Alonzo Burnham

Boston Police Department — Roxbury Crossing, MA

Illness

End of Watch February 19, 1899

Age 56

Tour of Duty 24 yrs 7 mo

The Vigil Panel 15 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Patrolman Alonzo Burnham succumbed died of complications of pneumonia that he contracted during the Great Blizzard of 1899 while on duty during his foot patrol beat.

The Great Blizzard of 1899 affected most of the United States, particularly east of the Rocky Mountains. The city of Boston saw temperatures as low as −4°F and more than 16 inches of snow. Patrolman Burnham contracted the cold when the storm hit the city overnight. He continued to work until pneumonia set in. He died in his home after being sick for four days.

Patrolman Burnham had served with the Boston Police Department for 24-1/2 years and was assigned to the the 12th Police District.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-AAD1B46F
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

127 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Patrolman Burnham gave the Boston Police Department 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the Roxbury Crossing community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Boston Police Department

Location Roxbury Crossing, MA

Platform Identity bpd.suffolk.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 19, 1899

Tour of Duty 24 yrs 7 mo

Age 56

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Patrolman Alonzo Burnham is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MA, 59 of 469 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 12.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

At Boston Police Department, 22 of 106 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 20.8% of this agency's fallen.

Boston Police Department

of 106 officers

20.8% Illness

MA — Statewide

of 469 officers

12.6% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness