EASTLAWN AND OAKWOOD CEMETERY HISTORY

 

 

Eastlawn Cemetery was platted and opened in 1923, and is located at 2200 Milwaukee Road. The Cemetery covers over 60 acres and shares its border with beautiful Leeson’s Park. The office for the City Cemeteries is located in Eastlawn.

 

 

In Memory of those whose names are placed beneath this boulder.  They gave their lives for our country 1917-1921.  These trees planted by Civic and Social Organizations.  Tablet presented by 4200 School Children, Beloit 1922.

 

This boulder was placed in memory of a battle of WWI, Meuse-Argonne Offensive (against German Army), also known as the Battle of the Argonne Forest. This battle was a major part of the final Allied offensive of WWI.

 

It was fought from 9-26-1918 to Armistice 11-11-1918. It was the largest in U.S. Military History at that time, involving 1.2 million American soldiers with 26,277 American killed in this battle, including some from the Beloit area and Wisconsin.

 

It was in this battle that the Browning Automatic Rifle was first used in combat. This boulder came from Devil's Lake.

 

 

     

 

The original City Cemetery was located in what is now known as Horace White Park. It was relocated to the Oakwood Cemetery in 1840. Oakwood is located at 1221 Clary Street and sits on 28 acres.

The chapel at Oakwood was erected in 1913 near the Clary street entrance.  The chapel was used for committal services as well as the Cemetery office until the mid-1970’s when operations were moved to the Eastlawn facility. 

 

 

 

   

  

Janet Wagner diligently worked on preserving and updating the Cemeteries history books over several months in 2017 and 2018.

 

The original, which was first produced in the 1950's, had fallen victim to time and was in very poor condition.  Janet scanned and restored the original and updated all the information collected since the first addition.  Janet's passion and dedication to researching and documenting the richness of  local history shines through in her many projects.  Her endeavors preserve the history for the future.

 

 

Due to the restoration page size differences, the page numbers will span several documents.  Some pages have been omitted for space consideration.

 

 

Table of Contents:         CLICK HERE

 

Pages 1 - 27                       CLICK HERE

 

Pages 28 - 39                    CLICK HERE

  

Pages 40 - 45                    CLICK HERE

 

Pages 46 - 50                    CLICK HERE

  

Pages  51 - 57                    CLICK HERE

 

Pages  58 - 62                   CLICK HERE

 

Pages 63 - 67                    CLICK HERE

 

Pages 68 - 72                    CLICK HERE

  

Pages 73 - 77                     CLICK HERE

 

Pages 78 - 82                    CLICK HERE

  

Pages 83 - 85                    CLICK HERE

 

Pages  86 - 90                   CLICK HERE

 

Pages 91 - 95                     CLICK HERE

  

Pages  96 - 99                   CLICK HERE

  

Pages  105 - 108               CLICK HERE

  

Pages  109 - 113                CLICK HERE

 

 Pages  114 - 117                CLICK HERE

               

BOOK #2 - Coming Soon

 

 

  

Bill Bolgrien's Oakwood 

Cemetery History Tour