In 1836 the town of Bloomington (known today as Muscatine) was established. As the town grew, it became obvious that a special plot of ground needed to be set aside for a cemetery. The "New Burying Ground" was announced in an ad selling Family Lots in the "Bloomington Herald Newspaper" on August 18, 1843. The first recorded list of burials in this cemetery is titled "Public Burial Grounds Graveyard Register". It contains the names of 702 people who were buried from August 18, 1843 to September 4, 1853. Some have age at death, place of burial and cause of death noted.

For many years this register was considered lost and was recently rediscovered by Mrs. Robert S. McCleary as she was searching for her husband’s great great grandfather. So to facilitate its’ study, Eleanor B. McCleary and Jo Ann Carlson prepared a typewritten reproduction of the original Register and consolidated the documentation of the early public burial grounds. Plat map, early history, and a photo of the Early Settler Monument are included. Their book may be found at Musser Public Library in Muscatine, Iowa State Genealogical Library in Des Moines, Iowa State Historical Libraries in Iowa City and Des Moines. One may also contact Greenwood Cemetery, 1814 Lucas Street, Muscatine, Iowa. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday thru Friday, (563) 263-7051. For more information on the early history of Greenwood Cemetery, click here.