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Oak Ridge
Cemetery:
A Historic Place
(By Laura Carnes - 6th
Grade Student - AP History - 10.19.2001)
Oak Ridge
Cemetery is one of the most famous historic locations in the city of
Springfield, Illinois. Oak Ridge Cemetery is beautifully situated in the
north section of Springfield, Illinois. Oak Ridge Cemetery is rich in
history. The history of the cemetery dates back to 1855. Walking through Oak
Ridge Cemetery, and by understanding something about the people buried
there, you can glean a lot about the history of the cemetery, the history of
Springfield, the history of Illinois, and even the history of the world. Its
landscape is unique in size and shape, structures, and beauty. It is most
famous for being the resting place of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of
the United States. It is also the resting place of many other people,
including governors and the founder of Springfield, Illinois. Oak Ridge
Cemetery has a long and interesting history, including its structures and
people.
On May 14,
1856, the Springfield City Council passed an ordinance forbidding burials
within the city limits. Because of this, Oak Ridge Cemetery was founded in
1855 by the Springfield City Council (Barringer 4). The cemetery was
officially dedicated on May 24, 1860 (State Register Nov. 8, 1931). It is
reported that Abraham Lincoln and his wife were present at the dedication of
the cemetery (Barringer 4). Oak Ridge Cemetery is owned by the City of
Springfield. It is supported out of trust fund revenues and fees (State
Register Mar. 12, 1958).
The city
originally purchased a tract of land two miles north of the State Capitol (Barringer
4). That original tract consisted of 12 acres (State Register Nov. 8, 1931).
In 1856 the city acquired additional land, enlarging the cemetery to 28-1/2
acres (Barringer 4). Additional property has been acquired over the years.
Oak Ridge Cemetery presently consists of over 300 acres of land (Barringer
4).
As of 1949,
thirty acres of the then 200 acre total are in roadways, drives, floral
display areas and four maintenance building locations (ISJR Nov. 13, 1949,
p. 15). The cemetery is named for its forest oak trees of various species
which shade the area. It has grown in size until it comprises a total of 340
acres. There are twelve miles of winding roads within the cemetery, in
picturesque fashion to the hilly terrain (State Journal May 30, 1945).
The area
called Cradle Land is one of the prettiest areas of the cemetery. The area
is heart shaped. It bears a pink flowering shrub sculpture. A stone guardian
angel stands guard at the top of the heart. Cradle Land is where many babies
are buried (ISJR Nov. 13, 1949, p. 15).
Oak Ridge
Cemetery consists of many monuments. They range in size and beauty from a
simple concrete marker to magnificent marble carvings.
Many of the
original inhabitants of the cemetery came from other graves around
Springfield. Graves from several cemeteries were moved from various
locations to Oak Ridge.
One of those
was the Kelly Cemetery located at the intersection of Rutledge and Madison.
When that area was excavated for progress, the bodies of 12 people were
discovered. In 1865 they were moved to Oak Ridge and all 12 are buried under
a single marker (Barringer 26).
The best
known cemetery to make its way to Oak Ridge was known as the Old City
Graveyard. It was located on West Adams Street at the present site of
Springfield High School (State Journal Jan. 15, 1947). The Old City
Graveyard consisted of four acres and an unknown number of graves. After the
city passed the ordinance banning further burials in Springfield, the land
reverted to its former owner, Elijah Iles. After 15 years passed, Elijah
Iles sold the land to the Board of Education for use as a school (State
Register Nov. 8, 1931).
Another
cemetery that was moved to Oak Ridge was known as Hutchinson Cemetery. It
was a private cemetery that was located just west of the Old City Graveyard
(State Register Nov. 8, 1931). At the suggestion of the Oak Ridge Cemetery
board, the Hutchinson family agreed to exchange lots for burial lots in Oak
Ridge Cemetery. A total of 600 bodies were removed from Hutchinson Cemetery
and reburied at Oak Ridge Cemetery (State Journal May 30, 1945).
After
President Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865, his body was brought to
Springfield on a special train from Washington, D.C. Abraham Lincoln's first
resting place was in the Oak Ridge Cemetery public receiving vault. That
vault sits in the north hill of the present tomb and still stands. Abraham
Lincoln was later moved to a temporary tomb while the main tomb was under
construction. Finally, in 1871 his body was moved to the main tomb, which
was still under construction at the time.
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