Union Cemetery Association Records (KC0385)
Union Cemetery was established in 1857 and opened in 1858. Shared by the towns of Kansas City and Westport, the cemetery contained the graves of some 55,000 people. The dead included Civil War soldiers, victims of cholera epidemics and other diseases, and citizens from all walks of life, including slaves and Chinese immigrants. The Park Department took control of the cemetery from 1906 to 1937, during which time its poor condition came under constant criticism. In 1943, after seven years of restoration and reconstruction, Union Cemetery was granted status as a city shrine.
The collection consists of minutes, financial and legal documents, correspondence, lists of plot owners, a scrapbook of clippings, a stock book, and photographs concerning Union Cemetery. 1857-1954.
15 folders.
© WHMC-KC, University of Missouri
updated:
Monday, July 10, 2006
Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Kansas City
(816) 235-1543 WHMCKC@umkc.edu