Oakland Cemetery (Dallas, Texas)

The Oakland Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Dallas, Texas, United States. Since its establishment in 1892, 30,000 people have been buried in the cemetery. Burials include many prominent politicians, including four mayors and two congressmen.

Oakland Cemetery
Oakland Cemetery in 2014
Details
Established1892
Location
Dallas, Texas
CountryUnited States
Coordinates32.7625°N 96.7574°W / 32.7625; -96.7574
TypePublic, non-denominational
Owned byOakland Cemetery Lot Owners Association
Find a GraveOakland Cemetery

History

The Oakland Cemetery was built on land which Thomas Lagow, a veteran of the American-Mexican War, had received from the Republic of Texas for his service.[1] By 1892, he sold it to George Loudermilk, a businessman who hired Benjamin Grove to build the cemetery.[1] While old oak trees were kept, landscape gardeners added rose bushes and graveled pathways to the land.[2]

By 1923, the cemetery was taken over by the Oakland Cemetery Lot Owners Association, and a trust fund for maintenance costs was established.[1]

In 1937, 28 tombs were vandalized.[3]

A Dallas Morning News article announced that the cemetery was officially closed in August 2019 due to lack of operating funds.[4]

Notable burials

Around 30,000 people are buried in the cemetery.

The cemetery is home to many Confederate veterans. For example, Richard Montgomery Gano, a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, was buried here.[1] James Bruton Gambrell, a Confederate veteran who served as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1917 to 1920, was buried here.[5]

Notable burials include four mayors of Dallas. Henry Ervay, who served as the Mayor of Dallas from 1870 to 1872, was buried here.[6] Another mayor, Winship C. Connor, who served from 1887 to 1894, was buried here. Additionally, Franklin Pierce Holland, was served as Mayor from 1895 to 1897, was also buried here.[7] Louis Blaylock , mayor 1923-1927(two terms)

Two congressmen were buried here. Edwin Le Roy Antony, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1892 to 1893, was buried here. James Andrew Beall, a Congressman from 1903 to 1915, was also buried here.

Notable baseball players who were buried here include Harry Kinzy and Oscar Dugey.

Dallas sculptor Allie Tennant is buried, along with her parents and four brothers in Oakland.

Also buried at Oakland is Santos Rodriguez, the 12-yr old victim of a police killing.[8]

gollark: There are probably a bunch of other utilities which would be neat which I repeat a lot, I think often stuff for fiddling with table formats.
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gollark: But also with other things.
gollark: Yes.
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References
  1. Stowers, Carlton (July 12, 2001). "GRAVE MATTERS". Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  2. "Oakland Cemetery". The Galveston Daily News. Galveston, Texas. August 27, 1892. p. 6. Retrieved January 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Cemetery Vandals". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. September 18, 1937. p. 4. Retrieved January 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Why Oakland Cemetery, where 127 years of Dallas' history is buried, has suddenly been abandoned". Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. August 30, 2019.
  5. Summerlin, Travis L. (June 15, 2010). "GAMBRELL, JAMES BRUTON". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  6. "History isn't on Leppert's side". The Dallas Voice. February 24, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  7. Hart, Brian (June 15, 2010). "HOLLAND, FRANKLIN PIERCE". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  8. Amer, Areeba (February 3, 2018). "It is time for Dallas to finally create an official Santos Rodriguez memorial". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
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