Rufus Forbush buried his wife Polly Clark at this spot on 22 August 1851. In 1852, after several victims of a black smallpox epidemic had been buried here, he contributed the land for use as a pioneer cemetery, and many of the prominent early citizens of Union were buried here. Although all official records are lost, restorers of the cemetery have been able to identify the graves of 48 adults, 72 children, and 20 persons of undetermined age.