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

was read before the Common Council of
this city, short time since, and has been
handed US with a request to publish it in
the TELEGRAPH:
To the Common Council Of the City Of
KonoshG:
GENTLEMEN: His Honor the Mayor,
having requested me to favor the Council
with some observations with reference to
the past, present and future management
of the City Cemetery, do SO, with
strong conviction that measures should be
taken without delay, to make the City
Cemetery as an institution, credltable In
point of beauty and taste, and an evil
dence of our advanced civilization.
What ever may have been the motive
of our ancestors in the assignment of
space "two feet by six" as sufficient for
defunct human being to occupy, it is
certain that the budding of putrid bodies
into such confined spaces, is deleterious in
its effects, as well as repulsive to our ideas
of propriety. The practice of laying out
small lots was brought with our ancestors
from England and the continent of Eu-
rope, where there is even less space allow
ed-burials being made in tiers OF three
or four, one upon another; as result, in
old church yards in Europe, it is not an
uncommon thing to see in the ground &C.
cupied as cemetery, raised above the
surrounding soil from one to four feet.
To such an extent had the practice pre-
vailed, and the effects of it were SO obVi-
Gus and alarming that measures were
finally adopted to cease interment in the
populous portions of cities and towns, and
establish rural cemeteries where greater
space was allowed. This movement has
been accomplished, and is now in success
full operation, in spite of the prejudices
of former generations and the natural
wish to die down with the fathers" COM
mon to every people. In every large city
and town in this country, cemetery of
this character has been established, in
some towns two, three or more, and the
tendency is everywhere to ornament; to
beautify and improve the "city of the
dead" by the art and skill which is mani
fest in the grounds and surroundings of
the living cities of to-day
Our own cemetery is of this rural char
acter 1t is situated in convenient prox-
unity to the town-not too near, not far
off; it has soil which, for the purposes
of interment, is the best known; it is dry
that is to say it has natural drainage
and is, in some parts, finely supplied
with, and adorned with native forest. 1t
is true its sandy character is not we'll
adapted to produce the "green turf OF
"sod which in association, we are wont
to couple with grave yard, but this very
character makes it the more suitable for
the purposes of burial, and experience
has shown that it is easier to prepare the
ground where wanted for its production,
than to forego the advantage named
Having the advantages which, in many
cities and towns, reputed more prosper
ous are absolutely unattainable, it be
comes us to decide if they shall avail us
nothing for our own pleasure or happi
ness as individuals and citizens; shall be
as cipher in the sum total of what goes
to make the city desirable place to live
or die in, or whether, as men possessing
the knowledge of these advantages we
shall have the prudence and foresight to
make them coHduce to our own pleasure
and happiness; and as citizens to make
them contribute to the fame of our good
ly town; adding to its established reputa-
ton as the most agreeable town on the
shores of Lake Michigan.
AS means to this end, it is we'll for us
to take retrospective view of what has
been done in this direction. And in SO
doing it will be perceived that no single
appropriation of ground, Of we except the
last purchase,) has been at all adapted to
It's enlarged scope and character, to the
end we have assumed, to be not only nee
essarY, but in the advancing period, inev-
liable. The cemeteries of future genera
tions arc destined to be not the dread and
awe of children and ignorant or supersti-
tious persons, but sacred and pleasant
haunts, where living and departed spirits
may form associations, mirgle and com
mune; quiet and beautiful retreats, where
we may all at last be willing, after "life's
ftful fever" to lie down and be at rest.
On the twenty seventh day of Deem
ber in the year 1914, Charles Durkee and
Ruben H. Deming, decided to the town of
Southport, what is now known as the"Old
Ground" being about . acres, having
definite boundaries on the east, south and
west low on the north, bounded by the
low ground or marsh an indefinite boun-
Diary. The street called Chicago street, at
that time extended southwardly on the
east part of the ground. This tract was
covered with young oak brush from two
to four feet high, with here and there al
black or burr oak tree-the latter have
mostly been cut out, the former have
grown rapidly, and are now in rather too
great numbers to furnish the proper
amount of shade, and are fast assuming
the character Of forest.
The ground was surveyed into lots
10X24 feet, in parallel rows, from north
to south, with alleys, six feet in width,
running in the same direction, and trans
verse alleys, three in number, running
from east to west, of same width, and one
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