Liberty in Clay County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
"The Old Graveyard"
"Mt. Memorial Cemetery"
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., July 30, 2013
1. "The Old Graveyard" "Mt. Memorial Cemetery" Marker
On July 5th, 1836, Andrew Hixon and wife, Ann, conveyed by Warranty Deed to the "Town of Liberty" Trustees for $30, one acre, "for the purpose of a public burying ground". Used as such before the 1825 settlement of Liberty. "The Old Graveyard", on one of the highest crests in Clay County, became Mt. Memorial, its first cemetery, with its first burial in 1827. As reported by Hon. D.C. Allen in the Jan 28, 1910 Liberty Tribune, the "Hixon" conveyance created in perpetuity, "a charitable trust" based on a Missouri Territorial Legislature's Act. In 1851, Missouri's legislature "chartered" Liberty as a city; passing to it "The Old Graveyard". Nestled within the William Jewell College campus, it contains the "hallowed remains of all of six hundred persons...", white and black alike, some born before the American Revolution. Among early prominent family members who lie here are Liberty's first Mayor, Madison Miller, William Jewell College's first elected Treasurer (in 1849), Edward M. Samuel, and John Baxter, former "Liberty Landing" proprietor and County Sheriff.
Erected by Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers
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Location. 39° 14.967′ N, 94° 24.755′ W. Marker is in Liberty, Missouri, in Clay County. It is at the intersection of Miller Avenue and William Jewell College Drive, on the right when traveling west on Miller Avenue. Markers and cemetery are on the William Jewell College campus. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Liberty MO 64068, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Missouri River Corridor and in Greater Kansas City. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, 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 territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mass Grave Site (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Civil War Memorial (about 400 feet away); Grand River Baptist Church (about 400 feet away); John Priest Greene President's Home (about 400 feet away); The Trenches On The Hill (about 400 feet away); Goldman-Duckworth House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Frank Hughes Memorial Library (approx. 0.3 miles away); Clay County's Roll of Honor (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Liberty.
Also see . . .
1. Mount Memorial Cemetery. National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Submitted on August 31, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Mount Memorial Cemetery. Find A Grave website entry
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., July 30, 2013
2. "The Old Graveyard" "Mt. Memorial Cemetery" Markers
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., July 30, 2013
3. Mt. Memorial Cemetery NRHP Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 31, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,541 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 31, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
