Prospect Hill Cemetery (Omaha, Nebraska) [RG4538.AM]


HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG4538.AM:  Prospect Hill Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska



Records, ca.1854-1975

Omaha, Douglass County, Nebraska

Size:  19 reels of microfilm



BACKGROUND NOTE



In 1858 Moses F. Shinn set aside ten acres of his pre-emption claim in order to begin a cemetery.  This parcel of land was joined with Jess Lowe’s fifteen acres and was bought in 1859, by Byron Reed, who dedicated fourteen of the twenty-five acres as a cemetery.  The cemetery was surveyed and platted by Oscar F. Davis and was at first called the Omaha City Cemetery.  It was renamed Prospect Hill Cemetery in 1865.



In May 1885 the Forest Lawn Association was formed and deeded the Prospect Hill Cemetery to the Association.  In March 1890 an organization of plot owners, headed by C.A. Baldwin and C.F. Catlin, effected a permanent organization, the Prospect Hill Cemetery Association, under Nebraska laws.  Under its management, a beautification and improvement policy was initiated. 



As one of Omaha’s oldest cemeteries, Prospect Hill contains many of the prominent names of its citizens.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



This collection consists of 19 microfilm reels containing records of Prospect Hill Cemetery arranged in eleven series: (1) Lot books; (2) Financial reports, 1872-1969; (3) Interment registers, 1860-1975; (4) Permit books, ca. 1854-1972; (5) Correspondence, 1912-1969; (6) Miscellaneous papers; (7) Minutes, 1890-1965; (8) Deeds issued, 1899-1950; (9) Cash book, 1897-1902; (10) Plot maps; and (11) Miscellany.



This material relates to the history of Prospect Hill Cemetery, but the collection is most useful in order to provide information about people buried in the cemetery.



The Lot Books of Series 1 show ownership and location of lots in Prospect Hill Cemetery at different points in time.  Three different editions are provided, often showing duplicate information in different form.  Material is arranged either alphabetically by name of lot owner or numerically by number of plot.



The Financial Reports, 1897-1969, of Series 2 are primarily of two types:  those for money taken in and those for money expended.  The reports on Receipts and Lot sales show the date, name of the individual involved, lot number, amount paid or deposited, and other assessments.  Journals of expenses show accountings of funds, assessments, special care, burials, salaries, labor, supplies, repair, and other costs.



Series 3 consists of Interment Registers, 1860-1975.  Arranged in either chronological or alphabetical order, these registers provide the date, the number of interment, the individual’s name, age, family, and sometimes residence and the number and part of lot assigned.



The Permit Books, ca. 1854-1972, of Series 4 consist primarily of burial permits.  A partial alphabetical index is provided (Reel 9-11), but the burial permits themselves are arranged numerically (and therefore chronologically).  Permits show the name, age, family, and residence of the individual, the date and cause of death, the funeral date, the lot and grave number, undertaker, interment fee, and date.  Duplicate burial permits are sometimes included (Vols. 1-4).  Removal, Cremation, and Disinterment permits are also part of this series.  These permits contain the same information, although other material is sometimes added.  Such as, in the case of removal permits, where the body was removed to.



Series 5 consists of Correspondence, 1912-1969, which deals primarily with cemetery changes and policies.  The Miscellaneous Papers of Series 6 is comprised of loose papers and undated newspaper clippings.  Series 7 consists of three volumes of meeting minutes dating from 1890 to 1965.



Series 8 contains one volume of deeds issued.  Entries date from 1899 to 1950.  The cash book of Series 9 dates from 1897 to 1902.  Series 10, Plot Maps, consists of one map and various loose sheets.  The main plot map shows it was platted and staked by C.C. Muentefering on October 18, 1915.  The miscellany contained in Series 11 consists of one folder of assessment sheets dating from 1895-1933.



The material in the collection was loaned for copying in two parts, July 1978 and September 1978.  Because the material was filmed at different times, this inventory follows the logical sequence, rather than the filmed sequence of the material.



DESCRIPTION



Series 1 – Lot books

Reel 2 (#17,931)

Volume




    1. Index to Lot Owners (alphabetical listing)

    1. Lot Book 1, Old Cemetery Lots 1-1008 (includes additions and transfers)

    1. Lot Book, Old Cemetery Lots 1-1008 (duplicate)

    1. Lot Book, 1st Addition Lots 1-605

    1. Lot Book, 1st Addition Lots 1-605 (duplicate)

    1. Quick Index to Plot Owners, Old Cemetery and 1st Additions (alphabetical listing; includes burial listings)



Reel 3 (#17,932)




    1. Old Cemetery Plots 1-1008 (oldest set; alphabetical index included)

    1. Index to Lot Owners (Second oldest set; alphabetical listing)

    1. Old Cemetery Plots 1-600 and Triangles

    1. Old Cemetery Plots 603-1008 and Triangles

    1. 1st Additional Plots 1-646 (oldest set; alphabetical index included) – Reel 3 ends with plot 79



Reel 4 (#17,933)




    1. 1st Addition Plots 80-646 (Cont.)



[After plot 234, Lots 1-74 of the 2nd Addition appear; also pages 312-391 are blank]




    1. 1st Addition Plots 1-505 (second oldest set)

    1. 1st Addition Plots 506-672 (second oldest set)



Reel 1 (#17,740)




    1. Old Cemetery Lots 1-507 (third oldest set)

    1. Old Cemetery Lots 508-1008 (third oldest set)

    1. First Addition Lots 1-505 (third oldest set)

    1. First Addition Lots 506-672 (third oldest set)

      Triangle Lots (Index included)

      Second Addition Lots 1-74



Series 2 – Financial reports, 1872-1969



Reel 4 (#17,933 – frame #526)

Volume




    1. Reports to Cemetery Association on Receipts, January 1903-May 1911

    1. Reports to Cemetery Association on Receipts, May 1911-February 1920

    1. Reports to Cemetery Association on Receipts, March 1920-February 1933



[Reel 4 ends on p.120, April 28, 1926]



Reel 5 (#17,936)




    1. Reports to Cemetery Association on Receipts, March 1920-February 1933, cont. (begins on p.121, April 28, 1926-February 1933)

    1. Reports to Cemetery Association on Receipts, February 1933-September 1955

    1. Journal of Cemetery Association Expenses, January 1910-June 1926

    1. Journal of Cemetery Association Expenses, July 1926-September 1934

    1. Journal of Cemetery Association Expenses, October 1934-June 1940

    1. Journal of Cemetery Association Expenses, July 1940-December 1945

    1. Journal of Cemetery Association Expenses, January 1946-August 1959

    1. Journal of Cemetery Association Expenses, September 1959-July 1969



Reel 6 (#17,937)




    1. Ledger of Foundations Paid for and Association Expenses, 1897-1918 (alphabetical index for individual accounts)

    1. Unidentified Account Book, 1923-1945

    1. Lots for Sale, January 1, 1912

    1. Payments Made for Lots, 1914-1945



Series 3 – Interment registers, 1860-1975



Reel 6 (#17937)

Volume




    1. Interment Register, 1860-1919 (chronological order)

    1. Interment Register, 1860-1919 (alphabetical order)



Reel 7 (#17,938)




    1. Interment Register, 1860-1975 (usually typed or printed entries; alphabetical, then chronological, listing)

    1. Interment Register, 1911-1929; Includes a listing for:

      Receiving Vault, 1905-1920

      Registration of Graves, 1899-1929

      Perpetual Care, 1918-1926



Series 4 – Permit books, ca. 1859-1972



Reel 9  (#20,321) – Burial Card Index, A-H, ca. 1854-1945

Reel 10 (#20,322) – Burial Card Index, I-Shaw, ca. 1854-1945

Reel 11 (#20,323) – Burial Card Index, Shear-Z, ca. 1854-1945

Reel 12 (#20,324) – Burial Permits 0-690 (December 1856-August 1869)

Reel 13 (#20,325) – Burial Permits 691-2639 (August 1869-June 1879)

Reel 14 (#20,326) – Burial Permits 2640-4717 (June 1879-July 1885)

Reel 15 (#20,327) – Burial Permits 1718-6699 (July 1885-October 1895)

Reel 16 (#20,328) – Burial Permits 6700-8685 (October 1895-July 1917)

Reel 17 (#20,329) – Burial Permits 8686-10675 (August 1917-November 1942)

Reel 18 (#20,330) – Burial Permits 10676-11598 (November 1942-March 1959); Removal Permits 0-439 (September 1892-April 1942)



Reel 7 (#17,938 – frame #362)

Volume




    1. Duplicate Burial Permits 10203-10302 (October 1937-April 1939)

    1. Duplicate Burial Permits 10303-10402 (April 1939-April 1940)

    1. Duplicate Burial Permits 10403-10502 (April 1940-March 1941)

    1. Duplicate Burial Permits 10503-10600 (January 1941-March 1942)

    1. Burial Permits 11299-11532 (March 1951-December 1956)

    1. Burial Permits 11533-11718 (January 1957-December 1962)

    1. Burial Permits 11719-11824 (January 1963-December 1966)

    1. Burial Permits 11825-11877 (January 1967-December 1968)

    1. Burial Permits 11878-11923 (January-January 1972)

    1. Removal Permits 401-445 (September 1929-August 1947) — see roll 18, vol. 13

    1. Miscellaneous Disinterment Permits, 1929-1951 (alphabetically arranged; incomplete record)



[Reel 7 ends with Schwartz, K]



Reel 8 (#17,939)




    1. Miscellaneous Disinterment Permits, 1929-1951, cont. (begins with Schwartz, M through end of volume)

    1. Miscellaneous (Cremation Permits (alphabetically arranged; includes interment and removal forms)

    1. Removal Permits 0-439 (1892-1942) — see Reel 18, Vol. 10



Series 5 – Correspondence, 1912-1969



Reel 8 (#17,939) cont.




    1. General Correspondence, 1912-1969

    1. General Correspondence, 1937-1942 (A.G. Woodgate, Superintendent)

    1. General Correspondence, 1942 (V.C. Loomis, Superintendent)



Series 6 – Miscellaneous papers



Reel 8 (#17,939) cont. – Includes loose papers and undated newspaper clippings



Series 7 – Minutes, 1890-1965



Reel 19 (#18,953)

Volume/Item




    1. Minutes, March 8, 1890 – February 16, 1915

    1. Minutes, March 3, 1915 – March 10, 1943

    1. Minutes, January 10, 1944 – January 25, 1965



Series 8 – Deeds issued




    1. 1899-1950



Series 9 – Cash book




    1. 1897-1902



Series 10 – Plot maps




    1. Map in four sections. Platted and staked by C.C. Muentefering, Civil Engineer, October 18, 1915

    1. Loose sheets



Series 11 – Miscellany




    1. Assessment sheets, 1895-1933



 



Subject headings:



Cemeteries — Nebraska — Douglas County

Douglas County (Nebraska) — Cemeteries

Forest Lawn Association (Omaha, Nebraska)

Muentefering, Charles C., 1878-1943

Prospect Hill Cemetery (Omaha, Nebraska)



 



AIF/psw                  02-20-1980

Revised nd             07-18-1997

Revised TMM        05-14-2018

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