Fort Ridgely Historic Site
72404 County Road 30
Fairfax, MN 55332
Phone: 507-426-7888 or 507-934-2160

Located near Morton and Fairfax, the Fort Ridgely historic site is off of Highway 4, seven miles south of Fairfax. The cemetery is right next to Fort Ridgely, just down the road.

The site is managed by the Nicollet County Historical Society.

From the History of Renville County – pg 647 Published 1916

Long before the massacre, a government cemetery, which afterward became known as the Fort Ridgely National Cemetery, was established on the brow of the bluff southeast of the fort, its purpose being for the burial of such persons as died at the garrison. The first burial therein was that of Hazen Mooers, the trader, who died April 3, 1857.

Here were buried also the victims of the Redwood Ferry disaster, the Battle of Birch Cooley, the defense of Fort Ridgely, and other victims of the massacre (US-Dakota War 1862). In time the early settlers began to use the same vicinity for the burial of their relatives and it grew to be a cemetery of some size.

It was believed for many years that the land was owned by the government, but long investigation of the government but long investigation of the government records at Washington and elsewhere showed that no plat had ever been filed and that there was no evidence of the government's title to the land.

A cemetery association was, therefore formed, with Albert Cummings as president; C.H. Hopkins as secretary, and William R. La Framboise as treasurer. A quit-claim deed was secured from Major B.H. Randall, the owner of the property, the cemetery was platted and improvements made.

In the early seventies (1870's) the government moved a number of the bodies of soldiers from the Ft. Ridgely cemetery to Rock Island. It was planned at that time to move also the bodies of Captain Marsh and his men. But a wave of indignation swept the state. These men had died that the civilization of the state should be preserved, their blood had sanctified the state of Minnesota and their dust had hallowed it. Their last sleep should not be disturbed, and they should forever rest in the state whose existence they had helped to preserve. Consequently their bodies were not moved and, in 1873, a monument was erected to mark the spot.

The cemetery is a non-denominational cemetery and continues to be used for interments today.