Samuel and James Stretch were were brothers. They both died of cholera during 1832 epidemic. Samuel was 38 and James was 33. The story goes that they came to Liverpool from New Jersey to work in the salt industry as they thought it would be good for their health. The brothers also heard they could make a living working with salt, and left their New Jersey home to work in the Salt City. Their elderly parents put put up these two stones when they came from New Jersey to visit the grave.

The cholera epidemic of 1832 was said to have begun in this area when a canal boat carrying infected crew or passengers placed in quarantine, but evidently too late. An excellent book,The Cholera Years by E.rosenberg, deals with the cholera epidemic in New York City.

Smallpox was another disease which took toll on the local population. The 1876 report of the Liverpool President indicates that $121.59 was expanded for smallpox expenses, and $95.55 for smallpox guards. Village residents paid 25 cents for vaccination while the poor were cared for free. In 1894 the disease again reached epidemic proportions. Records show payment for clothing,coffins,livery charges for smallpox cases as well as payment to guards and physicians.

Since both smallpox and cholera were thought to be communicable diseases,guards were used to enforce quarantines.