- - - - HISTORY OF BRITTON CEMETERY - - - -

OKLAHOMA COUNTY OK

The people in the vicinity of Britton met on October 6, 1891 to establish the Britton Cemetery. One acre of land was purchased from John M. and Annie J. Johns for $30.00. Mr. Johns was the original homesteader on this 1/4 section having received his homestead and patent receipts in 1895. No records were kept of the earliest burials and some were buried without grave markers making it difficult to recreate complete information when the record book was created some time later. The record book shows that B. W. Wilson owned some burial property on October 16, 1891. D. A. Riley owned property in the one acre cemetery but there is no record of anyone being buried in this property. We cannot state for sure when the first burial was.

Typically, burial property was bought within a day of death, therefore it is possible family members of these two men may have been the first burials but without grave markers we do not know. However, the grave marker with the earliest date of death on it was for Phoebe A. Hariman who died October 26, 1892. The next earliest is Sarah F. Caves who died November 25, 1892. Records show Mrs. Grant Caves bought a lot for her child on November 26, 1892. There is no record of when one of the original trustees, J. R. W. McNeill bought six spaces in B4 L15. His wife, Mary, was buried in one of these spaces in May 1894.

In 1898, John M. and Annie J. Johns sold the quarter section except for the one-acre cemetery to H. W. A. Goss. That part of the 1/4 section went to J. G. Gross {different last name} on June 1, 1903 and to C. L. Stealey and Harry St. Clair on March 6, 1907. A Plat and Dedication was executed on October 24, 1907 by J. G. and Mary Gross, C. L. and Emma Stealey, and Harry and Clara St. Claire, and the current landowners. This Plat and Dedication established residential lots and streets on the 1/4 section and increased the cemetery to 3.5 acres. On December 1, 1916 the Britton Cemetery Association deeded the original one acre cemetery to the town of Britton. On September 21, 1917 the town of Britton executed a Dedication of Plat establishing the boundaries of the Britton Cemetery with the surveying of blocks and lots, streets and alley within the cemetery. This Dedication and Plat increased the cemetery to its present size of 4.7 acres being owned by the town of Britton. On March 31, 1950, because the City of Britton was dissolved to become part of Oklahoma City, the cemetery ownership was transferred from the city of Britton to the newly created Britton Cemetery Association, Inc. which has managed the cemetery ever since.

Interestingly, in the 1940's the town clerk mistakenly filed some deeds to various parts of the cemetery. The problem was discovered some years ago creating a difficult situation for the cemetery management. In took a long time and much trouble to get the cemetery property cleared on the city books. This daunting task was completed by May 9, 1997.

There are some old headstones and monuments in the original section located in the NE corner of the cemetery. A canvass of the headstones in the cemetery in 1961 listed 631 names. In 2002, the number buried in the 4.7 acre Britton Cemetery was 1600.

{Information obtained from OK County Cemetery Index - compiled by OK County HCE Genealogy Group, page 9.}