Michael Machemehl, a member of the German Forty-Eighters, came to America from Annaberg, Saxony in 1849 with his wife, Mary Bubash, and their son, Johann. The family purchased 800 acres of land, which was divided between father and son. The cemetery began in 1850 with the death of Johann's wife, Henrietta Borel Machemehl. Six years later, Johann's daughter Annette also was buried there. A large limestone monument at the center bears the names and dates of eight Machemehl family members buried in this historic cemetery, which recalls the sacrifices made by immigrant pioneers of the area.