The Minnesota Asylum for the Insane in St. Peter, Minnesota opened in December, 1866. (subsequently referred to as the St. Peter State Hospital and currently the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center). The first deaths occurred shortly thereafter and, according to sources, it is unknown where the first interments (around 20) are located. Subsequent interments were located at the ‘Original' Cemetery on State Hospital land. Interments were identified by small wooden crosses and identification tags. In 1895 a prairie fire destroyed all identification for approximately 521-574 souls. Today a large cross stands in this first section of the ‘Original' Cemetery. A few named markers are in this section. In the second section of the ‘Original' cemetery beginning in January, 1896 – December, 1913, interments were identified with numbers (1-433) instead of named markers because of the stigma associated with being a patient at the ‘Insane Asylum' in that era. Several family members have placed named markers above their ancestor's number. In 1980, the State Hospital sold the St. Peter State Hospital Original Cemetery and additional land to First Lutheran Church, which owns Resurrection Cemetery adjacent to the ‘Original' Cemetery.