Stevens Point in Portage County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Ancestors Buried Below Us
Photographed by Susan Van Den Bosch, July 31, 2025
1. Ancestors Buried Below Us Marker
This sign marks the future location of a monument to acknowledge the Mass Native Burial site here on the UW-Stevens Point campus.
In the 1860s, Scarlet Fever devastated a diverse group of Native Americans including Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Ojibwe and Potawatomi, who, having been forced out of their ancestral homelands by settlement, were abiding outside Stevens Point.
Decimated by disease and social forces in the wake of this epidemic, the living continued on, but their deceased relatives remain interred within this site.
As Stevens Point grew, the burial ground was knowingly used as a garbage dump. Following a series of land transfers, the Stevens Point Normal School was built on the burial site and opened in 1894.
Today, we make plans to acknowledge these Ancestors, honor their journey and learn from our shared history, to move forward in a way respectful to those who lie here.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.
Location. 44° 31.482′ N, 89° 34.129′ W. Marker is in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in Portage County. It can be reached from Main Street (State Highway 66) just west of Fremont Street, on the right
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Dr. Lee Sherman Dreyfus (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Stanislaus Church World War II Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Boy with the Leaking Boot (approx. 0.3 miles away); Casimir Pulaski (approx. 0.6 miles away); Portage County & the Polish Army (approx. 0.6 miles away); Portage County Civil War Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); First Public Building (approx. Ύ mile away); The Historic Southside Railroad Complex of Stevens Point (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stevens Point.
More about this marker. The marker stands behind the Old Main Building, in a courtyard that is not near public parking.
Photographed by Bob Cook, June 24, 2024
2. Ancestors Buried Below Us Marker
Photographed by Susan Van Den Bosch, July 31, 2025
3. Ancestors Buried Below Us Marker
View of the courtyard from the parking lot A where the marker is located. The marker is in the center left portion of the photo.
Photographed by Susan Van Den Bosch, July 31, 2025
4. Ancestors Buried Below Us Marker
Mural to commemorate the marker is 90° left of the marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 30, 2024. This page has been viewed 359 times since then and 70 times this year. Last updated on July 31, 2025. Photos: 1. submitted on July 31, 2025, by Susan Van Den Bosch of Almond, Wisconsin. 2. submitted on December 30, 2024, by Bob Cook of Chicago, Illinois. 3, 4. submitted on July 31, 2025, by Susan Van Den Bosch of Almond, Wisconsin. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker in context. • Verification of geocoordinates. • Can you help?
