Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
|
|
Pillar on right is marker for Charles W. Christmas (1798-1904), first county surveyor of Hennepin County, Minnesota.
|
|
Location | 2925 Cedar Ave. S Minneapolis, Minnesota |
---|---|
Coordinates | 44°56′58.64″N 93°14′40.49″W / 44.9496222°N 93.2445806°WCoordinates: 44°56′58.64″N 93°14′40.49″W / 44.9496222°N 93.2445806°W |
Built | 1925 |
NRHP reference # | 02000612 |
Added to NRHP | June 6, 2002 |
The Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery is the oldest extant cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota, located at the intersections of Lake Street and Cedar Avenue. Since the first burial in 1853 the cemetery has been the final resting place of those who helped shape the history of early Minneapolis. Several prominent territorial pioneers, including Charles Christmas, Edwin Hedderly, and Philander Prescott are buried there. Approximately 200 military veterans who fought in wars ranging from the War of 1812 to World War I are buried in the cemetery. It is the burial site for many of the city’s early African-American residents and for many people who had ties to the abolitionist movement in Minnesota. Several thousand immigrants, primarily from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, are buried there, as are many of their children. Over half of the cemetery’s 20,000 residents are children. Nearly 200 veterans are buried there.
The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It was listed for architectural features such as the caretaker's cottage and monuments to territorial women and veterans, as well as the contributions that the residents made to the early history of Minneapolis.