Entry No. 25 — the Des Moines file — filed under: outdoor
Huston Cemetery
“the city rerouted the road around it (not the other way)”
A tiny pioneer graveyard of about 11 graves, established 1847, that became locally legendary for sitting marooned in the middle of a road — cars kept crashing into it. In 2019 the city rerouted the road around it (not the other way), so it now sits just southwest of the intersection. Its namesake ran a stagecoach stop, a saloon, and an Underground Railroad station.
The move: Make a quick offbeat pilgrimage to read all eleven headstones, then tell the story of how this one-acre graveyard was so stubborn the city literally moved the road for it.
📍 Before you go It now sits on the southwest corner of S 88th Street and Mills Civic Parkway, with a restored fence and a small parking pull-off, so you no longer have to dodge traffic to reach it. Come in daylight: the plot is tiny, unlit, and the whole point is reading the weathered headstones, so a clear afternoon works best. Treat it as the active burial ground it is: step in quietly, don't lean on the stones, and keep it short. It's only minutes from Jordan Creek Town Center off I-80 exit 121, so pair the pilgrimage with a meal, a drink, or a wander through Valley Junction's antique shops.
- 📍 West Des Moines (S 88th St & Mills Civic Pkwy)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · Roadside America
last checked: 2026-06-06