Huston Cemetery
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.
- 📍 West Des Moines (S 88th St & Mills Civic Pkwy)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Verified 2026-06-06.