This file part of www.oakhillcemetery.info website

Watertown’s First Cemetery

1845

The old cemetery on Richards' hill, fronting on Western Avenue and the first one ever established in Watertown, was the subject of considerable controversy in the late 1800s, owing to a request that ownership be relinquished by the city council. This was done but later on was rescinded, and the cemetery, which had been vacated by an act of the legislature eight years earlier, was to remain in possession of the city.

1845

The cemetery was established in 1845 by Silas W. Newcomb when he had the 2.84 acres surveyed and platted.

First owner of the 140 acre parcel was Silas W. Newcomb who acquired the land in 1838 from the United States government. In 1846 he sold the land to John Richards, builder of the Octagon House. The land was surveyed for individual lots in 1870.

It measured 360 feet north and south and 264 feet east and west. It included all of the ground now occupied by the east half of the present day Northwestern College library-science building, all of the preparatory dormitory, and the two houses numbered 503 and 505 Tower Road. The north wall of the dormitory almost exactly marks the north boundary of the cemetery, and the two residences just mentioned stand at the eastern edge of the cemetery.

This first cemetery was just west of the city water tower. Most industries in the early days had their own water towers and wells (e.g., G. B. Lewis).

Map and aerial view obtained from www.lps.wels.net. Location of cemetery superimposed by author.

Richards’ estate

Northwestern College founded

Some early historians believed that this property belonged to the Richards' estate. This is highly likely because the adjacent five and one-half acres to the west were owned by John Richards. This land was sold in the mid 1860s to Northwestern College (then Northwestern University) for $687.50. This original plot of ground is the site of the bulk of the present day buildings.

Watertown Cemetery established

Since the cemetery didn't have an official name, it was simply known as the Watertown Cemetery. Burials continued to be made in the cemetery as late as the 1870s. The 264 lots filled up quickly, due to an epidemic of the cholera. Lots measured 9 x 24 feet and sold for one dollar each. John Richards purchased about twenty lots. Records show only one burial from the Richards' family. No doubt it was one of their three daughters who died in infancy. One Negro who died of the cholera was known to be buried there.

As early as 1891, Northwestern College made it known they were interested in obtaining this abandoned cemetery in order to round out its property. This proved to be a difficult matter that was strung out over a half century. Former Northwestern College President, E. E. Kowalke, in his Centennial Story (1965) describes the deserted cemetery as:

"... an interesting jungle of locust trees, lilacs, prickly ash, ordinary day lilies, weeds, tall grass sheltering such wild flowers as violets and crane's bill, together with some quite vigorous poison ivy along the fence that separate the cemetery from college property."

Students had a fascination for the old cemetery despite its unsightly appearance. One student even eulogized the cemetery in an ode of twenty-four stanzas.

The cemetery provided a bit of seclusion from college authorities. While there may have been some profitable studying being undertaken, other activities such as card playing and catching a smoke on the sly may have outweighed the time spent on academic affairs. Ultimately, in 1929, seven parties who had distant relatives still buried there brought a court suit against the college in order to block their obtaining the property. In testimony, the card playing became gambling, and the headstones were supposedly used for baseball bases. One witness even testified that one professor had his basement lined with marble slabs stolen from the cemetery. One thing was certain as an outcome of the trial - the college had no claim to ownership of the old cemetery.

By the 1940s most of the cemetery headstones were not readable.

Punched in on your first cemetery. I remember there as one at Northwestern College right ahead of the water tower, That was the only water tower that I remeber. The cemetery was not kept up and there was an old fence around it. Most of the industries in the early times had their own water towers. G.B. Lewis had one, and the time I was working there, they still used water from their own well instead of city water. The tower was gone .but the well was still used. I remember walking by the cemetery by Northwestern, and most of the headstones were notd readable. Just thought I would remince to you about it.

1947

Eventually, in 1947, when the college was ready to build the present library building, the city fathers knew that the abandoned property would be put to a good use and the eyesore of the deserted cemetery would be removed. Only one request was made; in the event that additional graves beyond the five known graves were found, that they too, would be removed to Oak Hill Cemetery. Seventeen such graves were found, and the remains were carefully placed in separate small boxes and removed to Oak Hill Cemetery.

Most of article derived from Quam, Sy, John Richards: The Hill and The Mill, GJ Graphics (Watertown, WI), 1984 pp 22-23. Source contains map of cemetery and legend.

Compiled by Ken Riedl