Wesleyan Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri
Centenary Methodist Church established Wesleyan Cemetery at the southwest and southeast corners of Grand and Laclede Avenues in 1847. The grounds comprised 12-3/4 acres and extended to Market Street on the east side of what is now Grand Avenue. The Wesleyan Cemetery Association was formed in 1851. Burials included those of more than 2400 African American.
Encroachment of the city led the Association to establish New Wesleyan Cemetery at the southeast corner of Olive Street Rd. and Hanley Ave. in 1874. Most graves were moved to this new location, although some were transferred to other burial grounds. New Wesleyan cemetery closed in 1952, and graves were moved to Memorial Park Cemetery and other locations.
Indexes
Wesleyan Cemetery records were indexed by the St. Louis Genealogical Society and included in Vol. 4 of St. Louis Burials, a CD-ROM publication that can be used in the History and Genealogy Department. Two additional indexes are available:
Cemetery records are available for Wesleyan and New Wesleyan Cemetery from 1847 through 1952 and include removal records. Microfilm copies are available on film no. CMC-1 (FHL film no. 1405557) in the History and Genealogy Department.
CMC-1 (FHL 1405557) contents
Item 1
| Description | Dates | Item |
|---|---|---|
| White burials | 1855 - 1860 | Item 1 |
| Private lots | 1855 - 1861 | Item 1 |
| White burials | 1861 - 1866 | Item 1 |
| Colored burials | 1855 - 1866 | Item 1 |
| Burials in vault | 1858 - 1861 | Item 1 |
| Colored burials | 1866 - 1868 | Item 1 |
Item 2
| Description | Dates | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Lots sold in New Wesleyan Cemetery | 1878 - 1880 | 56 - 62 |
| White removals | 1878 - 1880 | 63 - 207 |
| Lots purchased or exchanged by Wesleyan Cemetery Association | 1865 - 1885 | 211 - 224 |
| Lots sold in New Wesleyan Cemetery | 1880 - 1883 | 225 |
| White removals | 1880 | 227 - 229 |
| Lots vacant but not repurchased | 237 | |
| Colored removals | 1878 - 1879 | 241 - 612 |
Item 3
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
| Lots sold | 1878 - 1884 |
| Lots repurchased by Wesleyan Cemetery Association | 1865 - 1885 |
| Plot maps |
Item 4
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
| White burials | 1848 - 1855 |
| Lists of burials by block | |
| Private lots | 1848 - 1855 |
| Burials in vault | 1848 - 1855 |
| Colored burials | 1847 - 1854 |
Item 5
| Description | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transcription of burials in New Wesleyan Cemetery | 1892 - 1874 | Reverse chronological order |
Item 6
| Description |
|---|
| Transcript of sales book kept at Waggoner Undertaking |
Item 7
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
| Lot owners | |
| Single graves | 1889 - 1903 |
| Removal records | |
| Record of sales after May 1, 1928 |
Item 8
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
| Burials recorded on receipt book stubs | 1891 - 1899 |
Item 9
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
| Burials recorded on receipt book stubs | 1913 - 1927 |
Item 10
| Description |
|---|
| Map of New Wesleyan Cemetery |