Edgefield Cemetery
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Edgefield Cemetery

Douglas County, Minnesota, USA

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  • Get directions Douglas County, Minnesota, USA
    Coordinates: 46.01248, -95.60320
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Edgefield Cemetery
Brandon's Pioneer Cemetery-Est., CA 1866

The origin of Brandon and its pioneer cemetery began in 1859, with the establishment of the "Chippewa Stage Station" on the "Abercrombie Trail" on the North shore of Little Chippewa Lake, by Henry and Mary Gager. In 1862, the Sioux Indian uprising forced the Gager family to flee the area and the soldiers of the 8th Regiment of the Minnesota Volunteers out of Fort Ripley took over the area and the name changed to Fort Chippewa.

In 1866 the settlers began to return and a Swiss immigrant, George A. Freudenreich, purchased Gager's 160 acre homestead and stage station. He renamed the station "Chippewa City" and set aside two acres, located 0n third of a mile North of the station, for a cemetery. In 1869, Chippewa City was renamed "Brandon", as a tribute to the birthplace of Senator Stephen A. Douglas, Brandon, Vermont. Douglas was helpful in bringing statehood to Minnesota. The village of Brandon thrived.

The cemetery was in use by at least 1866. In 1879, the cemetery was platted and officially recorded as "Edgefield Cemetery" by Freudenreich, who then returned to Switzerland. No burial records have been located for this cemetery, indicating that Freudenreich handled the sale of grave plots privately. Although only two headstones have been found, it is believed that many pioneer falilies were buried in Edgefield, welll into the 1890s.

When the railroad came to the area, in the fall of 1879, the entire village of Brandon eventually moved 2.5 miles south. The original village "returned to the plow" and cemetery returned to nature.










Edgefield Cemetery
Brandon's Pioneer Cemetery-Est., CA 1866

The origin of Brandon and its pioneer cemetery began in 1859, with the establishment of the "Chippewa Stage Station" on the "Abercrombie Trail" on the North shore of Little Chippewa Lake, by Henry and Mary Gager. In 1862, the Sioux Indian uprising forced the Gager family to flee the area and the soldiers of the 8th Regiment of the Minnesota Volunteers out of Fort Ripley took over the area and the name changed to Fort Chippewa.

In 1866 the settlers began to return and a Swiss immigrant, George A. Freudenreich, purchased Gager's 160 acre homestead and stage station. He renamed the station "Chippewa City" and set aside two acres, located 0n third of a mile North of the station, for a cemetery. In 1869, Chippewa City was renamed "Brandon", as a tribute to the birthplace of Senator Stephen A. Douglas, Brandon, Vermont. Douglas was helpful in bringing statehood to Minnesota. The village of Brandon thrived.

The cemetery was in use by at least 1866. In 1879, the cemetery was platted and officially recorded as "Edgefield Cemetery" by Freudenreich, who then returned to Switzerland. No burial records have been located for this cemetery, indicating that Freudenreich handled the sale of grave plots privately. Although only two headstones have been found, it is believed that many pioneer falilies were buried in Edgefield, welll into the 1890s.

When the railroad came to the area, in the fall of 1879, the entire village of Brandon eventually moved 2.5 miles south. The original village "returned to the plow" and cemetery returned to nature.










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