Lakewood Cemetery - History

History

Lakewood has long been considered one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the country. It was modeled after the rural cemeteries of 19th-century France, such as the famous Père-Lachaise in Paris. When Lakewood was established in 1871, these spacious cemeteries were flourishing in the United States.

In July 1871 Colonel William S. King, local businessman and newspaper publisher, proposed to community leaders of the city that they work together to establish a cemetery in Minneapolis where "the encroachments of the city would never seriously interfere". On August 7, 1871, a group of fifteen held a meeting and established the Lyndale Cemetery Association. According to the minutes of the original meeting recorded by Thomas Lowry, "that after an examination of various localities they had chosen the land owned by William S. King lying between Lakes Calhoun and Harriet". Colonel King agreed to sell the land for $21,000, "on one year's time at seven percent interest". During a time in which a home in Minneapolis could be purchased for $500, the new trustees voted to raise $25,000 "for the purchase of grounds and improvements". The money was raised by selling 250 shares of stock at $100 a piece, two-thirds of which was purchased by the trustees themselves. The remaining balance was solicited by a committee and sold to other residents of the city. The organization was later renamed the "Lakewood Cemetery Association". In an Executive Committee Meeting held on April 23, 1872, Superintendent A.B. Barton and the board of trustees employed C. W. Folsom, Superintendent of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts to develop plans for the grounds.

The public dedication of Lakewood was held on September 16, 1872 and was attended by many Minneapolis families and residents. The sale of lots to the public began immediately after the dedication. Maggie Menzel, who died on January 24, 1872 at the age of nineteen, was the first person buried in Lakewood Cemetery. On October 5, 1872 the Association reacquired all stock from the original investors. Roughly three years later in August 1875 the Association submitted its first annual report to the lot owners of Lakewood, which stressed the Cemetery's non-profit status.

Many Minneapolis streets, parks, and monuments bear the names of the Association's original founders — Thomas Lowry, William D. Washburn, and Charles M. Loring to name a few. Since 1872, Lakewood has continued to exist as a public, non-profit, non-denominational cemetery providing services to the families of Minneapolis.