Fort Madison Cemetery Tombstone pictures

This is an old picture postcard of the church at the Ft. Madison Cemetery.
Picture from Patti Sedillo

The Fort Madison Cemetery is located North of Kirksville on Highway #63 to EE, East 2 ¼ miles to cemetery in Polk Township of Adair County, Missouri, northeast of Sublette and consists of approximately four acres. When the Black Hawk War broke out in 1832, a military force was sent here from Ralls County, Missouri under the command of Captain Richard Matson. At the site of what is now the Ft. Madison Cemetery a fort was built near the Salt River. The fort was called Ft. Matson in honor of the commander of the fort. However, the name was later changed to Ft. Madison, and the church and cemetery took this name. The fort consisted of a block house enclosed by a palisade, a separate log building, which was used for a magazine and supply storage. Brush sheds were erected for the horses.

A stone and plaque now mark the site of Ft. Matson. The church building which was constructed in the early 1890’s is still in good condition and is maintained. The land on which the cemetery is located was originally owned by the government and later by the Stewart, Crow and Cragg families and possibly others who are today unknown. The cemetery was incorporated in 1973, and a perpetual care fund was established for permanent maintenance of the cemetery.

The land was given by Russell Crow.

The large pine tree was planted more than 100 years ago – four trees were brought from along the Platte River in Nebraska to mark the graves of the four Goddard children buried there. Only one tree remains in 1979 (information was from Mrs. Carl Burton, Kansas City, whose husband is a descendant of the Crow family.)

Stone inscriptions copied and material submitted by Mrs. Vernon (Zelma) Evans and Mrs. Wallace (Faye) Farmer.

Jesse & Sarah (Cragg) Newcum
Contact: Michele for Newcum surname.

1) George and Fannie Reynolds (my great-grandparents and son of Rueben Reynolds of Madison County Illinois)

2) Emma Reynolds (a child of George and Fannie buried right next to them; b.1866, d. 1902)

3) Alfred & Emma (Brassfield) Reynolds (Alfred was the son of William B. Reynolds Jr. and Ruth (Story) Reynolds)

4) Stanley L. & Corda (Lavonne Samper?) Reynolds (Stanley was the son of Alfred and Emma Reynolds)

5) Roosevelt Reynolds (Roosevelt was also a son of Alfred and Emma Reynolds)

6) Aileen Reynolds (Aileen was the daughter of Stanley L. & Corda (Lavonne?) Reynolds)

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Copyright ©2003 by Claudia Minor all rights reserved.