History
The Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, located between 6th and 9th Avenues and Fairbanks and Cordova Streets in downtown Anchorage, Alaska was originally established as the Cemetery Reserve by President Woodrow Wilson in Executive Order 2242 of August 31, 1915, coincident with the federal survey of the original Anchorage Townsite. Then with Executive Order 2836 of April 10, 1918, President Wilson directed that burial land be made available, without charge, to the public.
He also ordered that the Cemetery Reserve of the Anchorage Townsite be subdivided to sell up to half of the cemetery land to qualified religious and fraternal organizations. Because of these two provisions, free burial land for the public, and up to 50 percent of the land could be (and now is) owned by private religious and fraternal groups, the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery is one of the most unusual cemeteries in the nation. In 1925-26, patents were issued to private religious and fraternal organizations for 10 of the 20 available tracts.
It is assumed that the original townsite government took responsibility for the operation of the cemetery in the early years. During these days, there was no published policy, structure or active management. Burials were conducted by tractowners and by the township/city at various times of the day and days of the week with little or no coordination or central recording. Grounds-keeping, maintenance, and grave recording were tractowner responsibilities. It wasn't until 1979 that the Municipality of Anchorage was designated as the "managing agency" and renamed the cemetery to its current name, the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery. From 1979 until 1991, a city official managed the cemetery as a collateral duty but was not on-site to oversee operations. During this time, several local community leaders and townspeople volunteered their time and efforts to maintain the cemetery as best they could. In 1991, a part-time manager was placed on-site and in 1998 a full-time Cemetery Director was employed to manage all cemetery operations. From the first burial of record of Mr. John B. Parks on July 17, 1915 through to today, there have been over 9500 burials at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.
Through the years, the cemetery has undergone many changes. In 1951, a portion of the original Cemetery Reserve was conditionally sold to the Alaska Housing Authority for public housing in the form of the Willow Park Apartments. Subsequently, the Willow Park Apartments were razed in 1991 and the land reverted to the Municipality of Anchorage and ultimately back to the Cemetery. This land is now the "New" cemetery grounds and has added 4690 graves to the existing 12,835. In April, 1991, the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery Advisory Commission was formed and acts in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and the Assembly on all matter of policy concerning the Cemetery. On April 26, 1993, the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery was listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.
PRIVATE TRACTOWNERS
| Organizations |
Tract |
Organizations |
Tract |
| IOOF |
1 |
Elks |
2 |
| Catholics |
5 and 6 |
Masons |
9 |
| Pioneers |
10 and 11 |
Moose |
12 |
| VFW |
19 |
American Legion |
20 |
HISTORICAL TIMELINE
- Mar 1914 Alaska Engineering Commission chartered survey of the Anchorage townsite
- Aug 1915 President Wilson's Executive Order 2242 set aside the cemetery reserve
- Apr 1918 Executive Order 2836 contained two provisions:
(1) Burial land free to public
(2) Sell to private religious/fraternal groups
- 1925-26 Ten tracts sold as specified above
- Aug 1951 Cemetery Reserve conditionally sold to Alaska State Housing Authority for Willow Park Apartments
- Feb 1975 Declared a Memorial Park and renamed Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery
- Aug 1979 Municipality of Anchorage designated as "managing agency"
- 1989-91 Willow Park Apartments razed and land reverted back to the Cemetery
- Apr 1991 Cemetery Advisory Commission established
- Aug 1991 Wrought iron fence installed around the perimeter of Cemetery
- Nov 1991 Part-time manager placed on-site
- Apr 1993 Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
- Jul 1997 Established Perpetual Care Fund for cemetery groundskeeping maintenance
- Sep 1998 Full-time manager placed on-site
- Jan 1999 Internet Website established
- Jul 2001 Columbarium Wall construction begun
- Apr 2002 Grave location mapping capability added to the website
- Feb 2003 Columbarium Wall Opened
- Aug 2004 Cemetery landscaping project completed
- Sep 2006 Road resurfacing project completed
- Oct 2006 Cemetery underground irrigation system installed
- Oct 2008 Well project completed
STATISTICS As of January 1, 2008
- Cemetery area: 22.24 acres
- (21.05 useable, due to roads, etc.)
- Old Cemetery: 15.22 acres
- New Cemetery: 5.83 acres
- 20 Old Cemetery Tracts (@ 3/4 acre)
- 2 New Cemetery Tracts (@ 3 acres)
- Total Grave Sites: 17,525
- Public Tract Grave Sites: 10,736
- Private Tract Grave Sites: 6,789
- Total Burials/Inurnments: 9528
- Public Tract Burials: 6479
- Private Tract Burials: 2894
- Columbarium Wall Inurnments: 155
- Lot Reservations: 1387
- Number of Burials/Inurnments in 2007: 185
COLUMBARIUM WALL
- Single Niches (1 Urn): 1755
- Companion Niches (Up to 3 Urns): 1872
- Family Niches (Up to 8 Urns): 234
- Total Niches: 3861
- Capacity of Urns: 9243
- Niches Sold: 185
- Inurnments: 155
NUMBER OF BURIALS IN EACH TRACT
| TRACT |
NUMBER BURIED |
| Columbarium Wall |
155 |
| Tract 1 (IOOF) |
98 |
| Tract 2 (Elks) |
344 |
| Tract 3 (Public) |
412 |
| Tract 4 (Public) |
431 |
| Tract 5 & 6 (Catholic) |
922 |
| Tract 7 (Public) |
614 |
| Tract 8 (Public) |
591 |
| Tract 9 (Masons) |
261 |
| Tract 10 (Pioneers) |
253 |
| Tract 11 (Pioneers) |
222 |
| Tract 12 (Moose) |
121 |
| Tract 13 (Public) |
610 |
| Tract 14 (Public) |
638 |
| Tract 15 (Public) |
446 |
| Tract 16 (Public) |
321 |
| Tract 17 (Public) |
467 |
| Tract 18 (Public) |
648 |
| Tract 19 (VFW) |
485 |
| Tract 20 (American Legion) |
188 |
| Tract AA (Public) |
582 |
| Tract BB (Public) |
530 |
| Tract EE (Cremains Public) |
25 |
| Tract F1 (Infant Public) |
121 |
| Tract F2 (Child Public) |
43 |
| |
|