Atkinson Cemetery Timeline

1843 Lewis Hill comes to Cottage Grove
1846 John Atkinson comes to Cottage Grove
David Welch dies, later a memorial marker is erected for him in Atkinson
1847 Pope & Fisher incorrectly list this as date of establishment for Atkinson Cemetery
1849

Minnesota Territory formed
October 27th Washington County established

1850 John Atkinson purchases land from James S. Norris in what later becomes Cottage Grove
1852 W. R. Munger comes to Cottage Grove
1854 Martin Atkinson buried in Atkinson Cemetery
1857 J. M. Munger comes to Cottage Grove
1858 Cottage Grove established
May 11th Minnesota becomes the 32nd State of the Union
John S. Mars comes to Cottage Grove / Newport
Frank Tibbets comes to Cottage Grove
1865 Hartley Mars comes to Cottage Grove
1873 October 11th Hanna Atkinson dies
1874 May 12th Atkinson Cemetery Association established
October 7th Land deeded to Atkinson Cemetery Trustees from John Atkinson
October 29th John Atkinson marries Almira B. Fiske of Baytown
1883 November 25th A'Hyatt Munger marries Placidius E. Mars
1887 April 3rd Joel M. Munger dies
1888 February 11th Lewis Hill dies
1892 December 28th John Atkinson dies of old age in Minneapolis
1900s Cemetery Association fades, property tax delinquent, passes to county
1908 September 27th Premature infant dies, to be buried in Corners Cemetery NO STONE
1909 March 21st Alzina (Munger) Austin dies, last "known" burial in Atkinson Cemetery
1910 June 29th Majorie Danforth dies at age 9 due to inflammatory rheumatism, to be buried in Corners Cemetery NO STONE
1917 November 7th Gladys Munger born
1970 Elizabeth B. & John G. Erickson create the first known cemetery transcription
1974 McDonald's is built
1979 Cottage Grove annexed cemetery as abandoned
City of Cottage Grove & local Lion's Club clean up cemetery, restore 26 remaining gravestones
Communications between Gladys Munger and Forrest Mars begin
1981 Work begins on Highway 61 overpass (now Exit 81)
Gladys Munger active against disturbing graves
December 28th A lawyer writes city on behalf of Mars & Munger families
1982 February 3rd Atkinson Cemetery designated as historic site
Hwy. 61 overpass work cuts through a corner of Atkinson Cemetery, no graves disturbed
Robert Vogel proposes historical maker & documentation
September 19th: WCHS dedicates plaque
1983 Mars monument erected
1998 July Robert Vogel proposes to raise funds for the year 2000 budget for beautification of Atkinson & Old People's Cemetery
2003 October E. Katie Holm receives IFP grant, begins research on Minnesota Cemeteries
2004 February E. Katie Holm picks to concentrate on Atkinson Cemetery for grant
April 27th Gladys Munger passes away
June E. Katie Holm photographs and transcribes Atkinson Cemetery for IFP grant
November Presentation of Atkinson Cemetery project @ Hennepin County History Museum