Wisconsin’s Oldest Cemetery Has a Beautiful Origin Story

Nestled amidst the rolling hills of Wisconsin, the oldest cemetery in the state whispers stories of bygone eras, its ancient gravestones weathered by time yet standing as silent sentinels to the past.

Amid the tall, whispering grasses and century-old oaks, the spirits of early settlers seem to linger, their tales of love, loss, and legacy etched into the very earth they rest upon.

Oldest Cemetery in Wisconsin

Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee (1850)

My search to find the oldest cemetery in Wisconsin led me to a story from Reader's Digest which compiled a list of the oldest cemetery in every state. The city of Green Bay, Wisconsin is the first municipality and it was founded in 1634 by Jean Nicolet. Although Nicolet later died at sea (technically, the St. Charles River), burials had to exist in Wisconsin before the founding of the Forest Home Cemetery.

Forest Home, which appears to be Wisconsin’s first established and oldest cemetery, was founded by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the 1840s. And the first burial on record there was Orville Caldwell's which took place in 1850.

The church's website shared the beautiful story of the cemetery's creation.

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In 1847, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church leadership began discussions for developing a “cemetery for the city”. At the time, Milwaukee had six small cemeteries: one Catholic, one Lutheran, one Jewish and three operated by the city. The religious cemeteries had restricted burial based on membership in those religious organizations.

The city cemeteries were poorly maintained and were used for the grazing of animals and at times the graves were not dug deep enough.

It was in response to these poor cemetery conditions that St. Paul’s eventually bought 72 acres in 1849 outside the city limits as a cemetery for a “peaceful rest” that would be open to all.

A sales slogan used for decades described Forest Home as “open to all faiths and not-for-profit”.

Notable Figures Buried at Forest Home Cemetery

Brooks Stevens

• A major force in American industrial design, Stevens is known for designing the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, the Miller Brewing Logo, and Harley-Davidson’s Hydra-Glide motorcycle.

General William Mitchell

• A strong believer in air power as the key to national defense, William “Billy” Mitchell rose to the rank of general in the U.S. Army. Grandson of Alexander Mitchell, he advocated the creation of a Department of National Defense, developed the first system of air routes across the U.S., and demonstrated the superiority of air power over sea power. Court martialed for condemning U.S. unpreparedness in military aviation, Mitchell was later recognized by Congress for his “outstanding pioneer service and foresight in the field of American military aviation”. Milwaukee’s international airport carries his name.

Fred Usinger

• Milwaukee’s most famous “Wurstmacher”, Usinger immigrated from Germany in 1881 with his Old World sausage recipes. Within a year, he purchased the interests of his original employers, married their niece, and began to manufacture the now-famous Usinger brand. Family-owned, the business is still headquartered at the original location on Old World Third Street.

Miriam Noel Wright

• Wright was a divorcee from Tennessee when she began an affair with architect Frank Lloyd Wright, eventually becoming his second wife. She was a morphine addict and self-proclaimed spiritualist and sculptor. The couple’s short, tumultuous time together ended in a dramatic legal battle and divorce.

MORE: Illinois’ Oldest Cemetery is One of the Most Haunted Spots in the Country

There's a captivating rabbit hole waiting for you in the Historical Figures section of the website.

According to Wisconsin History, the state's oldest burial sites go from the end of the last Ice Age, which was almost 10,000 years ago.

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