Peoria County,
IL Genealogy Trails
Candi Horton ©2008
CITY CEMETERY
1839-1875
First Know as Public Graveyard
Plat of Public Graveyard
Village of Peoria
Located on N.E. cor. of N.W. 1/4 sect. 17 T8N
R8E of the 4th PM
Year 1842
Last Known as City Cemetery
The only name on this plat is No. 3 Giles C. Dana
April 1999- The residence of an 85 year old house at 611
Caroline St. was digging in the front of the house uncovered the
headstone of Elizabeth J. HAMILTON, w/o Joseph Hamilton, died Nov. 9, 1884
age 63.
This is thought to one of many headstones removed from the City Cemetery.- 2008
Taken from "HISTORY OF SOME OF PEORIA COUNTIES CEMETERIES", written for a college thesis in 1936 by person
unknown.
Copied by "Marqaret Herberger in 1956 from a copy loaned her by Harry Spooner. Her copy now remains with the
Historical Society.
Submitted by Steve Slaughter and Transcribed by: Missi Thompson
ABNER EADS- one of Peoria's Pioneers, on August 23, 1821 purchased a quarter section of land for a home site from M. DUNCAN, who had acquired it as a government grant. Part of it was sold April 3, 1833 to O. HAMLIN who on January 25, 1835 sold to G. C. DANA, Administrator for the estate of D.P. DANA, five acres of the property, now bounded by Lincoln, Helen and Lincoln Place, the present site of Lincoln Park and Peoria Branch Library. For the sum of $350.00. G. C. DANA sold the five acres Nov. 5, 1839 to the trustees of the town of Peoria for the purpose of "Public Graveyard". However, a small tract retained by G. C. DANA was located on the Lincoln Street side about the location where Pope Street begins. This G.C. DANA tract , according to the deed filed is rectangular and measured three and one-half rods on Lincoln Avenue, then south five rods. The northeast corner of this small section is thirteen and one-half rods from the northeast corner of the cemetery.
The cemetery site as shown in the recorder's office, Book M-367, was platted Feb. 24, 1842, has 368 lots, the area measuring 499 feet by 445 feet with the exception of the lot previously described retained by G. C. DANA, who by court decree, a few years later, transferred all his holding to GRISWALD, but in making the deed, no legal description of this lot is shown, nor is there one in subsequent deeds, which seems to show the city has no legal ownership of the rectangular lot.
Probably one of the most outstanding burials in this old cemetery was that of the seventh governor of Illinois, THOMAS FORD.
A beautiful tombstone was erected by the common wealth of Illinois. A reproduction of this monument which was 18 feet high, is shown in the Peoria Weekly Democratic Press of Sept. 7, 1858 which states J. JEWELL was the sculptor. The stone was blown down and broken during the cyclone which visited Peoria May 13, 1858.
BURIALS MOVED FROM CITY CEMETERY TO SPRINGDALE CEMETERY
Removals from 1857 - 1864
Submitted by ©Steve Slaughter, reformatted by Candi -2009