Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose

Wyoming Cemetery was established as Melrose’s community cemetery in 1857, on 21 acres of land northeast of Pine Banks Park. Several years later, the cemetery was expanded with purchase of 28 additional acres of farmland, at a cost of $10,000.

By 1949 — after being in operation for about a century — the number of people interred at Wyoming Cemetery stood at 14,695, according to a history provided by the cemetery department.

During the 80s and 90s, city officials allowed the pre-sale of graves in Wyoming Cemetery, meaning that residents were allowed to purchase a grave for themselves or a loved one in advance of the person’s death. That practice was discontinued in the early 2000s, however, when it became clear the pre-sale of graves was creating a deficit in the number of new graves available, according to Hughes.

In 2011, Wyoming Cemetery in Melrose held the remains of some 25,476 souls. At that time the community cemetery was inching closer to reaching full capacity.