Courtesy of
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In 1873, the Knapp, Stout and Company began a movement to organize a cemetery association. S.B. French, bookkeeper for the company, acted as secretary and organized meetings. Notices appeared in the Dunn County News urging those people who were interested to attend meetings to plan for an association. However sufficient interest could not be aroused and the plan was abandoned.
The Knapp, Stout and Company took on the responsibility and set aside about thirty-five acres, overlooking the water on the east side of the "pond." (However, in 1904 when the Evergreen Cemetery Association was finally formed, following the closing of the Knapp, Stout and Company lumber operation, T.B. Wilson addressed the committee and said that the property contained about 52.85 acres which included the property on which the home of the Sexton was built.) |
After crossing the causeway, you will enter the gates of Evergreen Cemetery. The first thing that you will see is the cast zinc referred to as the white bronze monument in the form of a Union Soldier at the head of the Grand Army of the Republic lots. This statue was placed there as a tribute to the nation's dead in April 1901 and was dedicated on Memorial Day 1901 to the memory of the Civil War and Spanish-American War dead by the Williams Evans Relief Corps. No. 7. The Relief Corps was organized in 1884. The entire triangular plot was dedicated to the Civil War dead in the name of the Wm. R. Evans Post No. 58, Grand Army of the Republic. That Post was organized in Menomonie in 1883. Directly behind the statue a section of the cemetery is laid out with graves of veterans from the Civil and Spanish-American era wars. Knapp, Stout and Company donated the land for the veterans' gravesites. Flags for the veterans are placed in flag holders throughout the cemetery by American Legionnaires the week before Memorial Day. The Ludington Guard Wisconsin State Militia has also taken part in the Decoration Day activities. On May 30, 1878, the Ludington Guard was invited for the first time to escort the veterans to the cemetery to decorate the graves of the soldiers.
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Continuing east, note the maintenance and storage shed built in 1923. It is a 15-foot by 20-foot building of Dunnville stone block and wood with an open porch originally intended as a rain protection for visitors at the cemetery. The Treasurer’s report from 1924 shows that the expenditures in 1923 for "repairs on the Sexton’s house and the new building" were $725.27.
The Dunnville quarried stone for this building is the same material used in the construction of Mabel Tainter Memorial, the Louis Smith Tainter home, as well as countless buildings all over the United States. Over the years, the shed deteriorated and with a $10,000 bequest by Jack Hellum was restored in 2001 using guidelines under Historical Preservation regulations.
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The first marker close to the road that you will notice is a large steel antique cross. These old steel crosses are unusual. This one is the marker for the very first burial in Evergreen, Alan Angrimson Braae, buried on December 24, 1874. He was 28 years, 3 months and 16 days at the time of his death from consumption, or tuberculosis, as we now call it. He was born in Norway and was married. That is all we know about him.
This entire section, 8 rows of graves, parallel with the road goes all the way to the turn of the road. Each row contains from 100 – 140 burials. Each has been documented. Many old cemeteries do not have accurate or complete records. It is to the advantage of Evergreen Cemetery that Knapp, Stout and Company owned Evergreen and because they were a viable business, the most up to date record keeping was available to Evergreen. Although there are some discrepancies, the recording of the burials is more accurate than of many older cemeteries.
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At the next corner, take a right turn. On the left you will pass the Vault. Note that the doors are actual bank vault doors. The key for them looks like an old fashioned skeleton key but much larger and thinner. This building was probably built in about 1895 or 1896 for the specific purpose of storing bodies during the winter months because of the difficulty digging graves in the winter. One source says that it was built in the 1880s. However, the first reference to it is a notation in 1896 that a body was "in the vault" before spring burial. It was designed to hold 14 units; however, as the caskets became larger and more ornate, only 10-11 caskets could be stored. The building is original and nothing has been done to change it, though the roof was reshingled in 2001 and probably previously as well. It was used for its intended purpose until 2002 and is now used as storage for larger maintenance equipment.
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You undoubtedly will see the mausoleum up the hill to your right. A special meeting of the Trustees was called on June 28th, 1937, to act on the application of erecting a mausoleum on Lot 25. After discussion, the application was denied, "as it would not be for the best interest of the cemetery to place a mausoleum at that prominent point. But if the owners of Lot 25 wish to choose any unoccupied lot in one of the level sections of the cemetery exchange would be made and the erection of a mausoleum would be permitted." On July 6th, 1937, another meeting was called for the purpose of reconsidering the action taken June 28th on the application for a permit to erect a mausoleum on Lot 25. It was determined that if the majority of the lot owners on that hill section were in favor of it, it would be allowed. Then, at another special meeting of the Trustees on July 31, 1937, the record shows "granting Miss Buckley permission to erect a mausoleum on Lot 25," providing "said building abides by the regulation of the State Board of Health."
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As we walk down the hill you will note on your left the Bradseth lot. There is such an interesting story about the death of the twin boys, Alfred and Kyle in 1877. Here is the story as told by Marlys Simmons about finding the marker in her back yard: Have you ever found something in your backyard? A quarter, some bricks or maybe an arrowhead? My daughters and I found a tombstone! In 1997 I bought a house on 13th Street in Menomonie. That summer we started doing some landscaping by the corner of our lot. When we removed a compost pile there was what looked like a large rock. What we found was the tombstone of Alfred Elmer Bradseth – born 16 March 1877 and died 16 November 1877. On the top of the stone, which stands about 24 inches high, is a baby lamb. The stone is made of white granite or marble and there is an inscription on the bottom that reads:
Bort frdjord at flykke
Til Paradise lien Hailliel Lierliqt Bylle For von little Ven |