Milwaukee County Grounds Cemetery 2

FOUNDED: 1882

ADDITIONAL NAMES: County Farm Cemetery

AFFILIATION(S): N/A

HISTORY: Milwaukee County Grounds Cemetery 2, historically referred to as the County Farm Cemetery, served as a public burial ground from 1882 to 1925 for individuals who died in Milwaukee County and had no means for private burial. More than 7,200 men, women, and children were interred, including approximately 150 African Americans—many among Milwaukee’s earliest Black families. Although African Americans comprised less than one-half of one percent of Milwaukee’s population, they accounted for more than 2.5 percent of burials at this site, with approximately one in six Black residents buried here compared to one in forty European Americans. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, burial markers were removed as the County redeveloped the land. In 1932, construction took place directly over the cemetery, destroying more than half of the graves and redistributing human remains across the landscape. Human remains continue to be uncovered.

To date, the Descendant Community of Milwaukee County Grounds Cemeteries, Inc. has identified approximately 60 death certificates for the estimated 150 African Americans buried at Cemetery 2, and continues to discover more. This work supports ongoing efforts to reconnect living descendants and include them in decisions regarding their ancestors.

BCN Contact Information:

Judy Houston - Descendant Community of Milwaukee County Grounds Cemeteries, Inc

jhouston@descendantcommunity.org