Pioneer Cemetery Photos

Directions to the cemetery:
From Davenport take Highway 130 west to North Liberty. In New Liberty take F31, north for about 5 miles. (It is about 3 miles once you leave the paved road and go on the gravel) You will pass New Liberty Cemetery on the left, keep going and Pioneer is a couple more miles down the gravel road on the right.
Note: Clinton county is about 2 city blocks north of this cemetery but we were told by the caretaker that the cemetery is actually in Scott County and where Clinton County started.
There are a lot of interesting stones and would like to go back and get more pictures to post. The caretaker told us in the one corner where there is a huge stone someone buried their dogs and another spot someone buried a parrot.

History of the Cemetery

This land was originally granted by the United States Government to Asa Haile, September 23, 1840.
Asa Haile sold the land to George R. Willey and wife, February 8, 1856.
George R. Willey sold the land to Archer Matthews and wife, July 5, 1853.
Archer Matthews deeded the land to Liberty Township trustees for a public burial ground, March 6, 1855.
Additional land was purchased from George Spickermann and wife by Mr. and Mrs. John F. Murray, July 11, 1924.
The rock wall was erected and the cemetery was landscaped in 1936-1937 by Mrs. John F. Murray in memory of her husband.
The rock was obtained from the Frank Knoche farm.
The gate was made by Carl Wazar, Sr., Lost Nation, Iowa.
The iron work on the gate was made by John Thompson of Wheatland, Iowa.
The flag and pole were dedicated October 7, 1972, by US Congressman Fred Schwengel.

Photo by Betty VandeVoort

Front of the Stone with History
Contains a Covered Wagon

Photo by Betty VandeVoort

Memorial Marker for Charles Dutton
B. 2 February 1788
D. 16 March 1859
Inscription on the marker:
Charles Dutton who with five sons was among the first two hundred pioneers that opened the virgin prairies of Clinton County to cultivation by raft and boat they came on the Susoufhanna, Ohio and Mississippi rivers from Afton, New York in 1838 and 1839 to what became known as the Dutton settlement on the Wapsipinicon River in the Southwest corner of Olive Township.
He was an early volunteer in the war of 1812.
Born February 2, 1788, at Dummerston, Vermont he married in the 1800 to Nancy Pfarsall. Died March 16, 1859, and is buried on his son Leroy's farm near Grand Mound, Iowa. Father of Charles, Leroy, John, Lorenzo and Jerome.

Photo by Betty VandeVoort