Alton National Cemetery : History Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alton National Cemetery

Historic veterans cemetery in Madison County, Illinois

United States historic place


Alton National Cemetery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Overview from the northeast
38°53′26″N 90°09′49″W / 38.89056°N 90.16361°W / 38.89056; -90.16361
Built	1870
MPS	Civil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP reference No.	11000245

Alton National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Alton, in Madison County, Illinois. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses only half an acre plot of land, and as of the end of 2005, had 522 interments. It is maintained by the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, in St. Louis, Missouri.

History

Originally a military section of the Alton City Cemetery, and in use since 1870, the half acre lot was donated to the federal government in 1940. It was intended that the remains buried in the cemetery be moved to the Springfield National Cemetery, but public protest prevented it. It is the resting place of many Civil War Union soldiers.

In 2006, Alton announced the first of what is hoped to be an annual Memorial Day Sunset Ceremony at the cemetery that will include speeches by local elected officials, a performance by the Scott Air Force Base band, Pipes and Drums, and a VFW 21-gun salute. This event is well-attended and has continued as of 2018.^[1]

Burials are limited to cremains and, as of August 2018, soon to be limited to "second interments" of the second decedent, whether that is the veteran, spouse, or a child.^[2]

References

^ Brannan, Dan (2018-05-30). "Alton National Cemetery Sunset Ceremony again moves those in attendance". RiverBender.com. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
^ Weller, Linda N. (2018-08-01). "VA soon to limit burials at Alton National Cemetery to 'second interments'". Alton Telegraph. Retrieved 2019-05-19.

External links

Media related to Alton National Cemetery at Wikimedia Commons

National Cemetery Administration
Alton National Cemetery
Interment.net: Alton National Cemetery
Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) No. IL-1, "Alton National Cemetery, 600 Pearl Street, Alton, Madison County, IL", 13 photos, 2 photo caption pages
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alton National Cemetery
Alton National Cemetery at Find a Grave