Dubois Cemetery History

Dubois Cemetery History

Dubois Cemetery, located on the south side of Battle Creek, is one of the city's oldest burial grounds. It is named after Peter Dubois, one of the first settlers in the region. Peter, his wife Sally, and their three children traveled over four weeks by way of the Erie Canal and wagon from Greenfield, New York and arrived in Battle Creek in 1836, just one year before Michigan achieved statehood, . The Dubois family settled on land on the southern side of Battle Creek, which today, would be on both sides of Beckley Road. Part of that land would later become the cemetery.

Legend has it that in the early eighteen hundreds, an old soldier of the Revolutionary War wandered into the little community adjoining what is now the City of Battle Creek, Michigan.  He was ill and passed away soon after arriving.  The ground was covered with snow except for a bare spot on a hill on the Dubois farm.   With the consent of Peter Dubois, he was buried on this spot and this act was the beginning of the Dubois Cemetery.

In 1939 the Milton Board of Health purchased that one acre of land from Peter Dubois to form the cemetery which would bear his name.

Originally part of Milton Township and then Battle Creek Township, the cemetery was incorporated into the city when Battle Creek Township was annexed into the City in 1983. Today, it is owned and maintained by the City of Battle Creek and serves as the final resting place for many of the area's early pioneers.

Among those buried here are members of prominent local families such as the Willards (noted for their contributions to the library system), the Minges, and the Dubois family themselves. The cemetery holds approximately 500 graves, including veterans of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, making it a site of significant historical value.

Dubois Cemetery is also featured in the Michigan Tombstone Transcription Project.