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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:

 

  
Wesleyan Cemetery Records on Microfilm 

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