Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

Gruenhagen's Cemetery also known as German Protestant Graveyard

About the same time the Catholics were burying their dead in the Old Cemetery on Spring Street and the Protestants were using the Elizabeth Street Graveyard, the German Protestants were using a plot on Chestnut Street (Now Juneau) just north of Twelfth. Bill Hooker in his book described it as being at the "end of Chestnut Street" bounded by Chestnut, Thirteenth, Poplar, and Summer (Fourteenth) streets. In a 1857-58 City directory it is listed as located on Chestnut Street, between Twelfth and Fourteen Street.

History

There is a still picture online at the Milwaukee Public Library Archives.
This is the history contained with the photograph:
Looking north along North 13th street, (August 1959) from its intersection with West Juneau avenue, of which a section between West Juneau and West McKinley avenues originally was part of a cemetery.
Five acres which were acquired 1846 by John F. Grunhagen, an early Milwaukee settler, merchant, business man, land owner, at a price of $1,100, and in 1849 for the use of burial purposes, and known as Grunhagen's cemetery, also as the German Protestant cemetery, after year of 1850 as the Second Ward cemetery, although it very likely was still referred to or called Gruhagen's for some years later.
Its use as a burial ground declined due to a proposed city ordinance forbidding burials within the city limits year of 1861. In 1874 the city council ordered the removal of the remains, of which only a few were removed, although quite a number were buried here, the purpose of removal was for the extending of 13th street. The remains of numerous bodies were encountered in excavating for water, gas, sewers, and basements etc; even up to recent times. H.A. Wudtke. N 13th St from W. Juneau. John F. Grunhagen cemetery.

Bill Hooker in his book, dated the cemetery as beginning around 1855. According to a Milwaukee Daily Sentinel article [ April 30, 1874; pg. 3; col C], the Common Council ordered the extension of Thirteenth street through the burying ground known as Gruenhagen's cemetery. The lot owners, and others interested were called upon to remove the remains within thirty days. A few remains were interred in small Lutheran churchyards. Nearly all of these graves were removed to Union Cemetery after that was established as St. John's (Johannes).

Removal of the Cemetery

SEPULCHRAL
The Council Orders the Removal of Gruenhagen's Cemetery
Some Reminiscences About the Burying Places of Milwaukee

The extension of our city in a northwesterly direction has made it necessary to remove the dead of another cemetery. An ordinance of the Common Council has ordered the extension of Thirteenth street through the burying ground known as Gruenhagen's cemetery, and the lot owners, and others interested in the dead buried there, are called upon to remove the remains within thirty days.

This is the fourth cemetery that has been disturbed since the settlement of the city, and the number does not include the Indian burying ground that crowned the bluff, which then rose from a level back of Powell's Brewery, on Huron street.

Old Eastside Cemetery

The first cemetery that was divided into city lots was located in the First Ward, north of Lyon street and east of Cass. It was the burying ground of the residents of Eastside, and its dead were taken up and re-interred in new rounds on the South and West Side.

Old Westside Cemetery

The second cemetery to give way to the demands of our people occupied the present site of St. James Church on Spring street, and its dead were taken up about twenty years ago.

Old Southside Cemetery

The third cemetery, that of the Milwaukee Cemetery Association, on Elizabeth street, east of the Muskego Road, the grounds that had received most of the dead of the cemeteries we have named, has also been relieved of its silent tenants. See also the Elizabeth Street Cemetery Page

Catholic Cemetery

The fourth burying ground that had served its day, was the Catholic cemetery, on Spring street, adjoining the Pettibone estate. There Juneau and his wife were buried, together with several prominent citizens of our early day.

Limestone Hill

Finding that the quiet repose of their dead was being imposed upon by the din incident to a growing population, the Catholics purchased a site in the town of Wauwatosa, and named it Cavalry, though it is commonly known as Limestone Hill. It is considerably removed from the city and may never be disturbed, since, of late years, it has become evident that the city is extending north and south more rapidly than in a westerly direction.

Gruenhagen's Cemetery

And now Gruenhagen's grounds, one of the first burial places of the Germans of Milwaukee, is also doomed to be rid of its dead and to be cut up into city lots for residences.

The Indian Ground

on the bluff have long since disappeared and with it the study oaks and thick shrubbery that made its surroundings a delightful resort of the pioneer and the dusky savage, who met there on sacred ground.

Chances of the Future

Still the restless tide of humanity is surging in and soon the record of passing events may tell the fate of our beautiful Forest Home, as has here been written in relation to the early burial places of the city. Already the habitation of man line the way up to the gates, and soon, it will be surrounded by the houses of hardy sons of toil. It may be years before the dreaded exigency of removal may present itself, but if the South Side continues to prosper as it has within the past decade, who will dare to predict that our beautiful home of the dead may not be lost to view by the magical transmutations of time.

Source: Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, (Milwaukee, WI) Thursday, April 30, 1874; pg. 3; col C