cemetery after the Conklins sold it in 1854. Among them was the brother-in-law of President Ulysses S. Grant, who visited the cemetery.