Peoria County,
IL Genealogy Trails
Candi Horton ©2008
CITY CEMETERY
1839-1875
First Know as Public Graveyard
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.
The Peoria Democratic Press, Feb. 16, 1842, published a copy of a city ordinance which authorized the sale of lots in the "Public Graveyard" by public auction. It further states all lots unsold at the time of the auction will be available at the appraised price, same to be uncontestable and ownership to be forever.
Another article published by the same paper, Nov 19, 1845 reads as follows; "By order of the city council all persons who have purchased or taken lots in the city burying ground and not paid for same, that unless said lots are paid for within 60 days from this date, they will be sold again after that time.
The public Burying ground having no fence around it, the following was published Nov. 26, 1845, in the Peoria Democratic Press, "Sealed proposals will be received by the clerk of city council, J. L. KNOWTON, until the fourth day of Jan, 1846, for the building of a fence around the City Cemetery grounds." The fence was subsequently built around the burial grounds.
Ex -Governor, THOMAS FORD was buried in this cemetery in 1850. Later his remains were moved to Springdale Cemetery as described in another place in this chapter. The last interment was made in 1875 the name having previously been changed from Public Graveyard to City Cemetery. After the closing of the cemetery for burial purposes in 1868, an order issued by the city called for the removal of all remains in the sacred ground. {Now a Public Library is on this land- Candi H.}
Many removals were made, but injunction proceedings by kin of M. DUNCAN, original owners of the land, prohibited further removals.
In 1937, there are only two marked graves in the entire plat.
One located according to surveyors plat, on lot 16 of block 4 and contains the remains of the wife of a German minister.
The grave stone lying flat over the grave near the northwest corner is inscribed as follows:
FREDRIKA
WIEBE VON
REV. H. EITERMANN
PREDIGER EVON KIRCHE
DEN ERSTEN MAY 1861
INN ALTER VON
37 yrs. 6 mo.
Near the southwest corner of the grounds, locate din lot 23, block 11, rest the remains of MRS. BESEMAN and her four children, all of whom were drowned at the same time in the Illinois River while on a fishing trip, when a cyclone passed through the city, May 13, 1858. Her husband GEORGE AUGUSTUS, a German, returned to his native land, after the tragedy and married again. The daughter, HELE, EMILY, born in Germany later became principal of the Lee School, a position she held at the time of her death, Dec. 14, 1922. From reliable sources, information is available that the second MRS. BESEMAN refused to allow her husband to move the remains of the drowned family from their resting place in the old cemetery, the monument having been previously removed.
There is no doubt but what there were many graves left in the cemetery. E.W. BROWNING, who was Superintendent of Peoria Public Library, states that nearly every time workmen do any digging around the branch library, located in the center of the site, they find human bones. MR. CHARLES APINDLER or 2706 Seventh Street, Peoria, who has been connected with sewer construction in 1903, which extended from Lincoln Avenue southeasterly through Lincoln Park to George Street, then down to South Street, the ditch diggers cut through a tier of some eight or ten graves from which human bones were thrown out.
When bodies were being removed, in accordance to City Council edict, a large number of marble slabs, formerly used as grave stones were piled near a house then under construction at 207 Helen Street. The owner of the house CHARLES J. ANGLESEA who was a contactor and brick mason, prevailed on his Alderman, JOHN FINLEY of the ninth ward to get permission from the City Council in June 1887, to use these old grave markers for such purposes as he saw fit. He accordingly used them as a floor in the furnace room of his house where he intended to begin life as a Benedict. The markers were place with the chiseled side down so no inscriptions may be seen. An inspection of this cellar floor reveals there were some 70 stones used, varying from size from 8 inches square to some 16 by 36 inches.
MRS. SOPHIA ANGLESEA of 1414 Peoria Avenue, the widow of the deceased contractor, was the bride who began married life in the above home and was also an informant, Dec. 15,1936, regarding the procedure used by her husband to obtain the marble grave markers.
A memorial marker erected by the D.A.R. stands northwest of the library building on lot 5, in block 7, of the cemetery plat.
The following inscription is on the bronze plate attached to the granite marker:
THE BOULDER PLACED
IN MEMORY OF MRS. ABNER EADS
FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN IN PEORIA 1819
ERECTED 1925 BY PEORIA CHAPTER D.A.R. COMMEMORATING
THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF PEORIA COUNTY
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
{Not a complete listing - Candi H.}
LOOMIS
Mary; May 13, 1875
Algernon L., May 13, 1875
Charles L. , October 13, 1875
N. Ann, October 13, 1875
Two children of C. WHITEMAN, Nov, 22, 1875 both in one grave.
BECKER, Alexander, May 11, 1877
GUESS
Elizabeth B.
Charles R. June 1, 1877 (reburied all in one grave)
Emily C.
DETWEILLER
Christian
Andreas Sept. 10, 1877 (separate grave)
Katharine
BOYD
Mary
David
John Oct. 18, 1877 (reburied all in one grave)
Eliza
TRACY, Mary Jane
DAVIS
James
Rebecca Sept. 23, 1880 (separate graves)
DOERING, John
WYATT, Richard
HALL
John Dec. 2, 1880 (separate graves)
Ann
SCHNEBLY,
Joseph April 1, 1882
Charles
ROSIMER, Anna
SPECK, Franceska
MANGOLD, Sophia
Emila Apr 10, 1882 (reburied all seven in one grave)
John W.
John Mathius
Diana
RICE, Fredrick
HOWE
Anna
Jay
Lydia Apr. 24, 1882 (reburied all seven in one grave)
Harry
RICE
Danial
Ella C.
Peoria County, IL Genealogy Trails
County Coordinator: Candi Horton © 2008
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