Forest Hill Cemetery

Forest Hill Cemetery is located in Dane County, Madison, Wisconsin and was one of the first U.S. National Cemeteries established in Wisconsin. [ [http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/forestHill.html City of Madison Parks: Forest Hill Cemetery ] ]

After the first permanent settlers arrived in Madison in the 1830s, the first non-native burials occurred on the current University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, near Bascom Hill. In the following years other areas within the area were established as informal burying grounds and the first official village cemetery was established in 1847 near what is now Orton Park.

In the mid-1850s, a committee was formed to search for another appropriate site in the area to form an official Madison cemetery. The committee members choice the current site, then on the far west side of the city and subsequently bought the original 80 acres of land for $10,000 from John and Mary Wright. The Wrights' obtained the land from land speculator James Duane Doty, who subsequently obtained it from Alanson Sweet. Sweet was a territorial council member from Milwaukee whom led the fight that made Madison the territorial capitol of Wisconsin.

In 1863 the city sold a portion of land from the original purchase to the Roman Catholic Societies for $170 who in turn developed into a catholic cemetery. This cemetery is now known as Resurrection Cemetery.

In the 1860s a receiving vault was built on site. During and following the Civil War, the Soldiers Lot and Confederate Lot were created and also in 1865 a well was dug near the plot of Governor Harvey and a windmill was erected over it. In 1878 a chapel was built following a contribution by the family of John Catlin.

In 1928 another 80 acres were purchased, 60 of those acres occupy the Glenway Golf Course directly behind the present cemetery.

ources

Forest Hill Cemetery Committee. "A Biographical Guide to Forest Hill Cemetery, Vol. II: The Ordinary and Famous Women and Men Who Shaped Madison and the World." 1st. Madison, Wisconsin: Historic Madison, Inc., 2002.