Prospect Hill Cemetery (North Omaha, Nebraska)

Cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Prospect Hill Cemetery

Details
Established| 1856
Location|

Omaha, Nebraska

Country|  United States of America
Coordinates| 41°16′41″N 95°57′36″W﻿ / ﻿41.278°N 95.960°W﻿ / 41.278; -95.960
Type| Public
Owned by| Prospect Hill Cemetery Historical Site Development Foundation
Size| 13.84 acres (5.60 ha)
No. of graves| 15,000
Website| w ww.prospecthill-omaha.org

Omaha Landmark

Designated| June 19, 1979[1]
Find a Grave| Prospect Hill Cemetery
State Historical Marker

The Prospect Hill Cemetery, located at 3202 Parker Street in the Prospect Hill neighborhood of North Omaha, Nebraska, United States, is believed to be the oldest pioneer cemetery in Omaha.[1] It is between 31st and 33rd Streets and Parker and Grant Streets.

## History

[edit]

While laying out "Shinn's Addition" northwest of Omaha in 1856, Moses F. Shinn set aside 10 acres (40,000 m2) for a cemetery on land where Native Americans and Mormons had reportedly been buried earlier.[2] The location was reportedly one mile from the Mormon Trail. That year he sold the land to Byron Reed, an early Omaha real estate broker.[3] Jesse Lowe, the first mayor of Omaha, set aside those 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land for burial purposes in 1858. The new cemetery included a variety of lands, including the city original cemeteries called Cedar Hills and Omaha City Cemeteries. Parts of those cemeteries are still in Prospect Hill boundaries.[4]

The cemetery's first official burial was in June 1858. Alonzo F. Salisbury, Omaha pioneer and member of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature, was the first person buried there. Early Omaha real estate agent Byron Reed ran the cemetery early, and sold it with the establishment of the Prospect Hill Cemetery Association in 1858. The next year, 1859, the cemetery grew to 20 acres (81,000 m2). The site of the Cemetery was further made available after the 1870 trial of Baker v. Morton, in which courts ruled against Omaha's land barons and the city's claim club. The land was enlarged again in 1890, when the Prospect Hill Cemetery Association was founded. Soon Prospect Hill was 35 acres (140,000 m2).

Many of Omaha's early business leaders and politicians are buried in the cemetery.[5] There were approximately 15,000 burials recorded at Prospect Hill, including those of many Omaha pioneers, including influential developers, religious leaders, mayors, judges, and benefactors, for whom Omaha streets, parks and schools were named.[6] The cemetery has many interesting monuments and a special section for soldiers from Fort Omaha, and it also has graves for at least 360 early African American Omahans.[7]

In the 1880s the Forest Lawn Cemetery opened seven miles (11 km) from Prospect Hill, and eventually Reed sold Prospect Hill to the Forest Lawn Cemetery Association.

Prospect Hill was designated a landmark by the City of Omaha in 1979. There is a chapel constructed of rough brick and accented in stone, and a Tudor-Revival gatehouse located on Parker Street. The cemetery was designated as a local landmark in 1979.[8]

## Notable interments

[edit]

Many of Omaha's pioneer families are buried at Prospect Hill. Some of the family names include Deuel, Gaylord, Hall, Hanscom, Kennard, Krug, Lake, Lowe, McCague, Metz, Redick, and Reed. There are also many other notable people interred at Prospect Hill. There are also monuments to Spanish–American War veterans and the gravesite of at least one Buffalo Soldier, Sergeant Allen McClare.

Notable interments at Prospect Hill Cemetery  Name  | Place of birth  | Date of birth  | Occupation  | Place of death  | Date of death  | Notes and References

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|
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Dan Allen | New York  | 1832  | Gambler, businessman  | Omaha  | April 1884  |
George P. Anthes | Frankfurt, Germany | October 30, 1856  | Candidate in primary for Nebraska state auditor, 1908  | Omaha  | June 15, 1936  |
George Robert Armstrong |  | August 1, 1819  | Mayor of Omaha, 1858–59, 1861–62  | Omaha  | April 20, 1896  |
William M. Brewer |  |  | Mayor of Omaha, 1873–74  | Omaha  | September 12, 1921  |
Clinton Briggs |  | October 17, 1828  | Member of Nebraska territorial House of Representatives, 1858; mayor of Omaha, 1860–61; delegate to Nebraska state constitutional convention, 1875.  | Iowa  | December 19, 1882  | Hit by a train and died.
Smith Samuel Caldwell |  | September 4, 1834  | Mayor of Omaha, 1871–72  | Omaha  | June 26, 1884  |
Champion S. Chase | Cornish, New Hampshire | March 20, 1820  | Lawyer; Member of the Wisconsin State Senate, 1857–58; Mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, 1874–77, 1878–81, 1883–84; 1st Attorney General of Nebraska, 1867–68  | Omaha, Nebraska | November 3, 1898  | Chase County, Nebraska, and the unincorporated community of Champion in Chase County, are named after him[9]
William James Connell | Cowansville, Quebec | July 6, 1846  | U.S. Representative from Nebraska's 1st congressional district, 1889–91  | Atlantic City, New Jersey | August 16, 1924  |
Thomas B. Cuming |  |  | Secretary of Nebraska Territory, 1854–58; Governor of Nebraska Territory, 1854–55, 1857–58.  | Omaha  | March 23, 1858  | Original interment at a private or family graveyard, Douglas County, Neb.; subsequent interment at Prospect Hill Cemetery; re-interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Cuming County, Nebraska is named for him.
Augustus Hall | Batavia, New York | April 29, 1814  | Lawyer; U.S. Representative from Iowa 1st District, 1855–57; justice of Nebraska territorial supreme court, 1858–61; chief justice of Nebraska territorial supreme court, 1858–61  | Bellevue, Nebraska | February 1, 1861  | Died in office; Hall County, Nebraska is named for him.
John B. Hawley | Hawleyville, Connecticut | February 9, 1831  | U.S. Representative from Illinois, 1869–75 (4th District 1869–73, 6th District 1873–75)  | Died May 24, 1895.  | Omaha  |
Phineas Hitchcock | New Lebanon, New York | November 30, 1831  | Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nebraska, 1860; Delegate to U.S. Congress from Nebraska Territory, 1865–67; U.S. Senator from Nebraska, 1871–77  | Omaha  | July 10, 1881  | Hitchcock County, Nebraska is named for him.
Frederick Krug | Germany  | 1855  | Founder, Krug Brewery | Omaha  | November 18, 1930  |
Charles O. Lobeck | Andover, Illinois | April 6, 1852  | Member of Nebraska state senate, 1893; Presidential Elector for Nebraska, 1900; U.S. Representative from Nebraska 2nd District, 1911–19.  | Omaha  | January 30, 1920  |
Jesse Lowe |  | March 11, 1814  | Mayor of Omaha, 1857–58.  | Omaha  | April 3, 1868  | Original interment at Cedar Hill Cemetery (which no longer exists); re-interment in 1891 at Forest Lawn Cemetery; cenotaph at Prospect Hill Cemetery.
Frederick Metz | Germany  |  | Founder, Metz Brewery; member of Nebraska state senate, 1871–72, 1885–86  | Omaha  | 1901  |
Ezra Millard |  | February 2, 1833  | Mayor of Omaha, 1869–71  | Omaha  | August 20, 1886  |
Joseph Millard | Hamilton, Ontario | April 20, 1836  | Mayor of Omaha, 1872–73; U.S. Senator from Nebraska, 1901–07  | Omaha  | January 13, 1922  |
Algernon Paddock | Glens Falls, New York | November 9, 1830  | Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nebraska, 1860; secretary of Nebraska Territory, 1861–67; acting Governor of Nebraska Territory, 1861; U.S. Senator from Nebraska, 1875–81, 1887–93.  | Beatrice, Nebraska | October 17, 1897  |
John T. Paulsen | Ockholm, Germany  | April 25, 1837  | Member of Nebraska state senate, 1889  | Omaha  | September 3, 1889  |
Andrew Jackson Poppleton |  | July 24, 1830  | Mayor of Omaha, 1858  | Omaha  | September 24, 1896  |
Byron Reed | Darien, New York | March 12, 1829  | Real estate businessman  | Omaha  | June 6, 1891  |
Origen D. Richardson | Vermont  | July 20, 1795  | Fourth Lieutenant Governor of Michigan | Omaha  | November 29, 1876  | [10]
Alonzo F. Salisbury | Vermont  |  | Stagecoach driver; miller; member of Nebraska territorial House of Representatives, 1856.  | Omaha  | October 4, 1858  | First burial in Prospect Hill Cemetery
John Taffe | Indianapolis, Indiana | January 30, 1827  | Newspaper editor; member of Nebraska territorial House of Representatives, 1858–59; member Nebraska territorial council, 1860–61; major in the Union Army during the Civil War; U.S. Representative from Nebraska at-large, 1867–73  | North Platte, Nebraska | March 14, 1884  | Founder, Omaha Public Library
Eleazer Wakeley | Homer, New York | June 15, 1822  | Lawyer; member of Wisconsin territorial House of Representatives, 1847–48; member of Wisconsin Senate, 1851–55; justice of Nebraska territorial supreme court, 1857–61; delegate to Nebraska state constitutional convention, 1871; district judge in Nebraska 3rd District, 1883–92; appointed 1883  | Omaha  | November 21, 1912  |
Reuben H. Wilbur |  | April 26, 1825  | Mayor of Omaha, 1877–79  | Omaha  | April 4, 1896  |
Anna Wilson |  | May 27, 1835  | Brothel owner  | Omaha  | October 27, 1911  | A polished stone in the dimensions of a king-size bed with four posts rests over the double graves of Wilson and Dan Allen.

## See also

[edit]

* List of cemeteries in Omaha
* Landmarks in Omaha, Nebraska

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Prospect Hill Cemetery". Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
2. ^ Douglas County. Andreas' history of Nebraska. Retrieved August 11, 2007.
3. ^ Omaha's first century, Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 11, 2007.
4. ^ (nd) Historic Prospect Hill – Omaha's Pioneer Cemetery Archived 2000-11-20 at the Wayback Machine. Nebraska Department of Education. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
5. ^ (n.d.) Historic Prospect Hill – Omaha's Pioneer Cemetery[usurped] Nebraska Historical Society.
6. ^ (nd) About Prospect Hill Cemetery Archived 2004-12-26 at the Wayback Machine. Omaha Public Schools. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
7. ^ (1981) Project Prospect: A youth investigation of blacks buried at Prospect Cemetery[permanent dead link] Girls Club of Omaha.
8. ^ (n.d.) Prospect Cemetery Archived 2004-12-21 at the Wayback Machine Omaha Public Schools. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
9. ^ "Omaha Mayors". Douglas County Historical Society. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
10. ^ Thaddeus D. Seeley (1912). History of Oakland County Michigan. Thaddeus D. Seeley. p. 128. "Origen D. Richardson prospect Hill Cemetery."

## Further reading

[edit]

* L.Baumann, L. Martin, C., Simpson, S. (199) Omaha's Historic Prospect Hill Cemetery: A History of Prospect Hill Cemetery with Biographical Notes on Over 1400 People Interred Therein. Prospect Hill Cemetery Historical Development Foundation.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Prospect Hill Cemetery at Find a Grave
* Photo of the Nebraska State Historical Marker
* Prospect Hill Cemetery – City of Omaha Landmarks Commission

* v
* t
* e

Pioneer Omaha

Early buildings|

* Cozzens House Hotel
* Douglas House
* Herndon House
* Jefferson Square
* St. Nicholas Hotel
* Prospect Hill Cemetery
* Douglas County Poor Farm

Founding figures|

* Dan Allen
* George Robert Armstrong
* William D. Brown
* William Byers
* Edward Creighton
* John A. Creighton
* Mary Creighton
* Harry Porter Deuel
* Logan Fontenelle
* Reuben Gaylord
* Augustus Hall
* Andrew J. Hanscom
* Alfred D. Jones
* Canada Bill Jones
* Thomas Kennard
* Augustus Kountze
* Herman Kountze
* George B. Lake
* Enos Lowe
* Jesse Lowe
* John L. McCague
* James G. Megeath
* Frederick Metz
* Ezra Millard
* George L. Miller
* James C. Mitchell
* William A. Paxton
* A. J. Poppleton
* John I. Redick
* Byron Reed
* Elizabeth Ryves
* Edward Rosewater
* Peter A. Sarpy
* Moses F. Shinn
* John A. Smiley
* William and Rachel Snowden
* Josie Washburn
* Anna Wilson

Nearby pioneer settlements|

* Saratoga
* Florence
* Bellevue
* Scriptown
* Train Town
* East Omaha
* Kanesville, Iowa
* Winter Quarters

Related topics|

* Omaha Claim Club
* Old Settlers' Association
* Fontenelle's Post
* Fort Lisa
* Cabanne's Trading Post
* Cutler's Park
* Moses Merrill Mission
* Military Avenue
* Nebraska Territory Legislature
* First Nebraska Territorial Legislature
* Potter's Field Cemetery

* v
* t
* e

North Omaha, Nebraska

History|

* Timeline
* Racial tension
* Civil Rights Movement

Neighborhoods|

* Squatter's Row
* Gophertown
* Benson
* Dundee
* Bemis Park
* Gifford Park
* Gold Coast
* Kountze Place
* Miller Park
* Walnut Hill
* Orchard Hill
* Florence
* East Omaha
* Saratoga
* Scriptown
* Casey's Row
* Near North Side

Events|

* Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition
* 1960s/70s riots
* Rice–Poindexter case
* Shooting of Vivian Strong

Landmarks|

* Kountze Park
* Omaha Driving Park
* Omaha University
* Redick Mansion
* Logan Fontenelle Housing Project
* Dreamland Ballroom
* Fort Lisa
* Cutler's Park
* Winter Quarters
* Prospect Hill Cemetery
* Fort Omaha
* General Crook House
* Storz Brewery
* Bank of Florence
* The Sherman
* Broomfield Rowhouse
* Carter Lake
* Minne Lusa Theater

People|

* List of people from North Omaha
* German
* Irish
* Jewish
* African American

Culture|

* Fair Deal Cafe
* Carver Savings and Loan Association
* Dreamland Ballroom
* Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame
* Native Omaha Days
* Omaha Blues, Jazz & Gospel Festival
* Florence Days
* Stone Soul Picnic

Schools|

* Howard Kennedy School
* Lake School
* Kellom School
* Lothrop School
* Long School
* Tech High
* North High
* Central High School
* Florence Elementary School
* Central Park Elementary School
* Druid Hill Elementary School
* Fontenelle Elementary School
* Monroe Middle School
* Benson High
* Franklin Elementary School
* Hartman Elementary School
* Kellom Elementary School
* Lothrop Magnet Center
* Miller Park Elementary School
* Minne Lusa Elementary School
* Sherman Elementary School
* Skinner Magnet Center
* Walnut Hill Elementary School

Churches|

* Calvin Memorial Presbyterian Church
* Holy Family Catholic Church
* Pearl Memorial United Methodist Church
* Sacred Heart Catholic Church
* Salem Baptist Church
* St. Cecilia Cathedral
* St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church
* Zion Baptist Church

Transportation|

* North Freeway/US 75
* Eppley Airfield
* North Omaha Airport
* Metro Area Transit
* Florence Depot
* Mormon Bridge
* Dodge
* North 24th
* North 30th Street
* Florence Boulevard
* Fontenelle Boulevard
* John A. Creighton Boulevard
* Lincoln Boulevard

Other|

* List of African-American historic places

* v
* t
* e

National Register of Historic Places in Omaha

List|

* List of Registered Historic Places in Douglas County, Nebraska

NHLs|

* Girls and Boys Town
* USS Hazard

Historic
districts|

* 24th and Lake Historic District
* Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District
* Benson Commercial Historic District
* Clifton Hills Commercial Historic District
* Country Club Historic District
* Drake Court Apartments and the Dartmore Apartments Historic District
* Fairacres Historic District
* Field Club Historic District
* Florence Commercial Historic District
* Fort Omaha
* Gold Coast Historic District
* Howard Street Apartment District
* Minne Lusa Historic District
* Nebraska School for the Deaf Historic District
* Nicholas Street Historic District
* Old Market
* Omaha Quartermaster Depot Historic District
* Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District
* Orchard Hill Commercial Historic District
* South Omaha Main Street Historic District
* Vinton Street Commercial Historic District
* Warehouses in Omaha MPS

Other
properties|

* Anheuser-Busch Beer Depot
* Aquila Court Building
* Astro Theater
* Bank of Florence
* Barker Building
* Beebe and Runyan Furniture Showroom and Warehouse
* Bemis Omaha Bag Company Building
* Blackstone Hotel
* Bradford-Pettis House
* Brandeis-Millard House
* Broomfield Rowhouse
* Burlington Headquarters Building
* Burlington Station
* Center School
* Columbian School
* Douglas County Courthouse
* Dr. Samuel D. Mercer House
* Charles D. McLaughlin House
* Edgar Zabriskie House
* Eggerss-O'Flyng Building
* Farnam Building
* First National Bank Building
* First Unitarian Church of Omaha
* Flatiron Hotel
* Ford Hospital
* Ford Warehouse
* Fort Omaha Guardhouse
* Franklin School
* Gallagher Building
* Garneau-Kilpatrick House
* Georgia Row House
* Gen. George Crook House
* G.C. Moses Block
* George A. Joslyn Mansion
* Gottlieb Storz House
* George H. Kelly House
* Guy C. Barton House
* Havens-Page House
* Hill Hotel
* Holy Family Church
* Hospe Music Warehouse
* Immaculate Conception Church and School
* Jewell Building
* Joel N. Cornish House
* J. L. Brandeis and Sons Store Building
* Keeline Building
* Kirschbraun and Sons Creamery, Inc.
* Kennedy Building
* Leone, Florentine and Carpathia Apartment Buildings
* Lincoln Highway
* Livestock Exchange Building
* Lizzie Robinson House
* Malcolm X Housesite
* Mary Rogers Kimball House
* Mason School
* Military Road Segment
* Monmouth Park School
* Nash Block
* Normandie Apartments
* North Presbyterian Church
* Notre Dame Academy and Convent
* Old People's Home
* Omaha Bolt, Nut and Screw Building
* Omaha Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant
* Omaha High School
* Omaha Public Library
* Omaha National Bank Building
* Omaha Star building
* Orpheum Theater
* Packer's National Bank Building
* Park School
* Poppleton Block
* Porter-Thomsen House
* Prague Hotel
* Redick Tower
* Rose Realty-Securities Building
* Rosewater School
* Sacred Heart Catholic Church Complex
* Saddle Creek Underpass
* Sanford Hotel
* Saunders School
* Simon Brothers Company
* South Omaha Bridge
* Christian Specht Building
* Site of St. Mary's Academy
* St. Cecilia Cathedral
* St. Joseph Parish Complex
* St. Regis Apartments
* St. John's A.M.E. Church
* St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church
* St. Matthias' Episcopal Church
* St. Philomena's Cathedral and Rectory
* Standard Oil Company Building of Nebraska
* Steiner Rowhouse No. 1
* Steiner Rowhouse No. 2
* Strehlow Terrace
* Swoboda Bakery
* The Berkeley Apartments
* The Melrose
* The Sherman
* Trinity Cathedral
* Union Station
* USS Marlin
* Vinton School
* Weber Mill
* Webster Telephone Exchange Building
* West Lawn Mausoleum

Formerly
listed|

* Jobbers Canyon Historic District

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