Though a native son of Springfield with many relatives buried here at Oak Ridge Cemetery, I was not fully cognizant of its deep, rich legacy. So, I want to share with you briefly some of the historical highlights of these hallowed grounds.
As you may or may not know, our own Oak Ridge Cemetery is second only to Washington DC’s Arlington National Cemetery in the number of annual visitors that has hosted a wealth of dignitaries, including several US presidents.
The physical layout of Oak Ridge Cemetery reflects the change in cemetery design across our nation during the 1850s and 1860s. Most cemeteries at that time were found primarily in overcrowded city grave yards. During this period in our community of Springfield, the deceased were buried either in the private Hutchinson Cemetery or Springfield’s city owned graveyard on land donated by Springfield founder, Elijah Iles. It was the new cemetery board, however, which engaged landscape designer, William Saunders, to create and design a cemetery of winding drives, plantings, and oak trees.
Oak Ridge Cemetery opened in 1855 per the design of city engineer William Sides, who envisioned the grounds in squares, without regard to the natural slopes and ravines of the area. After a few years, lots at the cemetery sold steadily and local area families began erecting limestone and granite grave markers for their deceased loved ones.
During its storied history, Oak Ridge Cemetery has had many distinguished citizens who volunteered their time, talent, and expertise to craft and enact policies for the continued improvements to the grounds. One of the most famous board members was Dr. Henry Wohlgemuth, who served variously as city physician, alderman, board of education member, and member of the Sangamon County Board of Supervisors. Another name to remember is George Willis, Oak Ridge Cemetery’s first sexton during the 1850s.
President Abraham Lincoln is believed to have attended the dedication of Oak Ridge Cemetery in 1860. Sadly, however, his body was brought back to the same cemetery for burial after his assassination in April 1865.
There were a several Springfield area businessmen who thought it appropriate to have Lincoln buried in a mausoleum near downtown Springfield. However, his wife (Mary Todd Lincoln) vetoed that idea by insisting that Lincoln be buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery, or otherwise she would have had him buried in Washington D.C. Needless to say, Mrs. Lincoln’s preference prevailed.
Here are a couple of tidbits about President Lincoln’s tomb:
- It was rebuilt twice and subsequently enlarged.
- Lincoln’s body was moved 17 times in efforts to thwart thieves who were intent on stealing his body.
Seven other prominent individuals buried within the confines of Oak Ridge Cemetery include:
- Poet Vachel Lindsay;
- John L. Lewis (president of the UMW);
- Post Cereal founder, C. W. Post;
- William (Billy) Herndon, (Lincoln’s last law partner)
- Governor and US Senator Shelby Cullom;
- William Donnegan, a black man from Kentucky living in Springfield, who worked as a shoemaker and counted President Lincoln as one of his customers. Subsequent to Donnegan helping bring free blacks into Springfield through the Underground Railroad, Donnegan became a victim of the 1908 Race Riot after being dragged from his home at Spring and Edwards and lynched; and, lastly,
- William Butler, a former Illinois State Treasurer, was honored after a former Confederate POW camp was turned into a nearby national cemetery and named Camp Butler in his honor.
Around 1909, the Springfield Park District opened Forest Park on land that was once Hutchinson Cemetery. However, the new Forest Park proved to be unpopular with the public since it was on property that was formerly a cemetery. So, in 1917, Springfield High School (the same building that stands now at
Lewis and Adams Streets) was built on that same parcel of land, which was at one time Hutchinson Cemetery.
It has taken 150 years of careful planning, maintenance, and I might add, devotion, to achieve and maintain the stunning
landscape of this cemetery, which has grown from a few acres in 1855 to 180 acres presently. A part of that beautiful landscape afforded visitors to the cemetery a unique opportunity to enjoy ponds at a time before city parks even had ponds and before Lake Springfield was even constructed.
In 1899 (while the Lincoln Tomb was undergoing reconstruction), the Oak Ridge Cemetery Board voted to move the main entrance to a newly paved Monument Avenue along with the erection of a stone and iron gateway.
Regrettably, though, the same positive energy and foresight dedicated to locating and physically beautifying the cemetery was lacking when it came to policy decisions relative to the assignment of segregated burial locations within the Cemetery for both local Jewish residents and black residents. Thankfully, that practice was eventually discontinued, though a disproportionate number of blacks (including my parents, grandparents, neighbors, and childhood friends) are buried in Blocks 24 and 40 of the cemetery.
By 1940, the permanent cemetery population had grown to over 33,000 causing the cemetery board to purchase additional land to the west. One year later in 1941, the City Council authorized a widening and landscaping of Walnut Street from N. Grand to the new western entrance.
I will close by acknowledging that the research for a significant portion of my remarks this afternoon come from a book entitled Images of America, co-authored by Edward J. Russo and Curtis R. Mann. Thank you!
Allan L. Woodson, Ed.D.
Board Member, Oak Ridge Cemetery Foundation
June 24, 2023
Oak Ridge Cemetery
Springfield Illinois
Oak Ridge Cemetery Foundation 