Hartford Cemetery

HARTFORD CEMETERY is located in the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 20 of Richland Township and extends into the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 21.

Although settlers occupied the area of Richland Township beginning in 1843 with John D. Parmalee, claims for title to land could not be officially entered until October 30, 1848. On that date, October 30, 1848, the following men entered land in Richland Township: John D. Parmalee, James Burnett, Riley Driscoll, Robert Reese, Michael Howard, John M. Parkinson, Martin Ray, Austin S. Howard, Newton Guthrie, Amos E. Freel, Samuel Black, Elias Myrick, Isaac N. Ewing and Elisha Hardin.

Richland Township belonged to Polk County for seven years. The odd-numbered sections were granted by the United States to the Des Moines Navigation and Railroad Company by an Act of Congress approved August 8, 1846. This company was to use the proceeds from the sale of land to improve navigation and promote commerce on the Des Moines River.

John D. Hartman laid out the town of Hartford in 1849, and recorded it at Des Moines since the area was part of Polk County at the time. Additions to the town were made by Amos Maddock in 1856, Owen Hancock in 1856, John Spry in 1857, and by John Bawhouse in 1859. The post office was established under the name of Three Rivers Post Office in 1859.

David B. Landon entered the land which included the west portion of the original cemetery on March 29, 1849 as part of 160 acres in the south half of the northwest quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of Section 20. He died on April 21, 1849 and was buried in the cemetery in what is now row 22. Many histories list Landon as the first burial in Hartford Cemetery.

William Henry Reynolds entered land which included the east portion of the original Hartford Cemetery on January 14, 1850, by certificate from the Des Moines Navigation and Railroad Company's land company. Although a full 120 acres was entered as the north half and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 21, it is apparent that the cemetery was already in existence.

In Deed Book 1, page 508, it is recorded that James Murphin and Ermin Murphin deeded to M.A. Dashiell, G.W. Spry and Joseph Taylor, as trustees of Hartford Graveyard, a tract of land consisting of one acre for the sum of $5.00.

In Deed Book 37, page 544, dated June 12, 1888, Hannah Talbott sold an area six rods and seven feet by three rods and eleven feet to J.M> Ray, A. Myrick and C.H. Cain, Trustees of Hartford Cemetery.

In Deed Book 135, page 281, Ella Mae Verden and Walter R. Verden transferred to the Trustees of Richland Township, eight acres of land for an addition to Hartford Cemetery.

Around 1954, the records of burials and names of owners of plots in the original cemetery were destroyed. Therefore, it is impossible to reconstruct the location of graves of the early burials. The names of an estimated 150 persons buried in the old section were lost.

Cemetery and Death Records of Warren County, Iowa, Warren County Genealogical Society, Walsworth Publishing Company, Marceline, Missouri: 1980.

View records submitted to the Iowa Gravestone Photo Project for Hartford Cemetery.