While this cemetery claims the first burial occurred in 1852, these records do not start until 1874 for deeds and plats. The name index begins in 1880 in these records. It is believed that the early records burned in a fire downtown. In 1872 a nonprofit citizen group acquired the cemetery and incorporated as the "Oak Grove Cemetery Association of La Crosse" with resolve to restore and improve the cemetery grounds. Perhaps this extended to keeping better records as well.

The microfilmed records are organized into two series: an index and a record of burials in chronological order (1880-1941); and another series of deeds and plats covering volumes 1-5 (1874-1891) with an index at the front of each volume.