Brookfield in Waukesha County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Oak Hill Cemetery
Brookfield
Noted grave: Nathan Hatch, Revolutionary War soldier who came west with sons, Hiram and Edmund, in 1840’s. Remains possibly moved from earlier family burial ground.
Operated by Brookfield Cemetery Association from 1851; by Oak Hill Cemetery Association from 1905.
Erected 1971 by Waukesha County Historical Society. (Marker Number 02-05.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.
Location. 43° 4.978′ N, 88° 8.695′ W. Marker is in Brookfield, Wisconsin, in Waukesha County. Marker is on Brookfield Road, half a mile south of Capitol Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brookfield WI 53045, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Revolutionary War Veteran (within shouting distance of this marker); City of Brookfield (approx. 2.1 miles away); Pioneer Cemetery (approx. 2˝ miles away); Woodside One-Room School Bell (approx. 3.3 miles away); The William Donaldson House (approx. 3.3 miles away); The Dousman Inn (approx. 3.3 miles away); Aitken Brothers Birth Place (approx. 3.7 miles away); CFR Engines Inc. (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brookfield.
Additional commentary.
1. Additional History
Land was purchased by Mr. & Mrs. Clark Brookins before a cemetery was established on that land in 1854 by the Oak Hill Cemetery Association. Some burials were done earlier than that. The name of the cemetery was Brookfield Cemetery until 1905 when it was changed to Oak Hill Cemetery. There are between 150 to 200 people buried there. Originally, digging and filling graves cost $1.50. By 1877 it was raised to $2 with a lot of four graves costing $4. Old record books show some names and addresses of what appear to be lot owners, but there is no attempt to identify owners with graves or lots.
Many military veterans are buried at Oak Hill. The most famous person is Nathan Hatch, who was a Revolutionary War soldier. He had come to Brookfield in the 1840s with his sons and died on Nov. 10, 1847 at 90 years old. Veterans representing every war through World War II are buried here. The only exceptions is the Spanish-American War. There are a total of 15 Civil War veterans here. A later burial in 1978 was Ethel Mitchell who was a World War I veteran who lived beyond her 100th birthday.
A newspaper article from 1957 talks about how the cemetery had fallen into ruins helped along by vandals. Nobody had been maintaining the cemetery for many years, and it was basically forgotten. Since that time, many different groups have worked to bring the cemetery back to a beautiful place once again. Now the Oak Hill Cemetery Association is responsible for its maintenance. The cemetery is located on Brookfield Road just south of Capitol Drive in Brookfield.
— Submitted March 2, 2012, by Linda Hansen of Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 13, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,552 times since then and 54 times this year. Last updated on June 20, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 13, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.