Small Pox Cemetery

Garden Valley Township, Jackson Co., WI

The records for all cemeteries in the Town of Garden Valley are held by the Town Clerk, Alma Center, WI 54611 

The Small Pox Cemetery was read and photos were taken in May 2007 by Wava Larson of Alma Center.  This cemetery is located in Section 18, T.23N – R. 5W.  Directions to the cemetery are Hwy 95 West from Alma Center, to Hwy 121 West to Hixton-Levis Road.  Travel approximately 1 ½ miles.  The cemetery is located on the left side, in the edge of a field.  There is a white fence around the small cemetery and several large pine trees.  Additional History

GARDEN VALLEY SMALL POX CEMETERY

Provided by Mary Jo Stoutenburg.

The Small Pox Cemetery is located on the west side Hixton Levis Road, about 1/2 mile north of the Section Road intersection, immediately north of the Deane and Sue Chase Home. It borders the land belonging …. These two families currently provide support to maintain the park.

The cemetery was established in 1873. It primarily contains the remains of victims of the Small Pox Epidemic, and Eliza A. House wife of Isaac House. Issac died during the epidemic, and Eliza died May 19, 19…

The House residence was located about a mile and a half southeast of the cemetery.
… is known, 12 graves were located in this location.

1. Isaac House ( plot located in the NW corner of the park). Born 1828 Died 2-24-1973

2. Eliza A House (plot located immediately to the south of Isaac House). Born 7-14-1823 Died May 19, 1904.

3. Roxanna Edmonds (plot located near the north east corner of the park). Born January 25, 1832 Died February 1, 1873 (stone is probably mis-marked 1872) (Roxanna was the wife of G.W. Edmunds).

4. Eliza Beth Monroe (nee House) (plot located to the south of Rosanna Edmonds). Born April 19, 1858 Died February 22, 1873 (Eliza wife of C. L. Monroe).

5, 6, 7. Three small un-engraved markers are located near the Isaac and Eliza House graves. These are probably the location of the graves for the 3 House children.

8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Five small un-engraved markers are located in the center of the park about 10 feet east of the House markers. These are probably the location of the graves for Mrs. Samuel Peters, and four of her children.

March 8, 1873 a letter from Warren McLafflin to the local paper stated that as of Feb 15,1873, 5 had died, and 6 or 7 were sick. On March 15, 1873 Rev. Clingman reported 7 funerals this week and that sickness lingers in almost every house. March 29, the paper stated that 5 members of the Issac House family died, including Mrs. Monroe.

Mrs. Samuel Peters was called upon to care of the sick in the House home, and the House home was quaranteened. However, Mrs. Peters soon became became ill and returned to her home. Thereafter, Mrs. Peters and four others in her family died. Thus, 10 in all died in these two families (House / Peters). The House residence was located about a mile and a half southeast of the cemetery.

The township of Garden Valley was called upon to provide financial aid for the various homes afflicted with the disease, and Mr. E. D. Carter, an Humbird merchant, thereafter presented the township with bills for medication.

The 1879 plat map shows Mr. Isaac House owning SE 1/4 of Sec 20 & house marked about where Blanch (Linnell) & August Schnick's house was at the end of a long driveway in NE1/4 of SE1/4 of SW20. Eliza House inherited the estate, followed by her daughter Helen, Mrs. George W. Linnell. Then her daughter Cora, Mrs. Enoch Enerson, got the south 1/2 of the SE1/4 of Sec 20. Then, Blanche, Mrs. August Schnick, got the N1/2 of SE1/4 from her mothers estate. The land belonging to my Grandma Cora was where I grew up. My father, Cora & Enochs son Claire, later owned & farmed there until 1972. My Aunt Blanche & Uncle August Schnick lived up the road on the other part of the property.

Additional Research

----Source: Badger State Banner, Black River Falls, WI, March 22, 1873

Doctors were called the day the first case appeared at Mr. House's residence in Garden Valley. Dr. Hamilton of Alma Center called it fair and square small-pox and no one was allowed to go there, and all were kept away that had not been exposed. "No further steps, of course, were taken, as the residence of Isaac House, where the first case appeared was at least one-half mile from any main road, and a good sized warm house. A better place for a pest house would have been hard to find, but Mrs. Peters, a neighbor who was there attending the sick at Mr. House's was taken sick, and would go home, and in consequence, exposed her whole family. As their house was a cold one, during those severe storms in the last part of February. I believe five all died at the residence of Samuel Peters, out of the nine cases there, and also five died at Mr. House's, making ten in all I believe." This was written by the Garden Valley correspondent. The newspapers of that era indicate burials were often made during the middle of the night when there was little travel on the highways. A crier was usually sent ahead to announce to travelers that a small pox "corpse" was approaching. Family of the House's remember this night time burial.
 

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