Aspen Grove Cemetery is a cemetery in

Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000 United States Census, 2000. Burlington ...

. In 2022, it was listed as a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

History

Aspen Grove Cemetery was established in 1843. The Aspen Grove Cemetery Association was approved by the Legislature of the Iowa Territory in December 1843 and they first met on January 3, 1844. Charles Starker, the first president of the Cemetery Association, designed and laid out a large portion of the cemetery. Initially, ten acres were purchased in 1844 and an additional eight acres were purchased shortly after. In 1866, 32 more acres were purchased for the cemetery. Between 1867 and 1875, the cemetery had 2,173 interments. By 1887, the cemetery had near 9,000 interments. By 1935, the cemetery had 32,000 interments and had expanded to around 100 acres. By 1930, the cemetery started expanding to the north, laying out roads closer to Sunnyside Avenue.

Notable interments

G. F. A. Atherton George F. A. Atherton (December 31, 1790 – April 23, 1882) was an American politician from Emerald Grove, Wisconsin, who served in the Wisconsin State Assembly after being elected to the 1st Wisconsin Legislature in 1848. He represented the Rock ...

(1790–1882), member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and Wisconsin Legislature * Tony Baker (1945–1998), NFL player of the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and San Diego Chargers * Floy Little Bartlett (1883–1956), composer * Nicholas Bouquet (1842–1912),

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient and soldier in the Civil War * James Clarke (1812–1850), 3rd governor of Iowa Territory * John M. Corse (1835–1893), general in the Union Army, lieutenant governor of Iowa * Augustus C. Dodge (1812–1883), U.S. Representative from Iowa Territory, U.S. minister to Spain, U.S. senator from Iowa *

Henry Dodge Moses Henry Dodge (October 12, 1782 – June 19, 1867) was an American politician and military officer who was Democratic member to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Bla ...

(1782–1867), U.S. Representative, Senator, and Governor of the Wisconsin Territory *

John H. Gear John Henry Gear (April 7, 1825 – July 14, 1900) served as the 11th Governor of Iowa, a United States representative and a member of the United States Senate. Early Life Born in Ithaca, New York, to Protestant minister E. G. Gear, he attended ...

(1825–1900), 11th governor of Iowa *

James Isham Gilbert James Isham Gilbert (1823–1884) was a Union general during the American Civil War. He served with distinction in the Western theaters of the war as a regimental and brigade commander. Biography Early life James Gilbert was born in Louisville ...

(1823–1884), general in the Union Army * James W. Grimes (1816–1872), 3rd governor of Iowa and U.S. senator * Benton Jay Hall (1835–1894), U.S. Representative From Iowa *

Thomas Hedge Thomas Hedge (June 24, 1844 – November 28, 1920) was a four-term Republican Party (United States), Republican United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Iowa's 1st congressional district, in southeastern Iowa. Early life ...

(1844–1920), U.S. Representative from Iowa * John Flournoy Henry (1793–1873), U.S. Representative from Kentucky *

Jacob Gartner Lauman Jacob Gartner Lauman (January 20, 1813 – February 9, 1867) was an American businessman from Iowa and a controversial General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He commanded an infantry brigade in the Army of the ...

(1813–1867), businessman and general in the Union Army *

Isaac Leffler Isaac Leffler (November 7, 1788March 8, 1866), sometimes spelled Lefler or Loeffler, was an American lawyer and Iowa pioneer who represented Virginia's 18th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term in the ...

(1788–1866), American lawyer and U.S. Representative from Virginia *

Shepherd Leffler Shepherd Leffler (April 24, 1811 – September 7, 1879) was one of the two original U.S. Representatives to represent Iowa when the state was first admitted to the Union. Elected as a Democrat in 1846, Leffler went on to represent Iowa's 2nd con ...

(1811–1879), U.S. Representative from Iowa *

Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold (January 11, 1887 – April 21, 1948) was an American writer, Philosophy, philosopher, Natural history, naturalist, scientist, Ecology, ecologist, forester, Conservation biology, conservationist, and environmentalist. He was a profes ...

(1887–1948), author, conservationalist, and educator * Charles L. Matthies (1824–1868), Union Army officer * William Butler Remey (1842–1895), colonel in the Union Army * Jeremiah Smith Jr. (1802–1862), representative of the Wisconsin Territorial Assembly * Joseph Champlin Stone (1829–1902), U.S. Representative from Iowa

References

{{reflist 1843 establishments in Iowa Territory Burlington, Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Des Moines County, Iowa Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Historic districts in Des Moines County, Iowa Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa