The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-04
LARGE POPULATION
IN SILENT CITY
OF DEAD
Census of Grand Forks Gene
teries Shows Many People
Inferred.
ARE BEAUTY SPOTS
Memorial Park and Others
Are in Reality Park
ways.

There are 2O45 occupied graves in
the Grand Forks cemeteries.
This includes every body which has
been inferred since the founding Of
the Grand Forks Cemetery association,
about the 22d day of July, 1878.
OF course this does not mean that
there have been only 2,045 deaths in
the city of Grand Forks since that
year, for it is estimated that at least
1000 casles have been shipped else
where for burial.
The magnitude of this "Silent City OF
the Dead" may he understood when
it is realized that there are enough
former residents in the Grand Forks
emeteriesvMemorial Park, Catholic
and Jewish-to populate city larger.
than majority of those in the state
OF North Dakota.
The silent population of Grand
Forks would almost people Langdon,
Lakota and another town of corre-
spending size; it would almost people
Devils Lake, Cando or Valley City.
The number is about the same as
the number buried by the Mt. Pelee
erup.on several months ago; three
times as many as killed at Kingston
a week ago; two hundred times the
number of victims of the 500 wreck
at Enderlin, N. D., in December;
about four times the number that per-
ished in the awful San Francisco fire
and earthquake disaster.
Original Plot.
The cemeteries of Grand Forks are
three in number. Memorial Park is
the Oldest.
This park was originally organized
under the name of the Grand Forks
Cemetery association. This was in
1873. The land at that time was plat
ted by Alexander Oldham, county sur
veyor Of Grand Forks county.
The association was incorporated
in July of that year by Frank Viets,
George H. Walsh, John McKelvey, Will
liam Bulge and William H. Brown,
who, as directors of the association,
had purchased the twenty acres COM
prised in the plot, northwest of the
city.
The first board of trustees elected
by the association was composed of
George H. Walsh, Alexander Griggs,
w. ]. Anderson, and w. H. Brown, who
organized by electing George H. Walsh
president; w. ]. Anderson, treasurer;
and o. E. Thomas, secretary.
The Catholic cemetery was formed
soon afterwards when the association
transferred to Reverend Martin Marty,
Vicar Apostolic of Dakota (Roman
Catholic) the west half of the twenty
acres comprised in the original in
vestment.
The Grand Forks association later
purchased additional ground on the
east side making up the twenty acres
again owned.
The change in name to Memorial
Park came about two years ago.
On September 9Th, 1904, pursuant to
a call of the lot owners a mass meet
ing was held and board of trustees
was chosen. This board organized as
follows:
R. B. Griffith president, George B.
Winship vice-president, w. ]. Ander-
son treasurer, and Don. Mcdonald
secretary. They held Office until the
eighth of May, 1905, when a new
board was elected, consisting of
Messrs. Griffith, Bosard, Winship,
Dinnie, Stampen, reelected, and Les
lie Stinson and T. ]. Hagen were elect
ed to fill the place of w. J. Anderson
and w. A. Gordon, both of whom had
removed from the city. R. B. Griffith
was reelected president, George B.
Winship vice-president, ]. Walker
Smith treasurer, and Don. Mcdonald
secretary.
Women Given Voice.
Upon the election of the trustees in
1904, It was deemed advisable to give
some share Of the control of the
grounds to the women, but as lot own
ers only may be stockholders of the
association. 1t was suggested that a
board of seven trustees be elected by
the women of Grand Forks and
vicinity, who should have advisory
powers, and which board might be
consulted by the board of trustees in
regard to any matters of decoration
and adornment of grounds and build
ings.
Since that time hundreds of dollars
have been spent in improving the cem-
etery. Trees by the score have been
set out; the water system improved;
an artificial lake provided for, costly
gate ways installed and grass and
shrubbery planted and transplanted
Last summer the site was one of the
beauty spots of the city.
A large and expensive vault Is now
under contemplation and will be built
during the coming summer.
The Catholic burial ground is anoth-
err beauty spot of the vicinity. A
care-taker Is always on hand to look
after the flowers, trees and driveways.
Both the above cemeteries are in
reality huge parkways with drives
and avenues bordered with blooming
flowers In summer months.
The Jewish congregation also sup