Oak Woods Cemetery is a large lawn cemetery in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. Located at 1035 E. 67th Street, in the Greater Grand Crossing area of Chicago's South Side. Established on February 12, 1853, it covers . Oak Woods is the final resting place of several famous Americans including

Harold Washington Harold Lee Washington (April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987) was an American lawyer and politician who was the 51st Mayor of Chicago. Washington became the first African American to be elected as the city's mayor in April 1983. He served as may ...

, Ida B. Wells,

Jesse Owens James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifet ...

, and Enrico Fermi. It is also the setting for a mass grave and memorial for Confederate prisoners of war from Camp Douglas, called the Confederate Mound.

History

Oak Woods Cemetery was chartered on February 12, 1853. It was designed by landscape architect Adolph Strauch who created a ‘landscape-lawn cemetery’ on the 183 acres emphasizing grade changes with curving streets and well-planned drainage creating a uniform composition which was free of fences. The first burials took place in 1860. After the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

(1861–1865), several thousand

Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, prisoners who died at Camp Douglas, were reburied here. According to a plaque on the site, soldiers were buried in "concentric trenches." A monument and marker, which former Kentucky Lieutenant Governor John C. Underwood helped construct, probably inflates the number of soldiers buried as 6,000, but lists the names of more than 4,000. Another, smaller memorial commemorates the

Union soldiers During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

who died at Camp Douglas, often from contagious diseases. The bodies from Camp Douglas had originally been buried at Camp Douglas and the City Cemetery, which was closed and removed during expansion of Lincoln Park and urban renewal following the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

of 1871. The bodies were exhumed and re-interred together in a

mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of execution, although an exact ...

, which came to be known as Confederate Mound, reputedly the largest documented

in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...

. In response to the establishment of the Confederate memorial, in 1896, Thomas D. Lowther, a pre-war resident of the South, erected near it an

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

monument. The abolition monument is a large black marble

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

to pre-war southerners, "unknown heroric men", "martyrs" who had ''opposed'' slavery and disunion. Near the beginning of the war, Lowther had been forced to flee his home in Florida because of his anti-slavery and pro-Union stance. The cemetery contains the graves of many prominent African Americans, including Chicago's first African-American mayor,

. Journalist and anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells, Olympic sports hero

, business and publishing magnate John H. Johnson, Gospel music pioneer Thomas A. Dorsey and Gospel music star

Albertina Walker Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian. Early years Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and ...

are also buried in the cemetery. The cemetery is also the final resting place of 45 victims of the Iroquois Theatre fire, in which more than 600 people died. Famous nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi has his final resting place here, as do several other faculty members of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

. The cemetery also has a section for U.S. veterans of several wars, and a separately-maintained Jewish section. Confederate Mound cannon

Notable burials

In 2022, the Hyde Park Historical Society created an interactive directory application for monuments at the cemetery. * Donald N. Aldrich (1917-1947), naval aviator and ace *

Cap Anson Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 ...

(1852–1922), Major League Baseball Hall of Fame * Frank Bacon (1864–1922), actor and playwright * Ferdinand Lee Barnett (1852–1936), lawyer and civil rights activist. Spouse of Ida B. Wells. * Adolphus C. Bartlett (1844–1922), businessman, philanthropist *

Gary Becker Gary Stanley Becker (; December 2, 1930 – May 3, 2014) was an American economist who received the 1992 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He was a professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago, and was a leader of ...

(1930–2014), economist, Nobel Prize winner * Arthur M. Brazier (1921–2010), activist, pastor * Woodnut S. Burr (1861–1952), ardent worker for Women's suffrage in the United States * Frank Butler (1872–1899), pitcher and outfielder in pre-Negro leagues baseball *

Otis Clay Otis Lee Clay (February 11, 1942 – January 8, 2016) was an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music. In 2013, Clay was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame. Early life Clay was born in Waxhaw, Mississippi, to a musical family, ...

(1942–2016), blues and soul singer * Clarence H. Cobbs (1908–1979), founder of the First Church of Deliverance * James "Big Jim" Colosimo (1878–1920), boss of the

Chicago Outfit The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, ...

* Henry Chandler Cowles (1869-1939), professor of

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

at University of Chicago, pioneer American ecologist, conservationist * William Craig (1855–1902), first Secret Service agent to die on duty * Charles S. Deneen (1863–1940), 23rd Governor of Illinois * Thomas A. Dorsey (1899–1993), composer, the "father of Gospel music" * Walter Eckersall (1886–1930), All-American quarterback and sportswriter *

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religiou ...

(1907–1986), Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago * Enrico Fermi (1901–1954), physicist, Nobel Prize winner, creator of the first

nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat fr ...

Henry Blake Fuller Henry Blake Fuller (January 9, 1857 – July 28, 1929) was an American novelist and short story writer. He was born and worked in Chicago, Illinois. He is perhaps the earliest novelist from Chicago to gain a national reputation. His exploration ...

(1857-1929), writer, author of early work in

gay literature Gay literature is a collective term for literature produced by or for the gay community which involves characters, plot lines, and/or themes portraying male homosexual behavior. Overview and history Because the social acceptance of homosexual ...

, ''

Bertram Cope's Year ''Bertram Cope's Year'' is a 1919 novel by Henry Blake Fuller, sometimes called the first American homosexual novel. Publication and reception Fuller completed work on the novel in May 1918. After failing to interest several New York publishin ...

'' *

Norman Golb Norman Golb (15 January 1928 – 29 December 2020) was the Ludwig Rosenberger Professor in Jewish History and Civilization at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Golb was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, on 15 January 1 ...

(1928–2020), historian * Nancy Green (1834–1923), storyteller, cook, activist, and the first woman to portray Aunt Jemima *

Jake Guzik Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik (March 20, 1886 – February 21, 1956) was the financial and legal advisor, and later political " greaser," for the Chicago Outfit. Early life Guzik was born near Kraków, Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hu ...

(1886–1956), gangster and bookkeeper for Al Capone; aka "Greasy Thumb" * John Marshall Hamilton (1847–1905), 18th Governor of Illinois *

William Draper Harkins William Draper Harkins (December 28, 1873 – March 7, 1951) was an American physical chemist, noted for his contributions to surface chemistry and nuclear chemistry. Harkins researched the structure of the atomic nucleus and was the first to p ...

(1873–1951), nuclear chemist * Monroe Heath (1827–1894), mayor of Chicago * John Christen Johansen (1876–1964), portraitist and landscape painter * Charles Johnson (1909–2006), pitcher and outfielder for the Chicago American Giants of the

Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

* Eunice W. Johnson (1916–2010), business magnate and spouse of John H. Johnson * John H. Johnson (1918–2005), founder and publisher of ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

'' and '' Jet'' magazines, spouse of Eunice W. Johnson *

Kenesaw Mountain Landis Kenesaw Mountain Landis (; November 20, 1866 – November 25, 1944) was an American jurist who served as a United States federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death. He is remembered for his ...

(1866–1944), Hall of Fame, First Commissioner of Baseball * Richard Loeb (1905–1936), crime figure – cremated here, ashes returned to family *

Little Brother Montgomery Eurreal Wilford "Little Brother" Montgomery (April 18, 1906 – September 6, 1985) was an American jazz, boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communi ...

(1906–1985), blues piano player and singer * S. Grace Nicholes (1870-1922), social reformer *

(1913–1980), Olympic track and field champion * Fred Rice Jr. (1926–2011), first African-American

Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department The following is a list of heads of the Chicago Police Department. Currently the executive of the Chicago Police Department is referred to as a "Superintendent of Police". Preceding titles included High Constable, City Marshall, General Superint ...

Eugene Sawyer Eugene Sawyer Jr. (September 3, 1934January 19, 2008) was an American businessman, educator, and politician. Sawyer was selected as the 53rd Mayor of Chicago, Illinois after the sudden death of then–mayor Harold Washington, serving from Decemb ...

(1934–2008), second African-American Mayor of Chicago (1987–1989) * J. Young Scammon (1812–1890), attorney, banker, newspaper publisher * Maud Slye (1879–1954),

pathologist * Roebuck "Pops" Staples (1915–2000), Gospel singer * Willie Stokes (1937–1986), Chicago mobster *

William Hale Thompson William Hale Thompson (May 14, 1869 – March 19, 1944) was an American politician who served as mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and again from 1927 to 1931. Known as "Big Bill", Reynolds, Paul (November 29, 2009)"US-UK 'Special Relationshi ...

(1869–1944), Mayor of Chicago * June Travis (1914–2008), film actress * Herbert J. Tweedie (1864–1906), golf course architect * Bill Veeck (1914–1986), Major League Baseball owner – cremated here, ashes returned to family *

(1929–2010), singer, songwriter, "Queen of Gospel" *

(1922–1987), lawyer, politician, first African American Mayor of Chicago * Ida B. Wells (1862–1931), social reformer, civil rights activist. Spouse of Ferdinand Lee Barnett. *

Junior Wells Junior Wells (born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., December 9, 1934January 15, 1998) was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his signature song " Messin' with the Kid" and his 1965 album '' Hoodoo Man Blues ...

(1934–1998), Blues musician * Ben Wilson (1967–1984), Chicago Simeon H.S., 1984–85 #1 Ranked high school basketball player in America * James Hutchinson Woodworth (1804–1869), Mayor of Chicago * Otto Young (1844–1907), "Merchant Millionaire" of Chicago and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Roland Burris tomb

Roland Burris Roland Wallace Burris (born August 3, 1937) is an American politician and attorney who is a former United States Senator from the state of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party. In 1978, Burris was the first African American elected ...

, the U.S. Senator appointed by Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, constructed a family

tomb A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immureme ...

at in the Oak Woods Cemetery, in preparation for his and his wife's eventual interment. The tomb recites Burris accomplishments and received considerable publicity (often negative) after Burris' appointment.

References

External links

Official Oakwoods Cemetery corporate websiteGraveyards.com: Oak Woods CemeteryDepartment of Veterans Affairs page on the Confederate mound
* * * {{Authority control Cemeteries in Chicago South Side, Chicago Confederate States of America cemeteries 1853 establishments in Illinois 19th century in Chicago Historic American Landscapes Survey in Illinois Rural cemeteries

History

Notable burials

Roland Burris tomb

See also

References

External links