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In early June of 1870, a meeting was held in the office of J.W. Saeger with the intent to form the Jackson County Cemetery Association. Trustees were elected with officers and included Mr. Saeger (Secretary), G.C. Chambers (Secretary), J.W. Hunter (Treasurer), H.S. Bailey, C. Baldwin, E.P. Freeman (Pres.) and W.S. Kimball (Actuary). They then chose a piece of property owned by Mr. Bailey a mile south of town overlooking the Des Moines River along Estherville Rd.
The earliest burial is Saraphine Wood who died 11 Aug 1879 and is located in Sec. 3, Lot 250, Grave 1. She was the wife of A.E. Wood from New York who was a Civil War vet and early settler in Jackson Co. The oldest body is that of a young Julius Wheeler who died at Ft. Abercrombie ND at age 17 on 6 Aug 1879. His was involved in the Indian Wars during the Civil War and his parents later had his body transferred to Riverside, and is located in Sec. 3, Lot 249. Several other burials in the cemetery have no records or markers.