The Stockbridge Indian Cemetery is a cemetery north of
Stockbridge, Wisconsin
Stockbridge is a village in Calumet County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 686 at the 2020 census. The village lies within the Town of Stockbridge.
History
Stockbridge is known as "The Sturgeon Capital of the World," and was ...
. It is located on Moore Road just west of
Wisconsin Highway 55
State Trunk Highway 55 (often called Highway 55, STH-55, or WIS 55) is a state highway in Wisconsin, United States. It travels south-to-north in the northeastern part of Wisconsin from an intersection with U.S. Route 151 (US ...
. The cemetery was established in 1834 after the
Stockbridge Indians Stockbridge may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Stockbridge, Edinburgh, a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland
* Stockbridge, Hampshire
* Stockbridge, West Sussex
* Stockbridge Anticline, one of a series of parallel east–west trending folds in t ...
moved to the community. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1980.
The Stockbridge initially lived in New York and Massachusetts, but were forced by the federal government to come to Wisconsin. They were largely Christianized farmers and the Indian Commissioners hoped that this acculturation would rub off on the neighboring Indians here. Chief John Metoxin, whose stone is in the cemetery, led them through this movement.
But here again white farmers wanted their land, and in the 1840s the government pushed them to dissolve the tribe or sell their land and move west. After debate within the tribe, they decided to stay together. John Quinney (who is also buried in the cemetery) traveled to Washington repeatedly, arguing for the Stockbridge, and finally obtained the right for them to stay in Wisconsin. Many of them moved to
Shawano County
Shawano County (pronounced SHAW-no) (originally Shawanaw County) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 40,881. Its county seat is Shawano, ...
, and their descendants live in the Stockbridge-Munsee Community there.
The cemetery is all that remains of the community at Stockbridge.
Notable interments
The cemetery contains interments of
Stockbridge Indians Stockbridge may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Stockbridge, Edinburgh, a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland
* Stockbridge, Hampshire
* Stockbridge, West Sussex
* Stockbridge Anticline, one of a series of parallel east–west trending folds in t ...
. Notable grave sites include:
*
John Wannuaucon Quinney
John Wannuaucon Quinney (1797 – July 21, 1855) was a Mahican (also Stockbridge) diplomat, and was nicknamed "The Dish".Electa Quinney
Electa Quinney ( Mahican name: Wuh-weh-wee-nee-meew Quan-au-kaunt) (1798 – 1885) was a Mohican and member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. She founded one of the first schools in what would become Wisconsin and was the first woman to teach ...
, John's sister, was the first public school teacher in Wisconsin
Images
Image:StockbridgeIndianCemeteryEast.jpg, Looking east
Image:JohnWQuinneyGravestone.jpg,