Another of the old cemeteries of the county is what is called Stringtown, in Douglas township. David Applegate, a native of Ohio came to Madison county in 1858, and located in Section 18 of Douglas township. Shortly after he arrived here, the death of a neighbor’s child made the people realize that they needed a cemetery in that part of the county. Mr. Applegate offered to give an acre of his farm, at the northeast corner for a cemetery, and this was the beginning of the Stringtown cemetery. W. D. Wood’s farm joined the Applegate farm on the north.

The deeds of this cemetery were filed October 11, 1901, by Andrew Allen, R. E. and Benton Applegate and July 10, 1902 by John and Nancy Brown.

Miss Alda M. Applegate of Enid, Oklahoma, recently wrote a history of the old cemetery and she stated that years later, the two neighbors decided to have their land surveyed. The found that the first little grave had been placed on Mr. Wood’s land, so these two pioneer men donated the land. (to be used for the cemetery). Some 40 years later, Mrs. Chris Smith, formerly Mary Rogan, daughter of James and Elizabeth Rogan, died and Mr. Applegate gave another half acre of his land for a Catholic cemetery. Mrs. Smith’s body was the first placed in that cemetery.  Mr. Rogan in expressing his gratitude to Mr. Applegate, said, “Mr. Applegate, how carefully we brought Mary here from Ireland and now we have so tenderly placed her body on your land.” Today, those two old neighbors and friends have been buried near each other for many years. Other old neighbors and friends who are buried there include the Allgeyers, Rogans, Bards, Amys, Cowdens, Thompsons and Schaffers.

Miss Applegate further stated that “The Rogans at the old stone house, the Richmond place, Bards, Applegates, Amys, Sticklers, John Stewarts, McGarts, Cowdens and Thompson

 homes were so nearly in a line that it was termed Stringtown, so the origin of the name.” The mail for these people was called Stringtown mail and was called for at the Winterset post office and taken by a member of the group and distributed to patrons on the way home.