Cemetaries
Webster City's Seven Cemeteries
by
Martin E. Nass
The first recorded burial site in Webster City was located at the F. A. Huddleston farm, which is now near the intersection of Highway 17 and Edgewood Drive. Several bodies were buried here; most of them were members of the Brewer family.
As the community grew, a plot of ground at the northwest corner of Webster City was used. It was on land owned by Judge J. D. Maxwell and is located at the west end of James Street, just west of the home built by Sumler Willson. In some newspaper accounts of early burials, this cemetery was called the Willson burial grounds. Mr. A. Moon, owner of a pioneer hotel, was among those buried there, along with Maxwell's mother. According to a Hamilton Freeman account, Thomas Dale, who was scalded in a sap pan, was also buried there.
There were complaints that the Willson burial grounds were too far from town, so a new city cemetery was created just across North Bridge. This bridge crossed the Boone River on what is now called White Fox Road. The cemetery was located north of the bridge on the west side of the road. Those buried here included James Kelly, Mrs. Del Lake, and Sherwood Brick. The three Civil War soldiers, who killed each other at the close of the Civil War in 1865, were also buried here. They were Wm. Ostrander, J. W. Anderson, and E. M. Jones. The Hamilton Freeman account of their deaths reported that these three were among the first buried in "the new North Cemetery." Access to this cemetery proved to be difficult during spring floods. The Freeman reported that during one "freshlet," the casket of a child had to be carried in a boat to the south end of the bridge when the south approach was washed out. A ladder was placed in the boat and against the remains of the bridge, and Sam Baxter carried the coffin on his back as he climbed the ladder and into the cemetery. After his return to Webster City, Baxter vowed that "this is the last burial in this cemetery." His statement proved to be correct.
A notice appeared in the January 14, 1865, edition of the Freeman announcing the formation of a Cemetery Association. A stockholders 'meeting was held during which time directors were elected. They were O. A. Holmes, W. S. Worthington, B. S. Mason, W. S. Pray, and S. B. Rosenkrans. Isaiah Doane was elected treasurer. They pushed for selling more lots in the North Cemetery. Sumler Willson was the subscription chairman. They tried to sell lots in North Cemetery, but the effort failed.
In 1871, the Catholic Church was built on high ground across East Bridge (now called the Bank Street Bridge.) A small burial ground adjoined the church on the north side of Dubuque Street and west of Bluff Street. Prior to this time, the Catholics buried their dead in Fort Dodge. In 1882, Father Brennan decided that more space was needed, so he procured the site of the present Catholic burial grounds, and all bodies from the church cemetery were moved here. This cemetery was named the Calvary Cemetery. It is located in the extreme southwest corner of the current city cemetery. The Catholic Church continued use of the Bluff Street location until late 1899, when the present church on Des Moines Street was built.
In 1865, Jacob M. Funk sold five acres of ground to the Home Cemetery Association. This land is the extreme east portion of our current cemetery. The officers of the new association were: President, Kendall Young; Secretary, William A. Crosley; and Treasurer, L. L. Estes. Other board members were George Shipp, Hiram Zellie, John Wolfinger, Jacob M. Funk, Benjamin Millard, David Beach, and Dr. Jesse R. Burgess. In one newspaper account the cemetery was called "God's Acre." The first person buried here was Mrs. James Kelly. Her husband's body was moved from the North Cemetery and placed beside her. They are buried in Lot 1, Block A.
Between 1865 and 1881 there was a dispute about the three existing cemeteries: the Huddleston Cemetery, North Cemetery, and Hope Cemetery. The November 25, 1965, edition of the Hamilton Freeman reported, "It is thought by some that abandoning the North Cemetery will be a better way and serve a double purpose: to improve the one just purchased and being far more convenient. Of course, no one will deny that it is more convenient on this side when the river is up; but for the crossing of the river the other would be preferable." The editor concludes with this advice "So far as we are concerned it makes little difference to us where it is located. That it be located permanently soon is imperatively demanded."
A Ladies' Cemetery Association was formed in 1881. Mrs. G. W. Crosley was elected President; Mrs. Charles Stoddard, Vice President; Mrs. M. W. Wood, Secretary and Treasurer. Other board members were: Mrs. J. R. Burgess, Mrs. M. Sibley, Mrs. A.M. Potter; Mrs. J. C. Schaller, Mrs. W. B. Howard, and Mrs. Frank E. Landers. These ladies were concerned that the cemetery was bare of plantings and lacked a fence. They held Cemetery Socials and raised over $400 to erect a permanent fence around the cemetery. A gate along Ohio Street opened to the one street in the cemetery. The ladies also planted trees, shrubs, and flowers.
The Home Cemetery Association transferred control of the cemetery to the City of Webster City in 1883. Claus Brandrup was appointed Sexton and held that office for thirty years. Five more acres of land were later purchased from George Shipp. On Feburary 3, 1885, on behalf of the Winfield Scott Post, G. A. R., a strip of land fifteen feet wide was purchased along the west side of the first ten acres for burial of war veterans. The Civil War dead were moved from old North Cemetery to this part of our new cemetery. The Civil War records of their transfer gives the name of the new cemetery as Hope Cemetery. Frank E. Landers, Civil War veteran and keeper of the burial records, figured prominently in this transfer.
Trail's End is the last of our cemeteries. It was created in 1934 when Frank Bonebright moved the bodies of the Brewer family one last time to the Wilson Brewer cabin site. The ground near Brewer Creek, where the cabin originally sat, is solid limestone, so digging a grave site was not practical. Instead he arranged the bodies on the limestone and built up a large mound of dirt. This plot is today called Trail's End. Bonebright created a park on the original family plot and gave it to the city, to be called the Wilson Brewer Park. Many people today call the park the Bonebright Park, for the man who created it.
In 2000, the city made plans to purchase additional cemetery on the east side of Beach Street south of the twin bridges of U. S. Highway 20. This is to be held in reserve, as the current cemetery ground is limited. Each Memorial Day, members of the American Legion, with the help of others, put up a display of 580 American flags on the avenues in and around the cemetery. It is a source of pride for Webster City residents. Caretaker Bob Lee has erected white posts with large numbers on them at corners of the different sections of the cemetery to help people find certain burial plots. He also has developed maps for each section. These are available to assist persons searching for a specific plot. This has proved to be a valuable tool for all.