College Hill Cemetery
Lebanon, Saint Clair County, Illinois

Alton & Summerfield Sts
Lebanon IL

Lat: 38° 36' 40"N, Lon: 89° 48' 58"W

Contributed by Lyda Loehring, Jul 31, 2001, edited Aug 03, 2005 [lydababes@aol.com]. Total records = 6,156.

The Cemetery is north of McKendree College on Alton St. and Summerfield St. in Lebanon, Ill. Lebanon is about 30 miles from St. Louis, MO on Route 50 and 4 north of 64 on route 4.

This cemetery was formed in 1820s for the ministers of the Methodist curcuit of Southern Illinois and family and ministers at McKendree College. It was given to the city of Lebanon around the 1920s.

I think 1810 is the earliest death I found. One of the govenor's of Illinois is buried there a Governer French, from 1846-1852. He was born in NH 1808, he was the fourth generation of Nathaniel French.

The earliest records concerning the College Hill Cemetery have apparently been lost, but a map of the cemetery reveals much about its history. It is divided into 24 section. First addition was added in at least two installments. Was related to the population growth.

Second addition was added in 1850 when the railroad came to Lebanon. This area is known as the Minister's Section. The remaining additions were them added in this order third, fourth, Traband and Betten, sections of each addition were set aside for the use as a potter's field. This cemetery is a family plot cemetery, where certain sections are used exclusively by a group of related people.

It is a family plot cemetery, with many families buried all together, and is divided into additions. I also added the records of the city, Knowing mine were right I compared my records to theirs and if I had the same I took it out of their records, so the listing I have there are the ones they had and I didn't, also listed the last few years from the town paper Advertiser. There are over 5,600 graves that I know of in this cemetery.

Potters field is where all the poor people were buried, so many had no head stones and then I found many or pile of stones that were stacked up against the garage, so I tried to copy them also.. I think they finally got it together now and have someone who cares about the cemetery, so hopefully it will be in better condition from now on.

- Lyda Loehring

Records Index:

Surnames A-Bo Surnames Br-Co Surnames Cr-F Surnames G-Ha Surnames He-K Surnames L-Mi

Surnames Mo-Pl Surnames Po-R Surnames S Surnames T-Z Miscellaneous