History

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In 1903, the Foresters Lodge established the original cemetery. It was known as the Foresters Cemetery. The cemetery is located on a portion of a tract of land that was acquired by the Northern Pacific Railroad Company (NPRR) through a land grant from the U.S. government in 1898. The land grant was to aid in the railroad construction and was signed by President McKinley. Part of this portion was purchased from the NPRR by Joseph Childs. Cora Childs then sold 1.5 acres of the land to the Foresters Lodge for $725.

In 1909, the Foresters Lodge sold the cemetery to J.M. Jeannot for $75. The Village of Hope acquired the cemetery about 1925.

In 1962 the Village of Hope purchased an additional 1/4 acre of land, on the north side from Rachel Thom for $100. In 1972, the city exchanged a portion of the original cemetery on the east end for a parcel of land on the north end with Richard and Carol Pedersen. The Pedersens reserved a small parcel for their families' use. This completed the land transactions to form the cemetery as it is today.

  --Written by Ed Butler