Capt. Mills Olcott Burnham Grave Site

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Captain Burnham held the position of lighthouse keeper at Cape Canaveral for an impressive 33 years until his passing on April 17, 1886. A true Florida pioneer, he served one term in the Territorial Legislature from 1841 to 1842 and also held the office of Sheriff in Duval County, Florida. His dedication earned him the role of lighthouse keeper at Cape Canaveral in 1853. During the Civil War, Captain Burnham was ordered to extinguish the light, but he skillfully saved the clockwork machinery and delivered it intact to the US authorities at war's end. For his remarkable service, he was designated as the "permanent" keeper due to his unwavering devotion. He married Mary Ann McCuen and together they raised seven children over 23 years. Captain Burnham passed away on April 17, 1886, at the age of 68 in Canaveral, Florida. He is laid to rest beside Mary in the Burnham Family Cemetery. The USF Libraries DHHC utilized cutting-edge methods including 3D scanning, geophysical surveys, and GPS tracking to document eight historic cemeteries and burial sites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.