About

A collection of vintage photographs and cards in wooden shelves, including a black-and-white portrait of a woman in formal attire, a sepia-toned portrait of a bearded man in military uniform, and other assorted photographs and cards.

Echos of History

The City of Byron, Minnesota was established in 1854. On July 1, 1867 a group of area citizens met at the railroad depot and organized the Byron Cemetery Association, including board members Sam Nichols, David King, and Dudley Sinclair. The board looked at three potential pieces of land on which to establish a cemetery. Five acres of land were purchased from Addison Dibell for $50 an acre, 1.9 acres were shortly added to the west of the original five acres.

The board held auctions on Saturdays to sell the burial plots ranging in price from $2.00 to $15.00 per lot. The lot owners were responsible for moving and upkeep of their lots. When the cemetery opened, the remains of Ina Waite and Rebecca Sinclair, who had originally been buried at Bear Grove Cemetery (located on the corner of 4th St. NE and Voll Frontage Rd., north of the railroad tracks) were moved to the Byron Cemetery.

Forgotten Footnotes

In 1886, maple trees were planted around the perimeter of the cemetery. And in 1907, the board members approved new policies making the cemetery responsible for moving and upkeep of cemetery lots. Perpetual Care was established at a cost of $40.00 for a full lot of 8 casket spaces.

By 1959, further lot space was needed and nearby roadways and walkways were platted for additional burial sites, increasing the space to 332 plots. In 1961, a vault was built for use during the winter months. Overtime, there became designated plots to be used for cremation burials, which are located on the west side of the cemetery.

In 2001, the trees on the north side of the cemetery were removed to make room for the improvements to County Road 3/7th St. NE. The entrance was relocated from the north side to the west side of the cemetery. and plots were laid out and numbered with roadways and walkways incorporated into the layout.

Stacks of old, rolled, weathered paper scrolls with handwritten labels, stored in a dark environment.

A wooden desk with a laptop, smartphone, desk lamp, and potted plant, situated in front of large windows showing a snowy forest scene outside.

The Memory Keeper

In 2023, the Byron Cemetery Books, which were all hard copy, were computerized. And in 2025, our website was created for the public to be able to contact the Byron Cemetery Association and to locate their loved ones buried at the cemetery.