Lusk Cemetery

Lusk Cemetery. . , Lusk Memorial Park is composed of the original "public burial ground," Edwardsville's oldest known cemetery, as well as a later expansion of the cemetery. Burials in the earlier cemetery, on the north side, began prior to 1812. The cemetery was expanded in 1825 by John Lusk. Before perpetual care, graves were cared for by families died off or moved away, this burial ground became sadly neglected. A new place for burials, Woodlawn Cemetery, was created in 1871, and approximately 400 remains from Lusk Cemetery were moved to the new cemetery. However, it is estimated that more than 1,000 bodies remain in the ground here, including soldiers from six wars, and early preachers. Although burials continued at Lusk Cemetery after 1871, primarily for those who wanted to be buried with their families, the cemetery was in such poor condition that the city was asked to take it over. In 1913, the cemetery became the property of the City of Edwardsville and burials were closed to all except the Lusk family. Georgia Lusk, who died in 1955, was the last burial in the cemetery. As part of a works program during the Great Depression, there was a project to clean up the cemetery and create a clean lawn by burying the gravestones, which were for the most part already on the ground. The grounds today remain as green space because to dig almost anywhere in the park would disturb the sacred ground that contains the graves of some of Edwardsville's earliest pioneers.