Waukesha County
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Luther Parker Cemetery
Also Known as Drought Cemetery, Durham Hill Cemetery
Muskego Township
Waukesha County Wisconsin Genealogy
Luther Parker Cemetery Sign
Location
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History
This cemetery was established about 1843. It is now inactive, the latest burial being 1958.
The sign above reads:
"Dedicated to Muskego's most illustrious pioneer and first European settler, Luther Parker, who brought his wife Alletta and five children to Muskego by horse and wagon in 1836. Luther Parker was one of the several responsible for succession of Waukesha County from Milwaukee County in 1846 and served in the Wisconsin Legislature and the early Waukesha County Board. Mr. and Mrs. Parker were buried in the northwest corner of this cemetery. This cemetery, formerly called Durham HIll, was given to his earliest English neighbors by Levi Guild. The pioneer settlers of Muskego who settled in the Durham Hill area buried their dead among the native wildflowers and prairie grasses of this site. In order to keep the native prairie hearty and suppress woody plants and invasive weed species, controlled burns are used on an infrequent basis. This cemetery site is officially recognized as a natural area. Please do not move or otherwise damage the vegetation in respect for the natural setting in which the settlers buried their loved ones. Gravestones are most easily observed in late April and May, after the Spring burning. This cemetery is owned and operated under the City of Muskego Parks & Recreation Department. Waukesha County Historical Society 1966/1972/2001.
This cemetery was originally called Durham Hill Cemetery and has also been known as Drought Cemetery because of the members of the Drought family that are buried here. The Drought family was the first to settle in Norway Township, Racine County in 1838.
In 1965 the name was changed to Luther Parker Cemetery in honor of Luther Parker, the first settler to the town of Muskego.
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Records
No death records for any of these people were found in the Waukesha Records. Possibly their deaths were recorded in Milwaukee County or Racine County. There are no official records of the cemetery.
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Transcriptions and Photos
View of the grasses in the cemetery
Photos were graciously taken and donated by Brian D. Click on the surname to see a photo if it is available on this site. Obituaries, when available, are linked to the individuals name.
ADAMS: Robert/b. 1799/Bottomsham,Cambridgeshire, England/ d. 25 Dec 1865/age 66 yr ALTENBER: Albert D./d. 21 Oct 1870/age 1 yr 4 mo/son of Mena ANDERSON: John d. 19 Jan 1878 Margaret J./d. 13 Mar 1861/age 70 yrs Samuel Y./d. 6 Sept 1865/age 80 yr Margaret A./d. 30 April 1865/age 3 yr 2 mo 10days/ daughter of H.J. & E Anderson BASTALL: See RESTALL BENTLEY: Alfred/b. 8 Nov 1845/d. 8 Jan 1849/age 3 yr 3 mon Michael/d. 18 Aug 1849/age 30 yr BILLS: (could be Biles) Henry/son of Samuel & Phoebe Bills/d. 26 Nov 1856/ age 12 yr 10 mo 11 da BLAIN: Samuel/d. 22 July 1849/age 33 Agnes/wife of Samuel/d. 22 July 1849/weathered stone William/d. 17 Apr 1853/age 9 yr 5 mon John/b. 1778/d 10 Apr 1850/age 72 yr Jane (Todd)/wife of J. F./b. 1821/d. 1 Aug 1849/age 28 yr BRICE: Amelia/1857-1928 Thomas/Father/b. 23 Aug 1824/d. 5 Oct 1889 Alice/Mother/b. 5 Mar 1825/d. 2 June 1908 Edward 1858-1949 Frank/1867-1958 CLARK: Homer H./d. 20 Oct 1863/age 24 yr 7 mo/ First Lieutenant in Civil War Died of Wounds received at Battle of Chicamaugua, Ga, 19 Sept 1863 Died at Nashville, Tenn 16th U.S. Inf. Broken headstone DROUGHT: William/b. 10 Apr 1807/d. 27 Mar 1894 Elizabeth/b. 2 Sept 1811/d. 9 Jan 1892 Lucinda HUTCHINSON/wife of J. Hutchinson/b. 1832/d. 27 Sept 1870/ age 38 yrs 8 mo 23 da William/d. 3 Mar 1868/age 18 yr 8 mo 3 da/son of Wm. & E. Mary Ellen/1846-1913 Thomas/b. 16 Aug 1817/d. 5 Dec 1898 Caroline M./b. 8 Apr 1823/d. 25 Dec 1894 George/1828-1907 George/d. 29 Nov 1859/age 77 yr 7m 4d Mary L./d. 6 Oct 1867/age 4 mon/daughter of W.R. & D. Drought Mother/1843-1889 Father/1832-1908 DROUGHT: See MCCONAHY FILLMORE: John A./b. 1790/d. 18 Aug 1850/age 60 yr 4mo 11 da Norman/b. 1812/d. 28 Oct 1847/age 35 Minerva/wife of Newman Fillmore/b. 1816/d. 27 July 1864/ age 48 yr 7 mo 22 da GILBERT: One stone Children of W. & B. Gilbert James/d. 5 Feb 1866/age 1 mo 14 da Jane/d. 8 Oct 1867/age 9 mon Mary Ann/d. 21 Oct 1862/aged 1 yr 4 mon John/b. 3 Jan 1864/d. 10 Nov 1893 GREENE: Selwyn D./son of Geo. & Sarah Greene/d. 5 Dec 1860/ age 1 yr 8 mon/date of stone buried beneath the ground in 1940 HAY: John/son of Thomas/weather-beaten/flat stone/no dates Joseph M./son of J & E.M. Hay/b. 11 Sept 1866/d. 21 Dec 1895 LAYTON: Adelaide/d. 11 Dec 1867/age 3 yr 7 mon 4 da/daughter of H.(or A) & D. Layton LONGSTREET: May/wife of Aaron Longstreet/b. 1776/d. 7 Feb 1847/ age 74 years/flat stone MCCONAHY: Hugh/Father/b. 6 Nov 1841/d. 30 Dec 1928 Mary H. (Drought)/b. 3 Oct 1845/ no death date listed Robert/b. 24 Oct 1878/d. 30 Apr 1891 Sarah J./b. 17 July 1818/d. 6 May 1891 placed by her son MEIER: Lizzie/b. 14 Apr 1872/d. 17 Jan 1880 Otilia/b. 9 Dec 1867/d. 18 Jan 1880 I found two different transcriptions of this cemetery. In both of the listings, Lizzie and Otilia were listed. But their dates were reversed. I listed them this way but they could very well be different. ____________/b. 4 Sept 1880/12 Oct 1880 _______no name/d. 1880/Weather-beaten & Broken Stones PARKER: Luther/1800-1853 Alleta (French)/wife of Luther Parker/1803-1849 The first permanent settlers in Muskego Township PATTON: John/d. 10 Sept 1879/age 28 yr 10mon 20 days Stone erected by his brother Robert Patton RESTALL(could be BASTALL): Margaret A./d. 18 Oct 1855 (year could be wrong)/ daughter of A. & A RESTALL/age 1 yr 18 da SEXTON: Thomas T./b. 1799/d. 7 Nov 1847/age 71 yr/flat stone Thomas S./son of Arnold & Perssis Sexton/d. Aug 1854/age 2 weeks SMILEY: T. Newton/1857-1932 Caroline M./1842-1924 Diana/1820-1900 George/1818-1905 Jonathan W./d. 4 Nov 1862/at Lexington, KY(Civil War Veteran) Robert 1852-1933 Sarah/wife/1854-1934 Grace/b. 3 Jan 1885/d. 14 Sept 1903/daughter Baby Boy/b. 14 Apr 1900/d. 1 Sept 1900 Walter O./1887-1940 STORTZ: Louisa/b. 25 Mar 1841/d. 21 Feb 1909 George/b. 5 Mar 1837/d. 25 May 1917 TODD: See BLAIN
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