Lakeside Cemetery walking tours unveil local history

By DAMIIAN LANG

[email protected]

Wakefield - The first burial lot in the city of Wakefield was purchased in 1905, roughly two decades after the city was established in 1884, at about the same time that the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western railroad company laid tracks through the region.

George Wakefield, a successful business man in logging, real estate and mineral lands - originally from Henderson, New York - had surveyed the area and established the city named for him.

At the time, there were no roads to neighboring towns, and workers lived in boarding houses.

These are just some of the facts that were shared in two recent tours of Wakefield's Lakeside Cemetery, offered by local experts in research and history.

The Globe participated in a July 12 guided tour led by Nina Fiorucci, director of the Wakefield Historical Society's museum, and Lakin Ozzello, director of the Wakefield Public Library.

The tour proceeded with the guides stopping at specific tombstones and introducing their audience to the fascinating persons buried there long ago.

The first burial lot on the tour was one of six lots that represented people who spoke seven different languages.

Following are some of the persons featured during the tour:

In 1877, when Wakefield was still a village, just 22 years after the first explorer, Byron White, came though looking for ore, Alvin Rummel arrived in Wakefield, married the daughter of the town supervisor and became village president in 1917.

He resigned to join World War 1 and then became Wakefield's first mayor in 1920.

Rummel went on to serve in the state legislature and then as mayor of Ironwood in 1934. During his mayorship, Eddy Park was created, including a zoo, along with the first pavilion and beach.

Thomas Desonia, of French-Canadian descent, married Catherine Sweet, daughter of Wakefield's "First Family." Sweet was a great historian of early pioneer life. Desonia served as village clerk, township treasurer, and commissioner of public works, overseeing the building of the Memorial Building and Eddy Park. He was a member of the police force, which existed then, and the fire department.

Anton Ringsmuth migrated from the Czech Republic as a child and moved to Wakefield in 1886. He opened a cigar-making business and operated a store downtown for most of his life. His son, Joe Ringsmuth, and his wife, Mae Honkala, donated the museum building to the Wakefield Historical Society in 1970.

David "Doc" Bullen, from Cornwall, England, arrived in Wakefield in 1887. His love and talent of gardening led to his interest in medicinal herbs. He created a successful healing ointment known as "Bullen Salve." He was widely respected in the region for his herbal remedies. His products even reached the use of President Calvin Coolidge. In his obituary, he was called Wakefield's oldest resident at 96.

You'll have to go on a tour to hear the rest of Doc's story.

Overall, there is a lot of history that comes to life during a cemetery walking tour. Participants are also welcome to share their personal stories during the walk.

The first tour of Lakeside Cemetery occurred on July 5, and organizers now hope to make the tours an annual event.

Bruce Cox, a local historian and author, helped officials from the Wakefield Historical Society and the Wakefield Public Library to sponsor the tour.

The original idea came from Ozzello. She was wondering how to continue what traditionally has been a downtown walking tour as part of the library's summer reading program.

"Our (2024) theme is 'Adventure at your Library,'" said Ozzello, "so with the road construction downtown, I just started looking outward from there, and there was the cemetery."

The tour is a pretty, peaceful experience that also provides an opportunity to learn some of Wakefield's origins.

For those who could not attend the scheduled tours, there is an additional option for a self-guided tour, using printed directions available at either the library or the museum.

The Wakefield museum is located on the lower end of the main street at 306 Sunday Lake Street. Seasonal hours through September will be Monday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Call 906-224-1045 or email [email protected].

The Wakefield Public Library is around the corner at 401 Hancock St. The hours are Monday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library is closed on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Call 906-229-5236 or email wakefieldpubliclibrary.org.