Mr William Madder operated the first store located in the district and was at his homestead site of SE-22-11-17(-W1) situated on the Fort Ellice trail. Above the door was a bracket in which hung a lantern at night to guide travellers. This was known as "Madder's Beacon". Later, supplies came up the river and Mr. Madder's haul was then from Currie's Landing, hauled mostly now by horse. As a result of the Madders having the first established business there, the community became known as "Madford," and to this day the cemetery there carries the name "Madford cemetery," and as a natural distinguishing phrase the crossroads is also still referred to as "the Madford Corner". Also, Madders operated the first post office in the area at Madford, which continued until 1911 when it was moved to Thompson's store in Douglas.

(Source: A History of Elton Municipality in its First Century - Homesteaders and Homemakers, pp 334f [Adapted])

Established in 1888 when Mr. Wm Madder sold land to the Douglas Cemetery Committee. It was surveyed into lots in 1889. In 1960 the previously separate but adjoining private cemetery of the Madder family was added.

(Source: Manitoba Genealogical Society [Adapted])

Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD02-22-11-17-W1

In the Rural Municipality of Elton

A part of the town's story and those of its inhabitants from the early days of European settlement through roughly 1973 is told in the volume "A History of Elton Municipality in its First Century - Homesteaders and Homemakers", especially starting on page 334. A free digital version of this and many other Manitoba local history books can be found online in the University of Manitoba Digital Collections. There is also a list of such books organized by district and town name on the Manitoba Historical Society's website on their page entitled "Finding Aid: Manitoba Local History Books".

A list of burials in this cemetery is available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society (reference #0074), transcribed by a member or members in 1979. Also available to MGS members is a searchable online database named the "MGS Manitoba Name Index" (or MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication "Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites" (revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages).