Jurisdiction: Buchanan City Section 26
Established: 1824
Status: Moved
Location: Southwest Corner of Moccasin and Fourth Street
Cemetery Governing Body: Buchanan City
Location of Cemetery Records: Oak Ridge Cemetery Office
Size: 1 acre
From “The Berrien County Record” Tales of an Old Town Installment #196, which originally ran from 1939 to 1944, W. C. Hawes writes:
“It may be that recent corners and the younger fry in Buchanan do not know that the first town cemetery here was the present site of Kathryn Park. It remained the town burying ground from the late 1830’s to the late 1860’s, or about 30 years. Then the present Oak Ridge Cemetery site was acquired. At first both were used and at the time of the first Memorial Day observance in Buchanan in 1868, the procession went first to the “old cemetery” where Kathryn Park now is, and then to the “new cemetery” at Oak Ridge, with speaking at both places. When the old cemetery was finally abandoned as a burying place, most of the occupants of the graves were moved to Oak Ridge, but it is said that some remained under the oaks on Moccasin Avenue. There they doubtless sleep quietly while the children frolic in the playground overhead.”
From “The History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan” by D. W. Ensign:
“In 1844 a few men purchased of Mr. Mitchell an acre of land for a cemetery. The ground was surveyed by Edward Ballengee. The first person buried in it was a child of David Sanford. July 20, 1863, a committee was appointed to examine locations and report in reference to the purchase of ground for a new cemetery. The committee reported April 23, 1864, in favor of purchasing Warner Hamilton’s lot at $500. The report was accepted, adopted, the lot was purchased at the price named, and has since been in use as a cemetery.”
From “The Buchanan Record”, March 14, 1895:
“Notice: The Circuit Court – In Chancery, of Berrien County, Michigan, having made an order vacating the old cemetery in the village of Buchanan in said cemetery in the village of Buchanan in said county; all persons having friends buried in said cemetery and wishing to remove the remains of those buried will please attend to it as soon as the ground is in suitable condition. Otherwise, the village authorities will remove all that can be found of the remains of these buried there. The sexton of Oak Ridge Cemetery will assist these who may so desire.
J. P. Bristle
Geo. W. Dalrymple
Chas. A. Howe
Cemetery Committee”
From “The Buchanan Record”, June 2, 1881:
“The old cemetery at the corner of Fourth and West streets, since it has ceased to be used as a burial place, has grown into a perfect jungle of underbrush. Besides this, it has been the custom of those removing the bodies of their friends to Oak Ridge Cemetery to leave the graves open, thus making the cemetery so full of pitfalls that people have to be very careful in going through the grounds lest they fall into them. It appears to us that those having friends buried in there should take some interest in the matter and endeavor to make this “city of the dead” at least look as if they had not entirely forgotten their friends. A few days work would make a vast difference in the appearance of this cemetery. Who will make the first move in cleaning it up?”
Written By Chriss Lyon
