The 10-acre (4.0 ha) cemetery's oldest graves date to 1816, the period of the region's settlement, and include some of Van Buren's first settlers.

First established as an informal private burial ground, it was given to the city by John Drennen in 1846.

In 1861 a section in the eastern portion of the cemetery was set aside for burials related to the American Civil War; this section contains 442 graves of Confederate Army soldiers and eight of Union Army soldiers.

"[2] Also buried is Confederate Congressman Hugh French Thomason (1826–1893).

The Confederate portion of the cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 for its association with the war and commemorative organizations, and the entire cemetery was listed in 2005 for its relevance to the history of area.