History of the I.O.O.F. Cemetery

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The I.O.O.F. Lodge, No. 44, Riverton, WY (the Independent Order of Odd Fellows) was established in Aug of 1907. In Mar of 1909, the Lodge founded the first cemetery in Riverton. They purchased 10 acres in a square of the Fred Petzold ranch west of town for $400.00. This cemetery is located on Riverview Road. The deed was dated 26 Jan 1914 and recorded 09 Apr 1914. The legal land description of this tract is NE Corner of the of SE 1/4 of NE 1/4, Section 32, Township 1N, Range 4E of Wind River Meridian, and included water rights attatched derived from the Wyoming Central Irrigation Company including all ditches and laterals connected with said right. This land overlooked the Big Wind River. The property was surveyed and fenced and trees were planted. Lots were sold for $6.00 each.

This cemetery was used from 1909 until 1933, however, there are some earlier deaths recorded here. These were possibly moved from other sites. This cemetery was used very little after the Mountain View Cemetery was founded because of a seepage problem. Water was at the surface in many places in the cemetery and almost all graves were in water. A drainage project was proposed but little hope was expected for the complete relief of the problem. Some bodies were moved up to the new cemetery.

The original burial records for the cemetery have been lost. I have attempted to reconstruct the records of the cemetery by using the map in the possession of the I.O.O.F. Lodge which shows some burial locations, a ledger book that was used to record some sales of lots, the funeral home records which begin in 1918 and old newspapers. These newspapers begin in 1907 and are on microfilm in the Riverton Branch Library. These papers were very hard to read and many issues are missing which creates gaps in the records. I am guessing that there are many deaths which I could not find.

Before this cemetery was founded, some earlier burials were on the Martin Person farm. Today this is located west of 8th and S of Main. In Dec of 1915, Martin Person placed an ad in the newspaper which stated: "Notice: I desire to notify all interested that I expect to put in cultivation the coming season all my land under Riverton Ditch No. 2, and for this reason request that the friends or relatives of those buried on a portion of these premises will arrange for the early removal of the bodies to some cemetery in accordance with the original understanding at the time interment was permitted there." Exactly who or how many persons were buried here is unknown.

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