Most would call the 1840’s simpler times. But for Milwaukee’s early settlers, the times called for vitally important and lasting decisions.

Soon after the city was founded in 1846, civic leaders began searching for a place where area residents could count on eternal peace. They found 72 gently rolling and forested acres that, although “far” from town, were accessible by the new Janesville Plank Road. The land was acquired, and the cemetery was named Forest Home.

In 1850, the first burial took place. A few years later, as more cherished memories were entrusted to this special place, the road that led from the growing city was renamed Forest Home Avenue.

Today, Forest Home embraces 200 acres of dignified beauty. It contains more undeveloped land than the total area of most cemeteries in the United States. Its historical significance has earned Forest Home the designation as an official Milwaukee Landmark and a listing in the National Registry of Historic Places.

Historical Tour Map Click for larger version.

Most of all, Forest Home Cemetery continues as planned; to always be the place where memories stand the test of time.
As you tour our grounds and buildings, you will notice an atmosphere of dignified respect. We ask that you please help us maintain that atmosphere while you are here. Most of all, please take time to enjoy all the serenity, beauty and unique history as you discover the difference that is Forest Home Cemetery.

The Halls of History
Unlike any other in the nation, the Halls of History serves not only as a temperature-controlled indoor mausoleum, but also as a community-education center where people of all ages can learn, and honor, the history of Milwaukee.

The Main Gallery houses crypts of polished walnut and imported marble. In the center, a tastefully furnished seating area provides year-round comfort for visiting loved ones. A beautiful glass-fronted cremation columbarium is located just off of the Main Gallery.

The unique museum level of the Halls of History features permanent and changing displays honoring the memories and accomplishments of more than 100 people who built Milwaukee and chose Forest Home as their final resting place.

Your tour of the Forest Home Cemetery grounds should start in these Halls. You’ll find most of Milwaukee’s oldest and best-known names, and short capsules recalling their many accomplishments. To this day, many of Milwaukee’s main streets are known by these familiar names, and some businesses continue to bear the names of their founders.

Guiding Your Own Tour
With this guide, you can choose how to take your tour. The map on the back of this page contains a driving tour (indicated by green directional arrows) which will allow you to view many sites (indicated by small green numbers) from your car. Sites not visible from the road are indicated by black letters and are easily walked to after you park your car along the side of the road. If you’re ambitious, walking is a great way to enjoy the entire tour or to take in parts of it during several visits.

With some exceptions, grave locations are typically designated in this guide by section, block and lot. On the map, section numbers (in green squares) are placed approximately in the middle of each section. Tall, numbered signs throughout the grounds identify each section. In addition to the complete tour, this guide includes nine shorter tours such as Milwaukee’s mayors and Wisconsin’s governors. Each grave location is shown on the map in suggested tour sequence.

Let’s Begin
From the Halls of History, proceed southwest into the cemetery and start at Section 16. If you’re driving, always park to the side of the road.

1. Thomas R. Bentley, 1848 to 1910
Section 8, Block 2, Lots 3 and 8
In the early 1870’s, Bentley joined the family’s building construction firm which was started the year he was born. Among the many projects completed under his supervision were the library at the University of Wisconsin, the Racine County Courthouse and the foundation of the current downtown post office. The Bentley family tradition continues in local building and construction.

2. Horace Chase, 1810 to 1886
Section 8, Block 4, Lot 10
Starting with a land claim, Chase opened a warehouse and commission business in partnership with Archibald Clybourn. Chase was a member of the first state Legislature in 1848. He also served as a Milwaukee alderman and was elected mayor in 1862.

A. John Converse Starkweather, 1830 to 1890
Section 8, Block 7, Lot 9
During the Civil War, Starkweather was a colonel with the 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He served in other military capacities including Post Commander at several sites in Tennessee and Alabama. After 1865, he engaged in stock farming near Oconomowoc, where he also served as postmaster.

3. Fred Usinger, 1860 to 1930
Section 6, Block 1, Lot 2
Milwaukee’s most famous “Wurstmacher”, Usinger immigrated from Germany in 1881 with his Old World sausage recipes. Within a year, he purchased the interests of his original employers, married their niece and began to manufacture the now famous Usinger brand. Family owned, the business is still headquartered at the original location on Old World Third Street.

B. George Wilbur Peck, 1840 to 1916
Section 6, Block 1, Lot 7
As a newspaper editor, Peck became famous for his “Peck’s Bad Boy” series which was also published in book form. In 1890, Peck was elected Milwaukee mayor in April and then to his first of two terms as Wisconsin governor just seven months later.

4. Matthias Stein, 1808 to 1896
Section 8, Block 11, Lot 8
A mechanic by trade, Stein was Milwaukee’s first gunsmith. Prior to arrival here, he spent three years in Washington D.C. There, he regularly took morning walks, befriending an older gentleman who did the same. Eventually, Stein found out that his walking companion was President Andrew Jackson.

5. Jacob Best, 1786 to 1861
Section 8, Block 9, Lots 13 and 14
The family settled in the Kilbourntown section of Milwaukee and set up a brewery and distillery. The brewing business grew and prospered and control was passed along to two of his sons. The business later became the Pabst Brewing Company.

6. August Krug, 1815 to 1856
Section 8, Block 9, Lot 12
Krug started a restaurant and later added a small brewery. In 1850, his father came to visit, surviving a shipwreck on the way. The father managed to save himself, Krug’s eight-year-old nephew August Uihlein and $800. The money was used to expand the brewery and hire four people, including Joseph Schlitz. Krug died seven years after his brewery produced its first barrel of beer.

7. Mathilde F. Anneke, 1817 to 1884
Section 15, Block 3, Lot 2
Anneke was an outspoken advocate of equal rights for women and one of the city’s leading suffragists. With poet Amalia Von Ende, she founded the Tochter Institute, a school for girls. She devoted her life to teaching, writing and lecturing on many reform topics.

8. Henry L. Palmer, 1819 to 1909
Section 15, Block 8, Lot 6
Starting in the state assembly, Palmer was an influential politician later serving as a state senator, Milwaukee County judge and president of the Milwaukee School Board. When the Wisconsin Mutual Life Insurance Company of Janesville was moved to Milwaukee and reorganized as the now well known Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Palmer served as legal advisor and member of the executive committee. He held the presidency from 1874 to 1908.

9. Frederick Layton, 1827 to 1919
Section 9, Block 76, Lot 2
After starting a meat market with his father, he went into partnership with John Plankinton to package beef and pork. Layton became widely known for philanthropy. An avid art collector, he donated the Layton Art Gallery and most of his collection to the City of Milwaukee.

10. George Burnham, 1816 to 1889
Section 9, Block 77, Lot 1
Burnham and brother Jonathan manufactured bricks. The light-colored clay along Lake Michigan’s shore made his firm famous for “Cream City” bricks. By 1881, what became the world’s largest brickyard employed 200 men and produced 15 million bricks annually.

11. Sherman M. Booth, 1812 to 1904
Section 9, NE 1/4 of Block 84
An abolitionist, Booth gained widespread fame through the Joshua Glover incident. Glover, a runaway slave who was captured and jailed in Milwaukee under the Fugitive Slave Law, was set free by a mob allegedly organized and incited by Booth. He and two others were convicted. After a six-year legal battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court, Booth was pardoned by President James Buchanan in 1861.

C. Henry Harnischfeger, 1855 to 1930
Section 9, Lot 19
Arriving in the U.S. as an apprentice locksmith, one of his early jobs was with the Singer Sewing Machine Company. He came to Milwaukee to be a foreman for the Whitehall Sewing Machine Company. He and Alonzo Pawling started a machine shop which turned into the world-famous manufacturer of overhead factory cranes and large mining equipment.

D. George Brosius, 1839 to 1920
Section 9, Lot 33
Brosius was a leader in physical education and the German social-cultural group, The Turnverein, whose principles encouraged gymnastics. He was the superintendent of physical training for Milwaukee Public Schools from 1875 to 1883. In 1875, under Brosius’ direction, the National Turner Association established a normal school of gymnastics on the present site across from the Bradley Center.

E. Marvin H. Creager, 1882 to 1954
Section 9, Lot 50
Creager was best known as managing editor of The Milwaukee Journal from 1920 to 1938, whereupon he became the newspaper’s president. He stressed writing style and local news coverage. He was involved in launching The Journal’s employee stock ownership plan.

F. William E. Smith, 1824 to 1883
Section 9, Lot 81-1/3
Smith helped found the wholesale grocery business of Smith, Roundy & Company. He served as a state senator, treasurer and in the Assembly. During two terms as governor from 1878 to 1882, he devoted his energies to promoting the state’s business prospects.

12. Thomas Hoyt Brown, 1839 to 1908
Section 14, Block 4, Lots 3 and 6
Brown was involved in various mercantile pursuits including the Carriage Manufacturing Company. He served as 4th ward alderman and was elected president of the common council. Brown was first elected mayor in 1880 and served a second term from 1888 to 1890.

G. Louise Phelps Kellogg, 1861 to 1942
Section 15, Block 5, Lot 12
In a life devoted to history, Kellogg worked with the State Historical Society for more than 40 years. She was an expert in the study of westward expansion. Widely recognized for her contributions to historical journals and periodicals, she wrote several important works on the British and French regimes in the Great Lakes region.

H. Daniel Newhall, 1821 to 1895
Section 19, Block 2, Lot 4
Newhall’s rise to the largest grain dealer in the “west” coincided with Milwaukee’s emergence as a center for trading and shipping of wheat. His fortunes rose and fell over 30 years with the nation’s economy, politics and the Civil War. After the war, his business declined as the center of wheat production and trade moved westward.

I. Charles King, 1844 to 1933
Section 19, Block 3, Lot 6
Son of Rufus King, Charles had an extensive career in the U.S. military. Later, he was active in the National Guard and served as aide de camp to governors Jeremiah Rusk and William Hoard. King was a popular and widely read author, writing over 50 novels and hundreds of short stories based on his military experiences.

13. James Smith Buck, 1812 to 1892
Section 10, Block 49, Lot 4
For 19 years, Buck was a building contractor, erecting many of the city’s earliest structures. He is best known for his writings on early Milwaukee history. From 1876 to 1886, he published a four-volume History of Milwaukee, filled with pioneer biographies and reminiscences.

14. Susan Stuart Frackelton, 1848 to 1932
Section 10, Block 48, Lot 4
She began as a landscape artist, but soon began to experiment with molding and coloring the local clay. Goodrich’s ceramic work and original china painting techniques won international acclaim including nine awards at the 1893 World’s Fair. She led a local organization for training professional artists, which evolved into the Milwaukee Art Institute.

J. Christopher L. Sholes, 1819 to 1890
Section 10, Block 18, Lot 3
Best known as the inventor of the typewriter, Sholes was active in newspaper publishing and politics. He was Milwaukee postmaster during the Civil War and later became port collector and commissioner of public works. An active inventor, he developed several devices during his newspaper career. Rights to the typewriter were sold to the Remington Company.

15. Victor L. Berger, 1860 to 1929
Section 25, Block 5, Lot 3
Berger was a founder of the Socialist Democratic Party. As a newspaper editor, he was instrumental in focusing attention on Socialist causes. Berger was the first Socialist elected to the U.S. Congress. During WWI, he and four others who advocated American neutrality were convicted of espionage. After winning elections in 1918 and 1919, he was denied his seat. After his conviction was overturned in 1921, he won his congressional seat again, serving until 1929.

16. Meta Schlichting, 1873 to 1944
Section 25, Block 5, Lot 3
Wife of Victor Berger, Meta shared her husband’s interests and was active in socialism, women’s suffrage and pacifism. She was a leader in education for many years, serving on the Milwaukee School Board and the State Board of Education. Schlichting was also a University of Wisconsin regent.

K. John Barrick Dousman, 1807 to 1868
Section 19, Block 21, Lot 9
Dr. Dousman was a leader in organizing the state’s earliest medical associations. He lived on a farm in the Layton Park area. Four brothers were prominent in Milwaukee’s early development. Ventures included fur trading, lumber, real estate, grain warehousing, flour mills and Great Lakes shipping.

17. Lynde Bradley, 1878 to 1942
Section 19, Block 19, Lots 3 and 4
As a teenager, Bradley conducted electrical experiments in the basement of the family home. He developed an electrical motor controller. One of his first customers, Dr. Stanton Allen, offered financial backing for additional testing and manufacturing. As president from 1916 to 1942, Bradley developed the Allen-Bradley Company, now Rockwell Automation, into one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electrical controls and related products

18. William Pitt Lynde, 1817 to 1885
Section 19, Block 19, Lots 3 - 6
Lynde’s political and legal career spanned 44 years. Offices held include Milwaukee mayor, state assembly and senate, state attorney general, U.S. district attorney and separate terms in the House of Representatives. A law partnership he founded with Asahel Finch, Jr. in 1842 survives today as Foley & Lardner, the oldest and largest law firm in Wisconsin.

19. Orville Cadwell, 1828 to 1850
Section 19, Block 16, Lot 6
First person buried at Forest Home Cemetery on August 5, 1850.

20. Daniel Wells, Jr., 1808 to 1902
Section 25, Block 4, Lots 1, 3, 4 and 5
Reportedly the state’s wealthiest citizen, Wells held large land investments in Milwaukee and points north along the shores of Lake Michigan. Grain and lumber were key holdings. He was also an investor in many early railroads, hotels and banks. Wells held local offices in Milwaukee, served in the State Legislature and was twice elected to Congress.

21. Fannie Kimball Norris, 1852 to 1937
Section 25, Block 4, Lots 1, 3, 4 and 5
The only child of wealthy businessman, Daniel Wells, Jr., she was active in philanthropy, civic groups and education throughout her life. Miss Wells married Charles W. Norris of the G.D. Norris Company, ship chandler. This firm continues today as the Laacke & Joys Company.

22. Edward Ferguson, 1843 to 1901
Section 25, Block 4, Lot 6
As a result of Civil War wounds, Ferguson had a leg amputated below the knee. He was appointed secretary of the local National Soldiers’ Home and later served as a U.S. agent for pension payments. Ferguson became the auditor for Wisconsin Central Railroad, and at the time of his death, was secretary of the Forest Home Cemetery Association.

L. Emil Wallber, 1841 to 1923
Section 23, Block 17, Lot 2
Wallber started his political career as an executive secretary to governor Edward Salomon. He served as an assistant state attorney general and in the state assembly before becoming city attorney and serving two terms as Milwaukee mayor. His term as mayor was marked by widespread labor agitation when the call for an eight-hour day caused city-wide strikes in May, 1886.

M. Peter Englemann, 1835 to 1927
Section 23, Block 29, Lots 1 and 3
Arriving in Milwaukee in 1851, Englemann became principal of the German-English Academy. He opened the first kindergarten and launched instruction in singing, dancing and gymnastics. The collections of his natural history museum were transferred to the Milwaukee Public Museum. The Academy merged with two other institutions to form what is known today as the University School of Milwaukee.

23. Edward George Ryan, 1810 to 1880
Section 31, Block 7, Lots 1 and 2
Ryan prosecuted many high-profile cases. He was appointed chief justice of the state Supreme Court in 1874. A colorful and controversial justice who frequently irritated his colleagues, he was nonetheless recognized as one of the nation’s leading jurists.

24. George H. Walker, 1811 to 1866
Section 31, Block 9, Lot 3
In 1834, he settled south of the Milwaukee River in the area known as Walker’s Point. Walker is one of the city’s three founding fathers. His ventures in real estate eventually involved local and statewide railways. Walker was elected mayor in 1851 and served two consecutive terms.

25. Hans Crocker, 1815 to 1889
Section 31, Block 8, Lot 6
Crocker practiced law and was active in politics. He served as mayor in 1852. Crocker purchased large amounts of land in Kilbourntown on the west side of the Milwaukee River. He was prominently identified with the promotion and development of railroads throughout the state.

26. Ezekiel Gillespie, 1818 to 1892
Section 31, Block 12, Lot 5
An important figure in Milwaukee’s black community, Gillespie first opened a grocery store. He then worked for Alexander Mitchell, first in banking, followed by nearly 30 years at the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad. Denied the right to vote, Gillespie prevailed in the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 1866 unanimous decision in favor of suffrage rights for blacks.

27. Byron Kilbourn, 1801 to 1870
Section 24, Block 8, Lot 12
One of Milwaukee’s three founders, Kilbourn made major land purchases on the west bank of the Milwaukee River. Kilbourntown was established as a rival to Solomon Juneau’s townsite on the east bank. Elected mayor in 1848 and again in 1858, Kilbourn was a key figure in nearly every important venture which affected Milwaukee. He was a tireless promoter, especially for transportation projects.

28. Increase Allen Lapham, 1811 to 1875
Section 24, Block 8, Lots 2 and 6
The state’s first scholar and scientist, Lapham was a leader in such varied fields as botany, geology, meteorology, archeology, cartography, zoology, horticulture and history. His most important works included a book published by the Smithsonian on the state’s Indian mounds. Lapham is known as the “Father of the Weather Bureau” for his long advocacy of a federal weather system, established in 1870.

29. Edward Payson Bacon, 1834 to 1916
Section 24, Block 9, Lot 13
As freight agent for the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad, Bacon developed methods of accounting and conducting freight and passenger traffic that were adopted by most of the nation’s western railroads. He became one of the largest grain dealers in the Midwest. He was president of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce and a vice president of the National Board of Trade.

0. Isaac Pigeon Walker, 1813 to 1872
Section 31, Block 11, Lot 5
Brother of George, Isaac Walker established a law practice and became active in politics. He was chosen one of Wisconsin’s first U.S. senators serving from 1848 to 1855. Controversy followed him when he introduced a bill for the organization of New Mexico and California. Walker was nominated for president by the New Jersey land reformers in 1850, but received little support.

N. Jonathan E. Arnold, 1814 to 1869
Section 31, Block 1, Lot 9
Arnold was known as an excellent criminal lawyer. He was the first in the state to successfully utilize a plea of temporary insanity. Arnold was instrumental in the organization of the Milwaukee Law Institute, predecessor to the Bar Association, and served as the group’s first president from 1858 to 1869.

O. Theobald Otjen, 1851 to 1924
Section 34, Block 3, Lot 2
While holding many local political offices, Otjen continued his law practice for almost 50 years. He was elected to Congress in 1894 and served six consecutive terms until 1907. He introduced a bill to establish a Naval training station on the Great Lakes. It was eventually built near Waukegan, Illinois.

31. Abner Kirby, 1818 to 1893
Section 32, Block 2, Lots 3 and 4
Trained in jewelry and watchmaking, Kirby served as U.S. postmaster in the late 1840s. He operated the Kirby Hotel at Mason and Water. He found additional success with saw mills, lumber yards, shipping vessels and agricultural implements. He served as Milwaukee’s mayor in 1865.

32. Andrew Galbraith Miller, 1801 to 1874
Section 32, Block 2, Lots 1 and 2
Miller had a distinguished 35-year career on the bench. He started as an associate judge for the Wisconsin Territorial Supreme Court and retired from a position on the United States District Court for Eastern Wisconsin. During the difficult years before the Civil War, Miller was involved in several well-known cases including the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.

P. George Williams Peckham, 1845 to 1914
Section 32, Block 6, Lot 1
Peckham’s law and medical degrees served him well as a biology teacher and later principal at East Side High School. He was also superintendent of Milwaukee’s schools from 1892 to 1896. With his wife, Elizabeth Gifford, he carried on scientific investigations in the field of entomology, specializing in the study of spiders and wasps.

33. Edward D. Holton, 1815 to 1892
Section 27, block 10, Lots 3 and 4
One of the city’s leading businessmen, Holton was involved in retailing, land speculation, railroads, banking and insurance. He was very active in abolitionist causes and helped organize the Wisconsin Liberty Party in 1842 and the Republican Party in 1854. The city of Holton, Kansas was named after him by Wisconsinites who settled there.

Q. John Maxwell Stowell, 1824 to 1907
Section 27, Block 9, Lot 4
After establishing a small machine shop for the manufacture of circular saws, Stowell and Delos Filer built a successful sawmill machinery company. Active in politics, particularly the temperance movement, Stowell was elected to mayor in 1882. During his only term, he took a strong stand against the liquor interests.

34. John Plankinton, 1820 to 1891
Section 27, Block 3, Lots 1 and 2
Upon arriving in Milwaukee, Plankinton opened a meat market which was immediately successful. He progressed to a meat packing operation, handling both beef and pork. In a succession of partnerships with Frederick Layton, Philip Armour and Patrick Cudahy, Plankinton became one of the country’s largest meat packers. He was a director of several local businesses and built many buildings including the Plankinton House Hotel.

35. Samuel Marshall, 1820 to 1907
Lawn Place, Lot 65
Marshall started a bank in 1847 with a few thousand dollars left to him by his father and grandfather. After being joined by partner Charles Ilsley, the bank grew and prospered. Marshall was also president of Milwaukee Cement Company, whose operations were located along the Milwaukee River at the present site of Estabrook Park.

36. Charles Ferdinand Ilsley, 1827 to 1904
Lawn Place, Lot 62
Ilsley went into partnership with Samuel Marshall who had established a bank. Originally a private bank, it was incorporated in 1888. He was also involved in railroads and insurance. Today, M&I Bank continues as one of the state’s largest and most successful.

37. Ammi R. Butler, 1821 to 1901
Section 27, Block 18, Lots 3 and 4
After establishing a successful law practice, Butler was elected Milwaukee County’s first district attorney in 1848. Returning to private practice, he became a successful trial lawyer and amassed a sizable fortune. Drafted out of retirement in 1876, Butler served as the city’s first two-year-term mayor.

38. Guido Pfister, 1818 to 1889
Section 33, Lots 82 and 83
Starting with the Buffalo Leather Store, Pfister became a key player in Milwaukee’s flourishing tanning business, largely because of the local availability of tanning bark. He joined with Frederick Vogel in 1872 to form one of the largest leather companies in the Midwest. Besides his interests in banking, insurance and railroads, Pfister was instrumental in the construction of a canal system to serve businesses in the Menomonee Valley.

39. Charles Frederick Pfister, 1859 to 1927
Section 33, Lots 82 and 83
Son of Guido, Charles Pfister became president of Pfister & Vogel. Expanding far beyond leather, his business interests included the street railway system, banking and insurance. He financed construction of the Pfister Hotel which opened in 1893 at Wisconsin and Jefferson. Today, much of the hotel’s Victorian elegance still survives.

40. Alfred Lunt, 1892 to 1977
& Lynn Fontane, 1897 to 1983
Section 33, Lot 42
They first starred together in the 1924 New York Theater Guild production of The Guardsman. After this triumph, the Lunts went on to appear for four decades in a continuous and full repertoire of plays that carried them to international stardom. Whether playing comedy, tragedy, farce or drama, their joint appearances ranked them among the finest performers of the 20th century.

41. Harrison Ludington, 1812 to 1891
Section 32, Land Tract 6
After starting in a general merchandising business, he went into the lumber business. Over a span of 40 years, Ludington and his partners became one of the leading lumber producers in the region. He served twice as mayor of Milwaukee followed by one term as governor.

42. George Brumder, 1839 to 1910
Section 33, Lots 31 and 32
From operating a small book store, he expanded into bookbinding, publishing and printing, mostly German church books. Soon after assuming sole ownership of the Germania, a German Lutheran newspaper, Brumder developed the largest chain of German language papers in America. Besides newspapers, he printed a wide array of books, calendars and almanacs.

43. Timothy A. Chapman, 1824 to 1892
Section 33, Lots 23 and 24
Having clerked in a Boston department store, Chapman opened his own store here in 1857. Sales grew dramatically, and he opened one of the regions largest department stores at Wisconsin and Jefferson. It became known as “Chapman’s Corner”. He was one of the first Milwaukee businessmen to train and employ women as clerks.

44. William Henry Earles, 1852 to 1908
Section 33, Lot 12
Dr. Earles built a successful medical practice specializing in surgery. He co-founded Trinity Hospital and served as it first president. Earles helped launch the Milwaukee Training School for Nurses and the practitioners’ Medical Society of Milwaukee. He served as the first editor of the Milwaukee Medical Journal and was also an organizer of the Milwaukee Medical College, known today as the Medical College of Wisconsin.

45. Alexander Mitchell, 1817 to 1887
Section 32, Block 19, Lots 3 - 6
Mitchell was early Milwaukee’s most prominent financier and railroad executive. His banking interests later became known as the Marine Corporation. After taking over the bankrupt Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, he expanded the line to more than 5,000 miles in seven states. At one point, Mitchell controlled almost 100% of the 2,300 miles of track in Wisconsin.

46. General William Mitchell, 1879 to 1936
Section 32, Block 19, Lot 6
A strong believer in air power as the key to national defense, William “Billy” Mitchell rose to the rank of general in the U.S. Army. Grandson of Alexander Mitchell, he advocated creation of a department of National Defense, developed the first system of air routes across the U.S. and demonstrated the superiority of air power over sea power. Court martialed for condemning U.S. unpreparedness in military aviation, Mitchell was later recognized by Congress for his “outstanding pioneer service and foresight in the field of American military aviation”. Milwaukee’s international airport carries his name.

R. Samuel Daggett, 1812 to 1868
Section 32, Block 17, Lot 7
Upon arriving in Milwaukee, he opened a general merchandise store and moved into insurance. As president of a local insurer, he proposed the purchase of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, then located in Janesville, to other leading Milwaukeeans. Upon completion of the deal, Daggett became president of the giant insurer, today known as the “Quiet Company”.

47. Decatur Merritt Hammond Carpenter, 1824 to 1881
Section 35, Lot 38
Later known as Matthew Hale Carpenter, he was first elected to the U.S. Senate by the Wisconsin legislature in 1869. He returned to the Senate in 1879. His career there was colorful and controversial, but he distinguished himself as one of the nation’s leading constitutional lawyers.

48. John Pritzlaff, 1820 to 1900
Section 35, Lot 8
Hardware merchant John Pritzlaff learned the business from the retail side. This experience served him well as he developed a wholesale business. The John Pritzlaff Hardware Company became one of the leading hardware wholesalers in the Midwest.

S. Beulah Tobey Brinton, 1835 to 1928
Section 45, Block 9, Lot 14
Wife of Warren Brinton, Beulah became a leader in the social, cultural and educational life of Bay View. She organized the community’s first public library in her home. Classes in sewing, cooking and the English language followed. The Beulah Brinton Social Center was later established in a remodeled firehouse.

T. William T. Green, 1858 to 1911
Section D, Block 14, Lot 8
One of Wisconsin’s leading black attorneys, Green graduated with honors from the UW Law School in 1892. From 1893 to 1911 he defended about three of every four cases involving blacks in the district, municipal and civil courts. Green’s most outstanding accomplishment was his work to secure passage of the Wisconsin Civil Rights Act of 1895.

U. Henry Vianden, 1814 to 1899
Section 46, Block 35, Lot 22
Vianden raised farm produce in the Layton Park area while becoming one of the state’s leading artists. His early work included portraits and figure studies. Later, he devoted himself to portraits. His greatest contributions were made through private instruction and teaching at several art institutions.

V. Charles B. Whitnall, 1859 to 1949
Section 46, Block 14, Lot 4
Whitnall opened Milwaukee’s first wholesale flower market in 1890. He originated the Florist Telegraph Delivery (FTD) service. Whitnall was a leading influence in the development of the Milwaukee County Park System, one of the best in the nation. Whitnall Park on the southwest side of the county bears his name.

W. Francis Edward McGovern, 1866 to 1946
Section 46, Block 19, Lot 7
McGovern gained statewide fame as Milwaukee County’s crusading district attorney from 1905 to 1909. In 1910, he was elected to the first of two terms as governor. Much of his progressive agenda, including workmen’s compensation and regulation of children’s and women’s labor, was enacted during the first term.

X. Alonzo Richard Cudworth, 1898 to 1918
Section 47, Block 19, Lot 8
Son of a prominent dentist, Cudworth enlisted in the Army in 1917 as part of the 32nd Red Arrow Division. On the fourth day of battle in France during WWI, Cudworth and two companions were killed when a howitzer exploded. In November, 1919, an American Legion Post which still operates today was dedicated to the memory of Alonzo Cudworth.

Y. John Jordan Miles, 1845 to 1926
Section 50, Block 1, Lot 2
Born into slavery in Virginia, Miles moved to the Midwest following the Civil War. He was hired to serve as the head waiter at the newly constructed Plankinton House Hotel, a position held almost 40 years. Miles was a leader in Milwaukee’s early African-American community and encouraged many former slaves to move here.

49. William A. Davidson, 1871 to 1937
Section 38, Lot 41
Davidson, his two brothers and William Harley developed an improved motorcycle working in a wooden shed at the rear of the Davidson home. Three models were made during the first year. By 1907, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company produced 150 cycles. The company thrives today with millions of devoted Harley-Davidson riders around the world.

50. Bruno Victor Nordberg, 1858 to 1924
Section 33, Lot 185
Born in Finland, he founded his own company to produce a patented automatic governor. The company also manufactured steam engines, pumps, hoists and compressors. His reputation as both an inventor and manufacturer grew with the success of the company. Today, the Nordberg name is well known in the mining and quarrying industries.

Z. Arthur Oliver Smith, 1859 to 1913
Section 33, Lot 194
With his father and brothers, Smith was involved in the manufacture of bicycle parts and hardware for baby carriages. He became involved in manufacturing frames for early automobiles. After Henry Ford placed an order for 10,000 frames, the A.O. Smith Company grew rapidly to become the nation’s largest frame producer. This specialty continues under the Tower Automotive name.

AA. Sherburn M. Becker, 1877 to 1949
Section 33, Lot 280
In a colorful, mudslinging campaign, Becker became Milwaukee’s youngest mayor at 27. His single term in office was marked by publicity stunts. He drove a red roadster emblazoned with “Boy Mayor” banners to the New York home of President Theodore Roosevelt. He gained notoriety when he and a group of firemen knocked down most of the downtown’s elaborate street clocks.

BB. Gerry Whiting Hazelton, 1829 to 1920
Section 33, Lot 286
Active in state and local politics, Hazelton was a state senator, a county district attorney and collector of internal revenue. He served two terms in Congress and was appointed U.S. Attorney for Wisconsin’s Eastern District. He also served as U.S. Court Commissioner and Court Commissioner for Milwaukee County.

51. Louis Frederick Frank, 1887 to 1918
Section 33, Lot 297
Frank is credited with introducing the use of X-ray technology in treating skin disorders. He published the Medical History of Milwaukee, 1834-1914. Music was Frank’s deepest interest. His home on Wisconsin Avenue included a two-story music room with a pipe organ and two grand pianos. He was an organizer of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and the Milwaukee Musical Society.

CC. Otto Herbert Falk, 1865 to 1940
Section 33, Lot 83
After retiring from the military in 1911 as a brigadier general, Falk served as vice president of the Falk Corporation. He was chosen to reorganize the financially troubled Allis-Chalmers Corporation and served as president, then chairman of the board until his death. Allis-Chalmers diversified and prospered under Falk’s leadership continuing into the post WWII era as Milwaukee’s largest employer.

DD. August F. Gallun, 1834 to 1912
Section 33, Lot 73
In 1858, Gallun established a tannery in partnership with Albert Trostel. After forming his own business in 1885, the Gallun Tannery became one of the four largest in the U.S. He was known for encouraging immigrant laborers to become U.S. citizens and for assisting them in purchasing homes.

EE. Oscar Werwath, 1880 to 1948
Section 37, Lot 230
Long-time president and founder of the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1905, Werwath achieved international recognition. He offered day and evening classes starting in 1910 and arranged for local industrial firms to provide practical part-time employment. MSOE pioneered in radio broadcasting. Started in 1922, WIAO subsequently became WISN.

52. Edward P. Allis, 1824 to 1889
Section 36, Lots 11 and 12
Starting with the purchase of a bankrupt business, Allis emerged as Wisconsin’s leading industrialist. His company supplied water pipes and pumping engines for Milwaukee’s first water system. Allis had a reputation for fair dealings with his employees and was one of the first to establish an insurance program. The Edward P. Allis Company became Allis-Chalmers Corporation in 1901.

53. William E. Cramer, 1817 to 1905
Section 37, Lot 7
Cramer built The Evening Wisconsin into one of the region’s leading newspapers. Although he had lost both his eyesight and hearing before age 20 due to scarlet fever, Cramer edited the newspaper for over half a century. At the age of 58, he married 21-year-old Harriet Laura Barker who continued publishing the paper after her husband’s death.

54. Frederick Vogel, 1823 to 1892
Section 36, Lot 25
In 1848, Vogel built a small tannery on the banks of the Menomonee River. He sold his leather through Guido Pfister’s store. In 1853, they became partners in the Pfister & Vogel Leather Company. By WWI, it was ranked as the world’s largest leather firm.

55. August Uihlein, 1842 to 1911
Section 36, Lot 35
Uihlein and his five brothers worked for the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. Nephews of August Krug, the brewery’s founder, the Uihlein brothers assumed control when Schlitz died and gained complete ownership after the death of Mrs. Anna Schlitz. Uihlein guided the brewery’s rise to national prominence.

56. Joseph Schlitz, 1831 to 1875
Section 36, Lot 1 (Memorialized Only)
Upon coming to Milwaukee in 1855, Schlitz worked in the brewery of August Krug. When Krug died, Schlitz took over management of the brewery for Krug’s widow, Anna Marie whom he married. After a new brewery was built in 1874, the company was reorganized and incorporated as the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. While returning to Germany for a visit, Schlitz tragically lost his life at sea off the coast of England.

57. Valentin Blatz, 1826 to 1894
Section 37, Lot 19
Blatz purchased a brewery and later expanded the buildings until they covered more than four city blocks. In 1874, he produced Milwaukee’s first bottled beer. The company was incorporated in 1889 as the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company. Blatz was also prominent in banking, railroad promotion and real estate.

58. Henry Clay Payne, 1843 to 1904
Section 37, Lot 35
After serving as Milwaukee’s postmaster for 10 years, Payne took a leadership role in developing public utilities. He rose to the presidency of Wisconsin Telephone Company and became a vice president of Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company. Although he was never a candidate for public office, Payne was one of the state’s most influential people.

59. Frederick Pabst, 1836 to 1904
Section 40, Lot 16
Working as a Great Lakes steamer captain, Pabst met the prominent Milwaukee brewer Phillip Best. He married Best’s daughter and invested his savings in the business. After Best’s retirement, Pabst and another son-in-law, Emil Schandein, built the brewery into the nation’s largest, eventually becoming the Pabst Brewing Company. Among his many contributions to Milwaukee’s social and cultural life was the Pabst Theater.

FF. Emanuel Lorenz Philipp, 1861 to 1925
Section 37, Lot 41
Philipp’s early endeavors focused on several successful business ventures. Although originally supporting Robert LaFollette for governor, he later wrote influential books criticizing LaFollette’s progressive programs. Philipp served three terms as governor. He established the Department of Agriculture, the Conservation Commission and a 4-year medical course at UW.

GG. John T. Janssen, 1855 to 1924
Section 37, Lot 71
Janssen served as Milwaukee’s police chief for 33 years. He was the first to be appointed by the Fire and Police Commission. Under Janssen’s leadership, the Police Department was transformed into one of the most efficient in the U.S. Known as “Czar” Janssen, he ruled as an autocrat and was a relentless pursuer of professional criminals.

60. Sherburn Sanborn Merrill, 1818 to 1885
Section 36, Lot 3
A career in railroad management connected Merrill with Alexander Mitchell who asked him to become superintendent of the largest railroad in the state. Later known as the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, it became the world’s longest incorporated railroad. Merrill supervised construction of the roundhouses and repair shops in the Menomonee Valley. He settled to the north on Wisconsin Avenue in an area known to this day as Merrill Park.

61. Jason Downer, 1813 to 1883
Section 40, Lot 22
Downer was known as an excellent jurist and was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Before concluding a six-year term to which he had been elected, Downer resigned and prospered in a private law practice. He and his second wife donated substantial sums to the Wisconsin Female College of Fox Lake. Through mergers, it relocated here and became known as Milwaukee Downer College, now part of the campus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

62. Don Alonzo Joshua Upham, 1809 to 1877
Lawn Place, Lot 36
While building an extensive law practice, Upham became very active in local and state politics. In 1846, he served as president of the first State Constitutional Convention in Madison. His two terms as mayor were marked by disturbances resulting from the temperance movement. Shortly after serving as U.S. Attorney for Wisconsin, he retired due to poor health.

63. Christian Wahl, 1829 to 1901
Section 40, Lot 24
Wahl took a special interest in the development of city parks. In 1889, he joined a group of prominent Milwaukeeans who successfully lobbied for passage of a state law enabling the city to acquire land for parks. Some of the best known parks are Lake, Washington and Mitchell. A boulevard system to connect the parks and construction of a lakefront roadway were envisioned.

64. Lucius William Nieman, 1857 to 1935
Section 40, Lot 24
Moving from the Milwaukee Sentinel, Nieman purchased controlling interest in the newly founded Milwaukee Daily Journal in 1892. Over the next 53 years, he built the Journal into one of the most successful and respected newspapers in the nation. The firm was organized as a stock company in 1890 and has continued to grow and prosper as Journal Communications, a publishing and media conglomerate.

65. Christopher Bach, 1885 to 1927
Section 20, Block 7, Lot 5
Accomplished on the cello, violin, flute and other instruments, Bach developed a full fledged symphony orchestra. Starting at the Pabst Theater and the Milwaukee Music Hall, his orchestra soon appeared throughout the Midwest and beyond. Bach was also a noted composer with over 350 orchestra scores, 50 overtures and more than 100 marches and dances to his credit.

66. Zachariah Saveland, 1828 to 1880
Section 16, Block 5, Lot 1
Saveland was the oldest of six sons who, like their father, became ship captains on the Great Lakes. He was owner or part owner of four sailing vessels. In 1871, he gave up sailing and operated a marine insurance business. Saveland served one term as an alderman.

HH. Gerhard Adolph Bading, 1870 to 1946
Section 62, Block 1, Lots 2 and 3
In his position as Milwaukee Health Commissioner, Bading began licensing stores that handled, prepared and/or stored food. He also began medical screening of school children. Removed from office by a new mayor, Bading turned the tables by winning the first of two mayoral terms in 1912. During his administration, the city began acquiring important lakefront property such as Jones Island.

Special Interest Tours

If you don’t have time to make the complete tour during your initial visit, you’re certainly welcome to return as many times as you wish. For your convenience, nine short tours follow. They serve as a guide to grave sites that may particularly interest you. The following lists do not include everyone buried at Forest Home Cemetery in each category. Candidates were selected for these lists based on the available biographies. Any suggestions for the next edition of this tour guide would be appreciated. If you have any questions or need assistance finding a grave site, don’t hesitate to ask any member of the Forest Home Cemetery staff. The nine specialty tours are:

About Forest Home | Historical Information | Forest Home Today/Tomorrow | Preplanning | Contact Us | Home