The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-04-01

new region, the inhabitants, many of
them transient not intending to stay, and
without the time, wealth or opportunity
to decorate and improve large lots, were
generally content with the ground, and
many interments were made therein. The
price of lot in 1914 and 1916 was five
dollars, generous confidence beng placed
in the disposition Of persons who had
been bereaved of their friends, to pay
that sum, led to the burial on valuable
lots of many person whose friends after
wards neglected or refused to do So At
that time the village fathers were never
known to refuse a lot to any one who
would promise to pay, and often without
any pledge. The sexton, or person who
acted as such, kept the cemetery accounts
and memoranda of interments in COM
mon pass book, and except as to those
who purchased and paid for the lots con-
temporaneously with the survey; and
those who have taken deeds of the city.
and have been careful to have them record
ed in the Registers office, it is believed
that up to a very recent period, no full
and complete record Of interments or of
the purchase and ownership of lots, is in
existance-the pass book being lost OF
the present system of keeping accounts
and records, l cannot speak, but from my
knowledge of the loose and imperfect
way in which such things have heretofore
been done, am very sure it is deplorably
insufficient and inadequate.
In the year 1854, the "Old Ground lots
having been taken up in the manner in
Dictated, to such an extent that svery few
eligible lots remained unoccupied or for
sale Josiah Bond and VIM S. Strong
being the owners Of the ground to the
westward of the old cemetery, made q
proposition to the city, which was adopt
| ed, to lay out the. same into suitable lots,
as an an addition to the cemetery under
Joint supervision and ownership; the con
tracing parties to furnish certain
amount Of labor and material to reduce
the plat to an orderly condition and ar
rangement-to clay and gravel the paths
i plant trees, &c.
The ground included in this addition
is bounded ON the north by the "Old
Greund,' south by the City line; west by
the east line of Main street; north by a
straight line running from pointon Ann
] street, to the supposed north west corner
lof the "Old Ground" and is laid out in
lots generally of the size of 10 by 1G
feet, with some larger and irregularly
shaped lots on the north bank as on the
"Old Ground"
i Such was the attractive character OF
the new ground, that lots were rapidly
taken up by the best citizens, and i'm
mediately improved by the planting OF
trees and evergreens, making it the most
attractive portion of the cemetery. Fol
several years nothing had been done or
| the "Old Ground" and considerable dis
satisfaction prevailed on the part of those
who had bought lots at an early period
upon what they had supposed would be
the front of the cemetery, the money thus
laid out upon the new ground being
drawn from the general fund to improve
lots which tended to make those thu:
purchased relatively undesirable
Chicago street bounding the original
cemetery on the east, having been taker
up, it became desirable to acquire the
parcel of ground between the east part Of
said original ground and Kcnosha street
i Accordingly, on the second day of Janu.
airy, A. d. 1866, the city purchased Of
Rodney NJ. Whipple, all the ground
which is described as commencing at
the south line of the northeast quarter
Of section six, where the west line OF
Kenosha street crosses the same; thence
west ON said line to Chicago street,
chains and 16 links; thence north 10
east 3 chains; thence south 7215o east
chains and rs links, to Park avenue then
south on said avenue 2 chains and 80
links, to beginning" So far as am adj
vised, there is no sufficient legal plat OF
| this addition or deed Of the same;
certainly none has been recorded, and al
though lots have been sold and sort of
| dedication made, yet in my opinion, the
ground should be surveyed with the sub
sequent purchase, and the plat recorded
and the deed perfected, &c.
The Importance of still further enlarg
ing boundaries of the cemetery was APP
parent to the Common Council, and
proposition was made in the year 1865,
by Franklin FL. Head, and by S. Y.
Brande, as agent for Enos Richardson, to
cede so much of the land lying south
of the old and new grounds, in the town
Of Pleasant Prairie, as might be consider
ed desirable or expedient for the purpose.
By some means the City Council was in
duced to and did actually purchase (hav-
ing obtained authority from the Legisla-
ture of the State of Wisconsin therefor,)
of F. H. Head, "ten acres of land from
off the north side Of that portion of east
half of the northeast quarter of section
six, which lies west Of the road leading
south from the foot of Kenosha street OF
Park avenue" without considering the
proposition of Enos Richardson, by which
an important addition to the city cemete-
ry might have been secured, and gene
rally of much superior character and
adaptation for the purpose
This parcel of ground is still unsurvey-
ed and unplatted, preliminary sdrVey