Polk Co. IAGenWeb

Scott Memorial/Capitol Cemetery

       

"The Scott Memorial Cemetery is the, relatively unknown, burial location of Willson Alexander Scott, who donated a good part of the land on which the Iowa Capitol Buildings presently stand. Mr. Scott was born in Crawford County Indiana, on November 20, 1818. He acquired some 500 acres of land and settled on the site in 1846. He was initiated as a member of the Capitol Lodge #106, Independent Order of Odd Fellows on August 14, 1856. He was overwhelmed in the financial crash of 1857 and died near Fort Kearney, Nebraska Territory, while enroute to Pikes Peak on June 23, 1859. His body was returned, by his expressed wish, to Des Moines and was interred on November 01, 1859. The Memorial was erected by the State of Iowa in 1925."

Plaques read:

"Sacred to the memory of Willson Alexander Scott who gave to the State of Iowa the greater part of the land where stands the Capitol.

Born in Crawford County, Indiana November 20, 1818 he acquired some five hundred acres of land hereabouts and settled on this site in 1846. Overwhelmed in the financial crash of 1857 he near near Fort Kearney, Nebraska Territory, enroute to Pikes Peak June 23, 1859.

By his expressed wish his body was returned and on November 1st, 1859 it was here interred in earth which, as his homestead, had been exempted from seizure for his debts.

Erected 1925
by the State of Iowa

Contributed by the Charter Pierce Memorial Internet Genealogical Society.