~ Fort Hill Cemetery ~

NOTABLE PEOPLE

Emerous Donaldson Clapp
Born 1823, died 1889.

     E. D. Clapp established the E.D. Clapp Manufacturing Company and the E.D. Clapp Wagon Company. He was also a director of the Southern Central Railroad, a trustee of the Cayuga County Savings Bank, and a director of the First National Bank of Auburn.

From the E D Clapp Company web site:

     Few companies in America share the rich history belonging to E.D. Clapp. Established in 1829 in the picturesque Finger Lakes region of Central New York, at Auburn, Clapp's roots date back to the earliest days of the industrial revolution in America. Initially a forge, Clapp became a wagon and carriage manufacturer while also forging for others. By 1864 Clapp was not only one of the nation's primary custom forging houses, it also forged a line of proprietary items which were sold by catalogue through distributors. At the Centennial Exhibition held in New York, Clapp exhibited some four hundred proprietary forged parts. A major contribution made by Clapp was the invention of the  " fifth wheel   " for horse drawn carriages and wagons. It was so acclaimed that the company became widely known as the  "Fifth Wheel Works  ", Auburn, New York. Clapp continued to grow with the carriage and wagon industry. As the automobile industry developed Clapp shifted to provide forgings for automobile makers, while producing a long list of custom forgings for companies around the country.

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The Clapp family lot is located in the Northside section of the cemetery.

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