Winona in Winona County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Potters' Field
In America, Potters' Field is the final resting place of people who did not have family financial support or personal funds to afford a burial plot. There was no charge to be buried in Potters' Field.
The Woodlawn Cemetery Potters' Field was established when the cemetery was created, in 1863. Some 1200 people were buried here between approximately 1863 and 1939. Some graves probably never had headstones. Some might have had a simple, handmade wooden cross or marker that has long since disappeared. Some were people passing through, whose real names were never known. Many were immigrants and settlers who built lives here, far from their families in distance lands. A great many babies and little children are buried here, as infant mortality was very high, and medical care was lacking. There are many single graves here; lots of these people died impoverished and alone. There are also a great many people here who worked hard and raised wonderful families, the descendants of whom are still with us, enriching our town. These were the laborers, the shopkeepers, the domestic workers, the paperhangers, the stoneworkers and carpenters and trades people of a thousand talents who built our community. We owe them a great dept; they are a part of us. We honor their lives and their contributions and we maintain this lovely flowering hillside as our final tribute to them.
Because these were ordinary people, not much was written down about them and we know little about their individual lives, their struggles, their triumphs and their defeats. If you have an ancestor buried here and would be willing to share his or her story with us, we would be deeply grateful. We will safeguard and treasure that history; it is our history, too.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.
Location. 44° 2.114′ N, 91° 39.602′ W. Marker is in Winona, Minnesota, in Winona County. Marker can be reached from West Lake Boulevard, 0.2 miles west of Huff Street Dyke, on the left when traveling west. Marker is in Woodlawn Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 506 West Lake Boulevard, Winona MN 55987, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Stephen Taylor (approx. 0.2 miles away); Winona: River Village, Lumber Town, College Town (approx. 0.4 miles away); Garvin Heights (approx. 0.4 miles away); U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Winona (approx. one mile away); We-No-Nah (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Watkins Manor House (approx. 1˝ miles away); Winona County Soldiers and Sailors Memorial (approx. 1˝ miles away); Winona County Courthouse (approx. 1˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winona.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2013, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 884 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 16, 2013, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.